 What new adventures have you been putting off? You know...because of time, money, fear, or something else....like what other people would think of you.
I used to be one of those people. The type of person that was scared of trying something new, that was scared of taking risks, that was scared of what other people would think of me. I had to be in control of everything. And I lived in this place where I thought I would be happy "when"...you know, I'd be happy WHEN I made more money. I'd be happy WHEN I found the right guy. I'd be happy WHEN... Fill in the blank with any number of things. I didn't know how to be happy in the place I was at that moment. But I didn't know how to make any of the changes necessary to get me to that "when" moment. And I was also terrified of what other people would think if I changed anything. Yes...you read that right. I didn't want to make any changes because I was worried of what other people would think of me. How crazy is that?! It took me far too long to realize that it didn't matter what anyone else thought. God is the only one I answer to. And let's be real...other people's opinions do NOT pay my bills or give me happiness! The only thing I had to do was to make MYSELF happy! I started small with making changes in my life...nothing earth shattering or that other people would even notice. Eating habits. Exercise habits. Added meditation. And I also realized that I had to be happy exactly where I was at that given moment! I couldn't wish away where I was or what I was doing, because that's exactly where I was meant to be at that time. But what really changed was when I started pursuing my passion. There was something inside me that really lit up. And when I went back to my "normal" job...the one that paid the bills and that people expected me to do...that's when the unhappiness sunk back in. And I knew I wasn't in the right place. If I continued to live my life based on what other people thought of me or my decisions, I would still be in the same place I was four years ago. I didn't try Crossfit because of other people's opinions. I didn't pursue my passion in health and nutrition because I was scared of how it would change my life. I almost didn't date my now husband again for fear of what other people would think. I STAYED IN THE SAME PLACE for far too long because I was SCARED!! Of far too many things! But what's even scarier is staying in the exact same spot and not changing a darn thing! Never growing, never changing, never becoming exactly who I was meant to be. Yes, change is scary. I get that. I was there. But I can't imagine where my life would be if I hadn't stepped up to the challenge and embraced the changes. Start small. You don't have to do a complete 180 to get the changes you desire. Let me know how I can help too. I've been where you are....scared to change, scared to grow, scared to do something different. Sometimes it's those little steps that get you the most! I hope you have a beautiful week! I'd love to hear about some of the small changes you'll be making this week :) With love and wellness, Whitney
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 Playing it safe, staying inside the lines, staying in your comfort zone... it never gets you anywhere. Or at least it doesn't get you where you ultimately want to be.
When we were kids and before our brains started overthinking EVERY. LITTLE. THING. We did whatever we wanted. We tried new things, without hesitation. There wasn't any "what ifs." We had NO FEAR!! Somewhere along the line, something shifts in us and we realize that certain decisions will hurt us or make us feel bad, so we start changing how we approach things. We start questioning whether or not we should do something or say something or try something new. And, even worse, if too many things have hurt us, we just stop trying new things altogether. We stay inside our little bubble, our comfort zone, and hope that nothing changes the status quo. But let's be serious here...how much fun is that??? My life has changed drastically in the past couple years. I think back to where I was a few years ago and where I thought I'd be today, and it looks 100% different than I ever imagined. I was perfectly content to be one of those people living inside my comfort zone. I had my stable government job. I had a few close friends and my pug, Riley. I didn't venture outside my little neighborhood or my normal, weekly routine. I worked out. I worked. I walked Riley. And I slept. That's pretty much it. I. Was. Boring. PS - this was also when I was struggling with hormonal acne and I hated people seeing me, so that didn't help either! It wasn't until I moved to Virginia Beach and completely stepped outside my comfort zone by trying Crossfit that something in me shifted. I realized I was playing small. I was doing what was "expected" of me and not what I really wanted to do! Trying Crossfit, starting to use doTERRA essential oils, and moving to Virginia Beach started a series of changes in my life that took me completely out of my bubble. I have grown and changed so much in the past four years, and even more so in the past year! I mean, buying a house with Scott and quitting my government job before he and I were even engaged was a HUGE risk and a HUGE step outside my comfort zone. But I was confident in myself and my decision making abilities to know I was making the right choice. Know that every decision you make will take you on the path you're supposed to be on. Know that playing small will never get you where you want to be. Sometimes you have to risk big to win big! And there are no regrets! Just take everything you go through as a life lesson and use it to help you grow! Yes. Leaving your comfort zone is hard. But staying in the same place, day after day, with no end in sight, is just as hard. Here's the thing. YOU get to pick your hard! Do you want to try something new and potentially have it change your life? Or do you want to stay in the same place, living paycheck to paycheck, just spinning your wheels? Pick your hard. It's really that simple. All I know is that I'm so glad my life has shifted and changed the way it has. I don't know why or how it happened, but I know I was meant to be on this path and journey. Have a beautiful week! Are you ready to pick your hard? With love and wellness, Whitney  So last March, I quit my day job. My safe, paycheck guaranteed, Monday through Friday job. Almost 12 years in and I walked away. Said goodbye to something that was completely unfulfilling and haven't looked back since.
Now, that's not to say that I haven't had my share of "oh $hit" moments, but I don't miss working for someone else, having them dictate what I do and when, or going into an office that I just felt was slowly sucking away my soul. There's something so incredibly freeing about saying "Bye Felecia" to something that is 100% making you unhappy. Over this past year, my journey has changed a time or two. I certainly am not where I envisioned I would be, but I can tell you that I am exactly where I belong. I wouldn't change this past year, but I do have some lessons learned to share with others who may be in the same boat. I can't change how Scott and I went about things, but if anything I've learned helps you or someone out there, then I'm happy to share! So number 1, revamp any bills allocation and spending immediately; don't wait several months before changing this! Scott and I split all our bills, including the mortgage, which was mainly coming from my savings account. I realized, a tad too late, that this was draining my savings account very rapidly! It wasn't until we sat down and figured out how we were going to allocate the bills that things started going a little smoother. I.e., we started relying more on Scott's salary while I was building my business and income sources! I also recommend to STOP spending the way you were when you had that guaranteed paycheck. I seemed to think I had an unlimited supply of money and kept buying things from Amazon, for the business, for the house, for others, whatever. I mean, I wasn't spending ad nauseam, but I definitely should have changed HOW I was spending. Once again, I realized too late that my "unlimited" supply of money was coming from my savings. And it was very quickly dwindling down. Funny how that happens when you aren't putting money into it. Duh. Number 2, pay off debt, or as much as you can, BEFORE quitting! Scott and I each had some debt at the time, but it wasn't until AFTER I quit my job and we realized I wasn't bringing in the income I anticipated that we had somehow managed to get ourselves into more debt. We can also thank a wedding and honeymoon and other house projects for that. It's funny how that also sneaks up on you. Again, we sat down and wrote out a debt-dash plan and are getting things under control. I am happy to report we have paid off several things since we actually got on the same page. However, it would have made life a little easier had we started this debt-dash plan BEFORE I quit my job. Again. Duh. Number 3, wait a little longer for more success/money before quitting. I'm not saying that you have to be 100% successful or even 75%, but have some sort of income coming in before you walk away from that guaranteed income. I mean, I could have been waiting for months for that to happen with what I was doing at that time. It obviously never really took off since I am now doing something different. And let's be real, there never really is the "perfect" time to make this leap. But I trusted in God and took the huge leap of faith to do my own thing and it is paying off in dividends! And number 4, have a very clear, set plan in place. All we knew is that we were going to take 3 months to get things up and running and to start making some money. That was about all we had going for our plans. Can you see how clear-cut that is? Ha! I am so much more clear now with how each of my days, weeks, and months look as compared to when I quit. I start with the broad picture of what my month holds, then I break it down weekly, and then I break it down daily so I am not overwhelmed. With such clear goals and plans, I am so much more successful and less stressed. It's amazing how that happens! Know what you want to happen when you leave your job, have a clear plan set in place to make it happen, and I can guarantee you'll be in a better place than I was. I just figured it would all work out, somehow. And it did. But not without some trials and tribulations and stress along the way. Believe me, have the plan! You'll thank yourself! My journey has been an amazing one. It's had ups and downs, learning experiences out the wazoo, growth opportunities, and a complete 180 from what I thought I would be doing. Everything I've experienced has brought me to working my passions. To loving my jobs and what I do every day. Like I said at the beginning, it's not where I thought I'd be, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Believe in yourself. Believe in your journey. Trust in God and take that leap of faith. Just do it with a little more planning and forethought. You'll do amazing things! PS - we definitely survived because of Scott's salary, my savings, and our budgeting skills AFTER we realized savings doesn't last. Again...amazing how that works! I hope you have a beautiful week! And if you have any other questions or would like some more insight, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'd love to chat more with you about my journey and how to start yours sooner than you imagined! With love and wellness, Whitney  Oh my goodness! Last week was an absolute whirlwind! We had SO MUCH FUN! I seriously can’t believe it’s done and over already!!
So for those of you just dropping in, Scott and I went on our honeymoon last week to St. Lucia. We got married in October, but decided to wait for our honeymoon. It was nice being able to enjoy our wedding, then have the anticipation of our honeymoon to look forward to! I’ll give you a little snapshot of our week (and of course, you can check out a couple of my pictures here, but the rest are on Facebook), then tell you something I learned from it. Yep, I’m constantly learning new things…even on our honeymoon, LOL. So our trip started at o’dark thirty Saturday, March 25th. It was a whirlwind of a day, flying from Norfolk to Miami, then on to St. Lucia. It was a pretty uneventful trip. We got to the resort around 2 that afternoon and boy, was it absolutely beautiful! And hot!! We definitely weren’t used to being in warm weather every day! It was nice not having to bundle up every day just to stay warm! For the most part, our week consisted of eating, drinking, swimming, walking along the beach, hanging out at the pool with new friends we made, and then doing it all over again. We didn’t really make plans for anything, because we were really looking forward to just relaxing and resting. And we didn’t work out. At all. Not one time. Well…we did try stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking, but that lasted all of 30 minutes. In one day, LOL. However, on Sunday, we met with one of the resort excursion ladies, who told us all about the different excursions the resort offered. We ended up going on a Land & Sea tour, which drove us through part of the island down to a town called Soufriere. From there, we took a speed boat to Sugar Beach, which was a nice resort area with white sand. We walked along the beach and oohed and aahed at the beautiful resort, as well as did a little snorkeling. Oh, I almost forgot…they showed us this interesting cave in the side of the island filled with bats!!! Yes, BATS! Those suckers are LOUD!! Okay, so after returning back to Soufriere on the speed boat, we ate lunch at a local restaurant and got to experience typical St. Lucian food. It was delicious! We then went to this beautiful little waterfall tucked back into a corner of the island. Talk about a popular tourist spot!! It was ICE COLD, but so beautiful! Of course, we got pictures there, because DUH!!! The last part of the tour was at the volcano…yes, St. Lucia has a dormant volcano! It is still steaming and crazy hot, but hasn’t been active in over 200 years! Well…here was my first experience with a volcano! We got into this little hot tub-type area filled with GRAY water running off the volcano. IT. WAS. HOT. Holy cow! It took me more than a few minutes to get adjusted to the temperature and actually get into the water! After getting out of the water, we then painted ourselves with the gray volcanic sulfur stuff…literally, painted ourselves ALL OVER, faces and everything! It’s supposed to be super therapeutic and good for your skin, but it smelled like hard boiled eggs. It took a bit to get used to it, but it felt really amazing after the super hot water! One of the guys that worked there then proceeded to take black volcanic sulfur stuff and further paint us! It was all over us, face, legs, arms, stomach! Seriously…just check out the picture above! We are like Amazonians or something! Hahaha. But man oh man…that is one experience I will NEVER forget! You can’t go to St. Lucia and NOT do that! The other excursion we took off the resort was to the zip lining park. It had 12 zip lines and was home to the longest and fastest zip lines! Can you say FUNNNNNNN?? Holy cow! We were laughing and bonding with all the other couples and families there! The only bad part is that it flew by entirely too fast! We got lots of good pictures and some awesome videos too! Our tour guide for that was pretty darn amazing! Actually, all of the people we met in St. Lucia were amazing! We met some pretty outstanding people, not just other visitors to the resort, but the people who worked there, as well. Our favorite bartender was Dillan…he got us both drunk a time or two (which neither of us expected, hahahaha…oops). And of course, our favorite restaurant was the buffet-style one! We ate there pretty much every meal. The beautiful part is that they offered something different at every meal! Oy…I ate SO MUCH this week!!! Oh my gosh. I almost forgot the CHOCOLATE BAR! It was the very last thing we did Friday night! They had chocolate covered strawberries, a fondue station, chocolate martinis, and other various forms of chocolate (the little square chocolate peanut butter ones were my fave!). Holy goodness! It was by far the BEST chocolate I’ve ever had! It was to die for! Luckily, there were too many people there so I couldn’t keep going back for more! Ha! Chocolate is my weakness! One of the biggest lessons I learned last week, however, was that it is OKAY to take a step back from working out and the hustle bustle of life and just RELAX and enjoy life every now and again! It is very rare when I go a whole week without working out…with the exception of being sick, I rarely go more than 2 days without working out! But Scott helped me to just enjoy the week, to realize it’s okay to splurge and that *gasp* I won’t fall apart! The other lesson I learned is that I am INCREDIBLY hard on myself and my body! For the most part, I am super confident and have no issue walking around in a bikini (or sports bra and shorts…whatever the situation is). But man…not working out this week made me realize how HARD I am on myself! And then we’d take pictures and I realized, I don’t see myself the same way others do! How the camera depicts me (you know…cameras don’t lie!) and how I see myself are two totally different things! So yes – even I need help being gentler on myself and not holding myself to such impossibly high standards! Regardless, we had an AMAZING time and are already planning another trip! Maybe not to St. Lucia, but definitely somewhere tropical! We want to try to make this a once a year thing, because we both need and DESERVE it! But for now, we are back to our regularly scheduled lives :-) Blissfully happy and relaxed and ready to take on the world! I hope you all have an awesome week! It’s bittersweet being home, but I’m ready to jump back into my daily life and kick some serious butt this month! With love and wellness, Whitney |
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Please Note: I do not provide the services of a licensed dietician or nutritionist, information received should not be seen as medical or nursing advice, and is not meant to take the place of seeing licensed health professionals. |