5 years ago, I was 35 pounds heavier than in this picture. Yes, I lost 35 pounds, but I'm not talking about bodyweight here... I'm talking about the extra 35 pounds of anxiety and fear that I was lagging around with me for 22 years. The extra 35 pounds of shame and confusion I was holding on to for so long. The extra 35 pounds of overwhelm that kept piling on as I started to lose sight of a clearer life - a life of happiness and confidence and strength, both physically and mentally, waking up excited for the day ahead of me instead of just going through the motions of yet another day.

So I made a choice.

A choice to unlock my personal power. A choice to shift my mindset and start viewing all that physical "excess" weight that my body was holding on to in a new, loving, positive light - as potential energy to transform my overall well-being - rather than viewing it as something constantly dragging me down.

This changed EVERYTHING. From that moment on, every time I thought about wanting to lose weight or I looked at that extra roll staring back at me in the mirror, I redirected my thoughts. Initial thought --> "ugh, I'm so fat." Shifted through --> I would visualize all of that "excess" that I was holding on to as potential energy waiting to be released from inside me - just waiting ever so patiently for me to reclaim this stored energy and use it as fuel to move forward and create a spark chain reaction in my life.

So I started to finally believe in my inner strength. And the more weight I lost, the more I realized that this fuel from within me, wasn't just fuel, it was creativity. It was boldness. It was confidence waiting to be claimed. It was playfulness. It was drive, passion. It was love and expression that had been buried down for so long I had almost forgotten it was still there. It was me!

And then the strangest, most magical thing started happening. As I started to use up this stored personal power (aka, the pounds started to go down and the old Emily started coming back to life), I became less and less reliant on my backup power that I was hiding in my tummy rolls. Because now, my power was constantly being fueled, I didn't need a back up generator. My furnace was working again, with ease, and I no longer had to shift through all the piled on mess to find my strength from within. Because it was already there. Exposed to the world, ready to shine. Generating more and more spark energy to the vibrant chain reaction with each empowered decision made. And of course, sometimes, this spark gets covered by the shadows of everyday life, but these shadows pass. They no longer get buried deep within me, exponentially gaining strength until it's become so much a part of me that I don't even know my identity without having it there to constantly drag around.

I invite you to make the decision to take the leap. To make that mindset shift. To follow your passion, believe in yourself, and go all-in. Once you do that, that's when success becomes inevitable. ✨💫

5 years ago, I was 35 pounds heavier..