Success does NOT come without Sacrifice!

Success does not come without sacrifice. The early nights, the skipped events and the countless hours away from family and friends.

Success does not define who we are but it is the journey itself that defines us.

Success is not about the extrinsic motivators like awards, prizes or money but about achieving our dreams, reaching and pushing ourselves to a higher potential.

Success is about determination, perseverance and self-gratification. Knowing we have no limits or restrictions.

Success is about you!

3 days to go.............................

Well it is almost here! I can't believe it. It's kind of bitter sweet, like I can't wait for it but then in an odd way I don't want to come to an end yet!

These next 3 days are so crucial, it will determine how I look on that stage. Yes, today is my final cardio but there is still tweaking needed with diet and water thereafter. I only get one chance up there and I need to hit my peak perfectly, the total package needs to be ON! It's not over till I stand tall saturday night.

I can not explain to you how different this prep has been for me. It has definitely lead me on roller coaster of emotional and physical pain. I did not exactly welcome these with open arms but I can now look back and realize that each time I experienced these moments I reminded myself about getting back up and keep on going. Remember that life is not about the obstacles we face but about how we persevere through them and create our own path to our goals and our success.

This journey has not been with out much support from AMAZING family and friends! You all know who you are! Having your encouragement has kept me striving to be the best. To be an inspiration and motivator in your goals and your life! To you I owe much gratitude, I would not be here without you!

Well as I begin my final cardio to sweat burn any final flaws that have hung on til now, stubborn guys, I will think back to the beginning and what I have accomplished thus far and focus on what I need to do these next few days to reach my ultimate goal!

Much Love & Appreciation!
Michelle

Eye Of The Tiger!

You know that feeling when it just hits you? You've got it........the eye of the tiger? Driven, determined and patiently awaiting the kill! Yes, I am hungry! Literally and metaphorically, HA! But it's time..............to persevere through these next 2 weeks, pushing harder, digging deeper than I have ever done before.

It amazes me that even though I have been here before it feels different, tougher than the past. Why? Does training and dieting ever get easier? Nope! Not if you want to achieve your greatest potential! You have go beyond your limits, beyond your comfort zone and push past your barriers. When you do this there is a sense of accomplishment and pride in yourself that you can reach your goals and then set new ones. So no matter what we are always pushing faster, harder and becoming stronger.

This quote has stuck in my head this entire contest prep, "Do what you have always done and you will get what you have always gotten". This holds oh so true. If we repeat the same ways or patterns we will never change and go grow. What can you change today to push you in a different direction or down a different path.................seeking your true inner potential!

Remember to stay strong and confident and you can reach those goals that you have set!

Here is a pic from when I went to Cali to train with Hany, with us is also IFBB figure Huong Arcinas, who is currently prepping for the Olympia. Beautiful!
Oh, and no I do not have on my heels, LOL!

Hermit in Hiding!

Sad to say that this has been the case. I don’t want to make excuses about how busy life is as we are faced with the lengthy list of to-dos on a daily basis. Unfortunately my updates have been nil since last October. Man, it’s nearly October already again, has it really been this long since I have shared my lifes' journey with you. There has been much on my plate these past 9 months and believe me I have wanted to sit down and tell you all about it but it seemed something else seemed to jump on my priority list.

So here I sit on a plane ride back from California. Wow, what a whirlwind of 48 hours it has been. This was just a quick trip down to train with my coach “The Pro Creator”! Does this name ring a bell? Think Mr.Olympia behind the scenes. Well, most of you may not know who this guy is unless you are an avid bodybuilder follower and read mags such as MD or Flex. This guy is the top trainer in the world, hey he trainers Jay Cutler and Phil Heath, just to name the top guys of bodybuilding. Hany Rambod is the magic behind these guys. So what does a little ol’amateur like me doing in this neck of the woods you ask? Well learning something new from the best in the biz! Changing things up to bring a different package to the stage than I have in the past. We all need to keep learning and growing and this change in coaches was a step in the right direction. Who else to learn from than the Pro-creator himself. Hope his name holds true in less than 4 weeks!

I must admit I was a bit star struck at first as here he is taking the time to train me, listen to my concerns and guide me through the rest of my journey to the stage. Did I mention thats less than 4 weeks away? Right, I did just seems so close but so far away! As now it is crunch time, time to buckle in an giver! Time to tighten those last few areas, practice and practice again and again my posing and stage presence.

You see no matter how many times we practice we can always give more, do more and strive for excellence. Our own self-determined excellence comes from what we believe is our best and as long as I know that I have given my best and have followed everything I could from my coaches advice than my excellence at this point is achieved. Someone once told me that if we do not achieve the standard we set for ourselves that we will NEVER be able to achieve them. What I don’t understand in this negative thought pattern is how are you suppose to succeed if you do not know how to fail first. We determine success by what we can overcome and achieve and if we first know how to fall and pick ourselves up we can carry on and strive to do or be better. I challange you to think of something that you may have wanted to achieve in the past but have given up because of the fear of failure and think of how you can overcome this obstacle in order to succeed.

We are only limited by what we fear!

Hang on for the ride......................................

Michelle