Owning Your Story :: Attracting Your Tribe

Writing a blog, seeking hopeful new friends to connect with, trying to put my name/ my brand out there for my fitness business--- these things have me constantly contemplating who i am// what my journey can be described as. In doing that, i have realized that what that truly means is being okay to tell my story. It means accepting my past and my current and sharing it with others in a shameless way. Here's the deal; when i make people aware of who i am, my tribe, my people, are attracted to me. And the wonderful people who may share a different life path or not care for what I have to say slowly trickle out. But that's okay. I need to make myself and my few moments of spare time open only for those who are a part of my tribe. WHAT IS ALL THIS TALK OF A TRIBE, you may ask? The most common definition of the noun "tribe" is: any aggregate of people united by ties of descent from a common ancestor, community of customs and traditions, adherence to the same leaders, etc. So, when you hear people talking about finding and attracting their tribe these days, they are trying to find the people they can walk in this life with that will understand them, uplift them, be there for them. I want to find like-minded people that seek growth in their lives, the people who were once broken but now recovering- from whatever life ailment they may have. My personal story speaks of certain recovery, so I share my own tales to especially draw my fellow tribe members in. I want to be around the girls and guys who know that fitness doesn't just have to be in vain or to splurge on a cheeseburger or an excuse to buy new LuLu Lemon outfits. I NEED my tribe to back me and be with me, stretch for lift, when I try to help people change mentally through a seemingly physical process. To recover together, to heal together, to celebrate growing into the people we are meant to be together. /// The thing about surrounding yourself with the people that understand you is that you'll be nurtured when you don't expect it and thrown tough love when you think you don't need it. And you'll take it all in; these are the people who tiptoe in the same footsteps as you. Look at your circle of friends now-- are you manipulating each other or extending hands to one another? Are you having deep conversations or focusing solely on moments from Us Weekly? Do they know your blood relatives names or do they only know the confines of the hangout you are in? It is possible that you have NEVER been surrounded by your real tribe. This could be due to seeking improper things in people; often, we as human beings seek validation from others. Because of this, we latch on to people for their pleasing words more than their personalities. Or perhaps you have that one perfect friend but limit yourself to the potential for how many confidantes you could cherish. /// FINDING YOUR TRIBE~~~ This first requires you being open and honest with yourself. Who are you now? What are your dreams for the future? What do you need to improve upon to achieve those? What bad habits, thoughts, and people do you need to release to move forward towards your destiny? Once your self improvement has started, you will already be in the first stages of finding your tribe. Just by being yourself, you will attract your peoples. And because life is a continuing journey of change, it is entirely logical and possible that people will come and go in this time- throughout the whole of our lives. Be yourself- share it honestly- attract people that dig what you put out into the world. It is so simple that it seems difficult. Social media doesn't have to be a horrendous platform for self gratification and nagging. It can be an endless meeting ground for your tribe! Share positivity, share your hard days with a solution in hand, share the beautiful person that you are. We are not made to be pleasing to every single human; it is essential that we stay true to who we are while seeking progress in our daily existence. So here's your homework-- write down a few things about WHO YOU ARE. What do you like? What causes are you involved in? What's your home life like? Now write down WHO YOU WANT TO BE. What are your career goals? How do you want to help people? Look at these options and share the truths. Everyone needs work; anyone that says they're perfect is either delusional or a liar. So bravely be you in a world that falsely proclaims flawlessness and know that you are beautiful, no matter where you are in your journey.

Jumping back into passion.

Does anyone else feel like they get so attached to multiple things that their fire starts to die out? --- The fire that burns for their obvious passions and the unknown embers that lead to spontaneous creation? --- Well HELLO, I am that lady! I've become so immersed in others' notions of my approaching figure competition that I have lost my burning desire for my workouts. I drag myself into cardio and have no interest left to actually hitting the weights. Or, my darling husband tries to get a couple's workout in and I manage interest for a bit before becoming antsy, lippy, or flustered with time. What the hell is the point then?! For me, lifting was an escape, it welcomed me into my recovery from eating disorders and a transformed mindset on my personal beauty. And now I find myself losing that spark. Actually, losing is a poor term because it will always be there- but it is slipping into the background. With that in mind, I am genuinely considering holding off until Spring 2016 to compete so that I can restructure my diet plan and regain my passion. Keep my priorities in order. With the millions of things I have going on in my life, I need to see what needs cared for now and what needs cared for later, and attack in order of importance. The truth is that my life needs a lot of reconstruction in general, and I have to give my focus and attention to the most important things first and foremost. We're preparing for our two year anniversary vacation, and I can't let the focus of our trip be counting calories and restrictions- it needs to be focusing on reconnecting with my husband first and foremost, as well as our family and taking a break from phones and internet and work. To clarify that- I will NOT be stuffing my face day in and day out. In fact, I plan on sticking with my current competition diet plan almost exclusively, but if I happen to have a dessert with dinner or not fuss over an added sauce to a meat dish or have a ginger beer with my husband, nope; not an ounce of regret or guilt. At the end of the day, anything that resembles an ED habit, thought, or obsession will be squashed and altered. My health and recovery will never be jeopardized under my watchful eye- whether for vanity, a person, or anything else. I want to get eager to jump into my workout, I want to feel that endorphin release, I want to go nuts on weights in our home gym one day, go to a Crossfit class another day and a power yoga the next, all in the same week, just because I like it. I don't want to feel suffocated by planned workouts or forced into a set plan- workouts need to be fun, or they don't happen. A bad workout is a workout that doesn't happen. --- Long story short, if you feel your fire fizzling out, pause and asses where your heart stands. What is it that you do that makes your heart beat- hobbies, career, family time? Are you still connected to those things? Do you need to establish them again in your life or is it something else that you're missing? Literally sit down and write out a plan on how to reclaim your fire. NEVER LET THAT SIZZLE OUT! It is what drives us as human beings; what keeps us pushing through the days with joy! Christ has pushed on my heart HEAVY lately that I am not fulfilling my bigger calling. While I have no clue what that means exactly yet, I know I have to get to work, because right now, I'm trying to push the wrong mountains, and they refuse to budge. I am not the type of person that can stay stagnant- it eats away at me deeper and deeper until I begin to self destruct. A little mental break from responsibility and real life will be magical FOR SURE! Celebrating my two year wedding anniversary with the most supportive, loving man in the world is the best gift in the world I could ever ask for; revisiting the pink beaches we celebrated our wedding on is going to fill every cell in my body with life!!! I'm blessed to share this special gift from my mother in law with her; I am grateful to have the connection and friendship that I do with her and know that we will share more laughs and talks on this trip. So how will I purposefully reignite my fire on this trip? First of all- LIST MAKING. I have started a few, I plan on restructuring them and redefining them while gone as well; everything from a daily tasks list to "Life after Bermuda." HA! I look forward to reading and getting back into my book idea during my down time on the boat to Bermuda. My creative juices are FLOWING and yearning for an outlet! I'm looking forward to spontaneous, unstructured workouts daily on the boat as well. Just letting my morning muscle desires lead the way and then running on the outside track with the sunrise. I'm going to be honest, I already know what restaurant we're eating at for our anniversary, and I'm really excited to eat lamb and some sort of chocolate dessert ! HA! I'm not NOT competing October 3rd as of now, but in my mind, I am leaning more towards a spring competition, for mental and physical growth. I will be spending this entire week canoodling my husband and reestablishing the strength of our partnership, our marriage, our love and future. Through his continued love and support, I know I can take on the world and win. Plus, we are the perfect counterpart for each other. He brings clarity and stability where I need it and vice versa. And when I return home, I plan on attacking the next set of priorities; it's time to cross things off the lists!

The only thing I like about summer; aka Our Garden!

Let's just face the music together, okay? I've always been a fall person first and foremost, no question about that. There's something magical about a 55-60 degree day, thin sweatshirts, wool hats, crunching leaves, Halloween !!!!!!!!!!! But the older i get, the more i love winter as well. Summer literally only intrigues me for two reasons- swimming pools and gardens. Note: I haven't gotten to go swimming this year, so obviously I am incredibly NOT into summer this year. Thankfully, we have had gorgeous roses, peonies, tiger lilies, hibiscus flowers, and other sensationally beautiful things around our yard. Our food garden is just as kind; so far we have yielded heirloom tomatoes, blueberries, peas, banana peppers, zucchini, jalapenos, habaneros, and we are anxiously awaiting pumpkins and acorn squash! Doing a few raised beds this year was a brilliant idea; we created four but only ended up using three. I definitely plan on calling dibs on the side garden next year; our broccoli never seems to take so i plan on putting leafy greens next to the spearmint. Long story short, friends, here is my take on summer: UTILIZE THE HECK OUTTA THIS HEAT AND GROW YOUR OWN FOOD!!!! Don't live in the Northeast or a warm climate like me? Stuff grows around you too, duh! See what works best to grow in your climate and DO IT! Stop paying stores all day everyday and dig into that dirt, pot that seed, do what you have to do!!!

Husband approved lunches!

One of my favorite sentimental activities that I do for my husband is make his lunch for work every morning. I started doing this when we first started dating as a way to connect with him and milk every moment together! It also helped me show him an extra ounce of attention and learn who he was and what he liked. This fall will be 4 magical years together, and I refuse to stop doing this!!! He has continually expressed his enjoyment and love of it, and it makes me feel good to take care of him. I am VERY lucky; not just because my husband is kind and great, but also because he loves to eat whole, real foods. Below are a few shots of typical foods I pack Mr. Hergy. My hubby is a union carpenter, so his hard work days allow him a 15 minute breakfast break and 30 minute lunch break. A general idea is: one or two sandwiches, cereal and milk, fruits, cheese, deer or beef jerky, a few chips or some sort of snack along those lines, water, coffee, and Gateorade or root beer. It sounds like a lot! Honestly he doesn't always finish it!! But the fact is, he does hard labor most of the time for a minimum of 8 hours and needs a lot of fuel to keep him going. My husband is naturally a tall, lean man as well, so his metabolism is quite speedy and needs the extra snacks just in case! These two ideas of lunches contain: Photos 1 and 2- roast beef sandwich with muenster cheese and jalapeno mustard; applesauce; a mix i made of raspberries, almonds, and blueberries; veganic chocolate rice crispies cereal and milk. Photo 3- the same sandwich (roast beef, muenster, jalapeno mustard); grapefruit and mandarin orange blend; raspberries and colby jack cheese that i cubed.

If you make your husband breakfast, lunch, or dinner, remember to appease his tastes, while also trying to help him eat healthy! I know that I want the longest, happiest, healthiest journey possible with my soul mate! If they have been junk eaters for awhile, slowly introduce new items to them! You don't want to completely push someone away from trying new healthier foods, whether your husband, friend, family member, or SELF! Fresh fruits and veggies always taste the best because they have pure, natural flavor! You can't go wrong with that!

Meatless Monday made simple!

Currently I'm following a fairly strict, mastered meal plan in preparation for my first competition in October. However, in my usual daily diet, I utilize the goodness of both plant based meals and lean meats. More than a decade of being a vegetarian (and some random spurts of veganism) made me truly appreciate the deep, real flavors of meatless meals, as well as the nurturing nutritional value. Sometimes our digestive tracts just NEED that break! Whoever started the buzz of Meatless Monday is a genius! It's a great way to get people to focus on plant based meals for a day, without having to make the drastic commitment of giving up meat. For some, that's a huge step in the right direction of not basing every single meal on a meat dish! For others like myself who don't necessarily do that, it's a good reminder to our systems that we love them! For you seasoned vets, these dishes may ne something you have created or done similar versions of. For you meatless newbies, here are a few delicious recipes to get you going! All of these could be prepared as a side or main dish- the serving you eat would determine what place it takes!

The brussel sprouts, green beans, and yellow & green squash (aka zucchini), were all tossed in a small amount of pure olive oil, freshly ground pepper, and were created to be eaten heated. You could always make these cold veggie salads as well, although you may want to cook the brussel sprouts first and let them cool. The Parisian blend contains a Belgian endive, artichoke hearts, snap peas, and shallots- another dish great cold or hot. The small snack pack of veggies would be great on the go- especially during the busy summer months when we try to do everything at once! The tropical kebobs feature pineapple, varied mushrooms, peppers, and onions. You could play around with what fruits and veggies you put on here! Just be mindful of how well the items you put on hold up over a flame so you know where to cook them on your grill! Also, snacking can be made easy and healthy with homemade guacamole! WHO DOESN'T LOVE GUAC?! I'm a huge fan of new plays on chips as well, but you can't go wrong with good ol' tortilla chips! Remember- many veggies and fruits pair well together; DO IT! The summer heat calls for dense nutrition in small amounts with several mini meals (if you're like me- it's so hard to eat when the humidity is intense!). If you choose to make any of these as side dishes, think about pairing with quinoa, hot or cold, tossed in a homemade vinaigrette, or rice or another healthy grain of your choice! Happy meatless eating!

How to feed your husband all the meat he wants... Without clogging his arteries!

Okay, interwebs, I know some of you readers have that special someone in your life that would eat a hefty burger, paired with either a chicken or shrimp appetizer, and washed down with a drumstick for dessert. Several of us can relate that it is the man of our dreams, but you women aren't void of this! Honestly, I know there has been a time or two where I've realized no leafy anything or carbohydrate goodness danced across my plate. All. About. That. Meat. But let's be real, our digestive systems need a break from such a harsh meal to process and pass. "Meat sweats," isn't a term for nothing, okay? My husband is the type of man who loves 98% of food on the Earth, but always has a way of leaning towards a thick cut of meat. If he doesn't order some type of steak and seafood combo when we go out to eat, I'm nervous! I like to indulge him in his favorite foods, while taming my heart attacks that he might pass out while cutting the grass. My trick? Smaller portions! Just like what I preach any other time. He likes steak- we lean more toward deer than beef (leaner cut of meat so less artery clogging fattiness!). He likes bacon- I intentionally do grocery shopping and limit the amount of times in one month that he buys regular bacon over turkey... or lecture him endlessly ;) The point is, whether you are a woman like me, chasing fitness goals, or a naturally slender man like my husband who could eat his own weight in meats, portion control is EVERYTHING. Live life, enjoy it, enjoy good food... but stick around long enough to do that, okay!!! Tonight, I'll be having a delicious shrimp and spinach salad (check out my Instagram page for a photo of that later- @leehergyfit). My husband will be grilling chicken for my food prep this week, so I treated him and made some prosciutto-wrapped asparagus! Not a very lean meat, very salty, but... IT'S DELICIOUS! And with only 4 nicely shaved pieces wrapped around an amazing vegetable, you won't hear this wifey nagging her husband. I lightly tossed the asparagus in a pinch of olive oil. Then I wrapped them in the prosciutto and sprinkled with some freshly ground pepper. Knowing my man, I will also be making a foil pouch of onions, garlic cloves, and olive oil to toss on the grill as well.

Ladies and gents who are catering to your significant others' needs for all the meats: Food and life should be about balance. GIVE IT TO THEM! If I weren't in competition mode, we would have a scheduled hot wing date night every week. Because chicken and hot sauce. Or pizza- that stuff is heavenly. Know your boundaries; if one night a week is too much for you to stay on track, what about one night a month? What about for a celebration after a big test or paying something off? Find the right way to enjoy in moderation and do it! Your brain and your belly will thank you!

FEATURE #2 FROM MY FUTURE BOOK!

Hey friends! To keep myself on my targeted deadlines, and to present a little taste of what will be coming from my book, I have decided to share a piece twice a week with you throughout May! The basis of my book is founded in being happy and whole; targeting the three aspects of daily life that I have found brought me genuine happiness! Without a doubt in my mind or heart, I feel that it is essential to nurture your physical, mental, and spiritual health daily, in order to prosper and truly make the most out of each day. I hope that you enjoy these little shares, and I look forward to presenting and sharing the completed works with you soon! With love, Leeana ---------- Today's excerpt- Focusing on physical health: --- PHYSICAL WORKOUT: Veggie Stew! 1 can organic stewed tomatoes, 1 can organic pinto beans, 1 cube chicken or vegetable bouillon, 2 cups frozen broccoli, 2 cups frozen cauliflower, 3 tsp Jamaican curry powder, 1 tbsp turmeric, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tbsp rice flour. In a large pot, fill halfway with filtered water. Bring to a boil and add bouillon cube and spices. Once cube has fully dissolved, add tomatoes and beans. Return to boil and then reduce heat to low-medium. After about 20-30 minutes, add broccoli and cauliflower. When all veggies have softened enough to liking, slowly whisk in rice flour, to thicken. Serve with grain, rice, bread, or pasta of choice! --- Recipe notes: If you choose to use fresh broccoli and cauliflower, be sure to add them immediately after the bouillon cube and spices (with the beans), so they have time to soften. I love eating this by itself, with brown rice, or especially with buckwheat. If we make it on a day off, baking a fresh loaf of bread would be my dream pairing, though! It's flavorful enough to eat without a hearty side, but I love having something to sop this stew up with! I prefer eating it right after it is prepared, but it would also be good, warm or cold, in a power bowl full of other nutrient dense foods!