health journey

For so long, I carried the weight of showing up, holding everything together, and making sure everyone else was okay.

I was surviving. But I wasn’t truly living.

And here’s the truth. Surviving is not the same as thriving. One keeps you breathing. The other makes you come alive.

Today, I want to share seven real reasons why you may not be thriving yet. Not to shame you, but to help you pause, reflect, and reclaim your joy.

Living for the Weekend

If your joy only shows up on Friday night and fades by Sunday evening, sis, that’s not thriving.

You deserve to feel fulfillment on Monday mornings too. Thriving means creating a rhythm of life that excites you every day, not just during your “escape days.” Joy is not meant to be temporary. It is meant to be experienced daily.

Feeling More Dread Than Excitement

When your stomach drops more than your spirit rises, that is your body and soul signaling that something is off.

Thriving women wake up with expectancy, not dread. It doesn’t mean life is perfect. It means there is a sense of purpose quietly fueling you.

Smiling While Secretly Empty

You’ve mastered the polished smile but inside you feel drained.

High capacity women often wear masks to keep everyone else comfortable. But thriving means your inner world matches your outer expression. You deserve to feel as good as you look, sis.

Thinking Joy Is Unrealistic

If joy feels like a luxury instead of a lifestyle, you’ve settled.

Thriving doesn’t mean being happy all the time. It means creating space for joy, laughter, and lightness as a part of your everyday life. Joy isn’t optional. It is oxygen for your soul.

Running on Autopilot

You move through your days by muscle memory.

Emails, errands, meetings, routines. No wonder you feel disconnected from yourself. Thriving requires intentionality. It requires pausing to live in the moment instead of rushing through it.

Calling Chaos Your Normal

Always overwhelmed, always behind, always juggling.

That is not your identity. It is burnout pretending to be normal. Thriving means operating from alignment. It means building a life where your schedule reflects your values and peace becomes your standard.

Surviving Instead of Flourishing

Surviving says “I made it through the day.”

Flourishing says “I lived today fully.”

Thriving means your life is about more than tasks and obligations. It is about growth, fulfillment, joy, and overflow. You were created for abundance, not survival mode.

Sis, You Were Made to Thrive

You don’t have to keep tolerating life. You were made to experience it fully, freely, and joyfully.

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Your thriving season starts now.

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I am in awe of my body. Every day of this weight loss and healthy living journey, I am witnessing what I once thought was impossible. It’s not just about the pounds I’ve lost or the clothes that now fit… it’s about the strength, discipline, and resilience that I’ve discovered within myself.

Not long ago, I was approaching 300 pounds. I was weighed down physically, but also emotionally and mentally, by habits and mindsets that didn’t serve me. Walking up a flight of stairs left my knees trembling. I wore 3X clothing and avoided mirrors because I didn’t recognize the woman staring back at me. My life revolved around everyone else’s needs, and I was at the bottom of my own priority list.

But today, everything is different. I am proudly wearing XL clothing. I recently hit a major milestone in the gym, leg pressing 720 pounds…. an accomplishment that still amazes me. For the woman who once struggled to walk up the stairs, this is not just a physical victory, it’s a spiritual and emotional one.

This journey has not been perfect or easy. I’ve become very aware of the parts of me that are still healing. I’ve noticed how obsessive I can be with the scale, with tracking every habit, and with how hypersensitive I’ve become around food choices. In the past, I would have judged myself for these new “quirks,” but today, I welcome them. I welcome every new insecurity, every new obsession, and every raw emotion that surfaces because they are all part of the journey toward optimum health. They remind me that I am finally paying attention to me.

The proof of my growth is in more than just my reflection. My triglycerides have dropped from 135 mg to 75 mg, and my A1C is now under 5. I am no longer at risk for conditions that once scared me into silence. I feel freedom in my body, in my mind, and in my spirit. I am so proud of myself and the woman I am becoming.

And this is just the beginning. I am excited and curious to see what else I can achieve. How much stronger can I get? How much healthier can I become? How much more joy can I create in this body that once felt like a burden but now feels like a gift?

To every woman reading this, I want to encourage you to choose you. Make the decision to put yourself first, even when life pulls you in a hundred directions. The version of you that is waiting on the other side of discipline, self-love, and consistency will change your entire life.

If this speaks to you, I invite you to join me in the Divine Aligned Collective, our private women’s life coaching group where we hold each other accountable, embrace self-discovery, and create more fulfilled, powerful lives together.

Click the link below to join the community and start aligning your health, mindset, and purpose today.

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Or, if you are ready for personalized guidance, click to book a one-on-one life coaching session and start planning your personal growth journey with intentionality and clarity.