Life... MakeYour Footprint!

I have typed, deleted, typed, deleted... over and over again.. I just decided to sit back and just think.  Think about where my life is now compared to just a year ago! LIFE... Its a crazy thing, and some say you have no control over it, but you are wrong.  I look at my life now like a book, if I'm unhappy with the direction of my current chapter is going, then I end it... Start a new chapter! Put the past in the past, let it tell your story... dont let it define you!

I'm 29 years old, single, selling cars, living with a good buddy of mine... Is this where I saw myself?? No... not even close.. but this is where I am at... The past can't be changed, all I can do is look towards the future and work my butt off to better myself. 

I set a goal a long time ago, saying I wanted to be totally self employed by the age of 35, well time is ticking and even if I don't get to that point, I will promise one thing... I worked my butt off trying! In the end its not about the goals you didn't meet, its about one thing.. One question you have to ask yourself... Did I do everything in my power and try my hardest to meet this goal? If you can honestly look at yourself and realized you tried your hardest then you should not be ashamed one bit. 

This past year has taught my alot about myself... I am sooo much stronger than I gave myself credit for... It is an amazing feeling just to love yourself and love life! Like I said, Im not content with where my life is.. Im gonna work my butt off everyday to better myself... and not only for me, but for my family...  My ultimate dreams is to have a family, and I know the work im doing right now is laying the foundation for my future! So when you dont happen to meet a goal you set, dont get down... Look in the mirror and ask yourself... Did I try my hardest? Then continue forward on your path! This is your life, your story... Make it memorable!

Commit To FIT!

So... When I got back from LA for the casting of Extreme Makeover, I had a goal.. A goal to lose weight and be on the show... A film crew came... I had to send videos... Then in the end I wasnt chosen.. I thought its over, Im never going to be happy... I could of let that define me or choose to push through and get this done! But I get this call.. and its Chris Powell! It was the point where I knew I had no other option. In his voice I could tell he was hurt, he wants to see me succeed, yes I have family and friends who care.. but this guy, a person I knew for only a few days... Who him and his wife grew into two of the biggest people in my life... Family.. He told me Heidi and himself considered me family... It didnt matter that I wasnt going to have cameras following me, I was part of their family.

So there I was... my hopes of being on the show was gone.. It was me against my biggest enemy... Myself!!!

I started talking to Jakae Francis of F.I.T. Personal Training about helping her design a logo... Well as we continued to talk she decided to take me on as a client.. You might be thinking ok ya.. thats her job.. but no.. she did this for free... Taking time out of her life to help me... We started meeting every Saturday morning at 6:00am at the City Park.. The first workout was brutal.. she was having me run, bear crawl, shuffle, jump, skip up the hill there.. I thought I was going to pass out.. but knowing that she was doing this for me.. showed how much she cared!!!!

Its now 5 months later and we have grew into pretty good friends! I am part of the FIT family... She has helped me out so much that I cant even begin to explain where I would be if I didnt have her to lean on... Now we meet sometimes 3-4 times a week.. I cant see her passion she has for people and it is outstanding... Did she have to take me on as a client, no.. But she did, not for recognition, not because im just down right sexy... because she CARES!

Well FIT now has another trainer Abbey Wiles, who has been through alot of what I have.. I have grown to know her also.. and she is an amazing person as well... FIT Personal Trainer is something that not has helped saved my life, but it has given me a future..

I just started studying to become FIT's 3rd trainer.. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be looking into doing this, but fitness, health, inspiring others has became a huge passion. 

SO I JUST WANT TO SAY... THANK YOU JAKAE FOR NOT ONLY BEING MY TRAINER, BUT BEING A GREAT FRIEND!!!!

~jls~

This is your life...

This is your life.. You can choose how this chapter ends and the next one starts... Believing in yourself is the first key to happiness! Although when I first started my journey, I didnt think it was possible and I was scared to fail. I didnt want to seem weak, I didnt want to reach out to anyone! I wanted to do it on my own. but I knew on my own I couldnt, no matter how strong I was, I am human! I'll make mistakes, have days when I feel worthless... So I decided to reach out, and that was the moment I started to see my future... See through my past and struggles and see the real me.

I believe people come into your life for a reason, its what you do when they come into life that will truly define you! Dont be afraid to fail or to fall... Some of the greatest people fail! Some of the greatest, strongest people ask for help! Don't let your pride get in the way of your future. This is in every aspect on life. Love, Work, Health, etc... If you are wanting to change... change... Dont keep saying... "Ill start Monday!" Do it today.. Reach out for help, the greatest motivation I have is from others! Hearing people say how I inspire them or just hearing them say they see a difference in me.. Its drives me and pushes me to work harder! I never use to embrace that, but now I do. I had to swallow my pride and put my past behind me, not to let it define me, but let it tell my story. Anyone can do anything they set their mind to, so dont give up.. Dont push people away who want to encourage or help you... This is your life, dont sit back and watch it pass you by.. get up and start writing your story and read it loudly for the world to hear!!! You might think its nothing, but to someone it could be everything! May 2013 bring you much happiness!

Looking back, so I can look forward!

As 2012 ended I looked back on the year. I never thought I would be on the path I was. At the beginning of the year I had given up on myself, thought I wasn't worth it... Most people dont know how I really felt. I never shared it with anyone! Until I was picked to go to LA to be a finalist for Season 3 of Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.. I knew I had to quit hiding behind laughter and come nose to nose with my problems. I had let myself go, stopped caring, stopped loving myself. I looked happy to most people, but I was not.

When my journey started, I was scared, scared of failure. I've tried before, but this time was different. Meeting Chris Powell was huge for me, his passion for helping people motivated me to get moving. That week in LA I lost 26lbs! It was the start of the new me... The start of The Steele Project! As the year moved on I continued to grow and saw myself for who I truly was. 2012 ended like I never thought it would.. I was regaining my life.. starting to love myself.. and finding my self worth!!!! I was 150lbs lighter than I was when 2012 started.. I spent the last night of the year alot different than I have in the past. Usually I would be out at the bars, but this year I just kept it low key with some great new friends of mine.. It was a New Years ill always remember...

I look on to 2013, I know there will be struggle, pain, heartache, etc... but I also know all of those will be joy and comfort! I have big dreams and goals for 2013 and I wont let anyone get in my way.. I built walls in the past and didnt let people close to me, but I have taken those down and willing to forget my past so I can move on to the future... They call it a past for a reason! and if you dwell on that too long then you might miss out on something truly amazing!

May God bless you all with an amazing year... Keep pushing forward to your goals.. if you fall dont be afraid to grab someones hand that willing to help you up... That's what friends are for, to lean on and count on in times of need... ~JLS~