An Old Blog Entry Has Become New Again

There's so much going on in my life right now that I could write a blog every day on many different topics. However, today I need to repeat a blog entry that I wrote back in June of 2010. Because of some personal changes in my life, I find myself taking a closer ... and sometimes critical ... look at my appearance. The following old blog entry has become new again and reminds me that my uniqueness is beautiful.:


THEY DON'T LOOK LIKE ME (AND THAT'S ALRIGHT) - June 2010

As I sit in the change room waiting to get my makeup done for my very first fitness photo shoot ... I'm nervously checking out the other ladies that are taking part. It's not a competition but I'm comparing myself. This is so out of my comfort zone! Mainly because when I look at all the models in many of the popular fitness magazines, I can’t identify with any of them. They don’t look like me. Black. Super short natural “mini-fro”. Real boobs. 40-plus. Many of them, fitness is their livelihood. For me it’s a hobby (that’s turning into a bit of a passion.) But even though I've got little in common with the ladies in the magazines (besides the love of fitness) I love my look! I created it! Who cares if I don't look like the typical fitness model. I’m just so fortunate that I can BE a fitness model for a few hours! And wow ... what an experience I had at the Best Body Model Fitness shootout with David Ford and Annette Milbers. So many people told me it was going to be amazing. They said not to be nervous because David and Annette would make you feel comfortable and that they were so good at what they do. Well ... believe the hype. You can’t get more comfortable than this ... I started with jeans and a tank top at the beginning of the shoot ... ended up in lingerie at the end of it all. Crazy. Still can’t believe I did it ... but that’s just how comfortable I felt working with them. I felt more than comfortable with my look. I felt more than comfortable in my own skin.

So forget about that guy who said I should put on a few pounds and grow my hair (seriously ... a guy I was “sweet” on, told me that. The “sweet” is turning “sour”). Forget about how the stereotypical fitness model looks. Forget about what people are comfortable with. I encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and be UNIQUE.


Unique is what I strive to be. Authentic is most important to me.

"Perfect" Balance

"I don't HAVE to do this. I don't HAVE to become a personal trainer!" That's what I exclaimed to my friend Shelby moments before I did my final personal training practical exam. She stared at me with this look that said "Wow. Cara's having a mini-meltdown." I was really nervous. And I guess I just needed to let off a little nervous energy. I ended up doing VERY well on my exam. And when it was all done ... I was totally wired and ended up getting only four hours sleep. I slogged my way through the day ... and through the week ... desperately trying to catch up on my sleep. But it was worth it! There were many other late nights as I worked towards this overwhelming goal. To get here, I put in a lot of extra hours on top of my demanding full-time job, my part-time job as a group fitness instructor, my own training, and my sporadic social life. And now as I bask in the glow of accomplishment and major fatigue I ask the question ... how do I find the "perfect" balance? How do I find the balance between "working tirelessly towards a goal" and "taking care of me: physically and emotionally". I made this statement on FACEBOOK and many who commented were searching for the solution as well. However there were three comments that made me think and I'd like to share them with you ... with my thoughts just below each one:

1. "Perhaps it's how we work towards our goals that's the problem. Tirelessness should be replaced with consistently and persistently."

Good point considering I'm not really "tireless" ... I'm exhausted by the end of the week! I'm not sure how I do it.

2. "Sometimes working tirelessly and not listening to our bodies is what gets us into the predicament I am in."

Her predicament: brain cancer. It made me think about how much I want to live my best life NOW ... and not wait until "this" or "that" is in place.

3. "Balance is what we always seek, physically, emotionally, spiritually, if you find balance in one and not the others you will simply fall down... work them all"

There's the solution ... it's a constant pursuit ... it never ends ... that's what makes life exciting ... that's what will keep me on my toes ... that's what will keep me striving for more ... that's what keeps me driven ... so maybe it's better to have an "imperfect" balance.