This is the generation of quick fixes. In almost any area of life, there will be a speedy way to get to your end goal. Not that this is bad but where is the joy of the journey or the trials that mold us and give us wisdom?

I lived in a pretty rambunctious home of nine children. My father was a dreamer and told us all about the dreams he had. I loved this as it filled my mind with beautiful visions of his reality. But my father was almost always looking for the next get-rich scheme. This brought many failed dreams or plans that never happened. I learned over time, that dreams can come true with hard work and perseverance.

Fitness in one form or another has always been one of my passions. My journey has taken many paths which has shaped and molded me into who I am today. Fitness sports include years of physical activity, commitment, devotion and just plain hard work. The phrase “embrace the suck” is real. There are no quick fixes when it comes to competitions in any fitness realm.

When I wanted to run my first marathon, I had to dedicate hours of time to running trails or neighborhoods in sub-zero weather. Saturdays were spent running 4 hours on trails in the early mornings before my family woke up. Then I needed to be home and be present for my six children and husband who needed me. This was my dream. I longed to run 26.2 miles. When that time came, it didn’t matter that I was slow and made it to the finish line in over 5 hours, it was the celebration of making it to the finish line. I cried because I had accomplished a very long goal that I had set in place.

When I turned 55 years old in 2023 my new passion and fitness goal was to compete in my first bikini bodybuilding show. I literally could envision my next goal in a sparkly bikini in front of judges with muscles. This was my dream. This is when I had to relearn the phrase, “embrace the suck.” Little did I know what the next 6 months would look like. Hard, incredibly painfully hard. This was very reminiscent of my marathon training days. There are absolutely no quick fixes or schemes to get you to where you want to be when you have a dream.

When that day came and went, I learned many valuable lessons. Training for these shows and taking home a medal can take years. Many many years. I learned that there has to be proper off-seasons of “building” your body. Eating to fuel your body and muscles must be systematic and guided through a coach. Adhering to the protocol is key and following the plan precisely will all go towards your goals. Lifting heavy is the plan. So, put your head down and get to hard work. This is the way.

“Embrace the suck” can be applied to anything in life. It’s not fun or easy but hard and painful. Getting to that end goal can and will be so satisfying knowing that all your work was not done in vain. It will shape and mold you into who you will become. No quick anything - and that’s ok. Dreams can come true.