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Here we go!
August 21, 2019
Here we go! (What the hell am I doing...)
I really don’t know what my main goal is with this blog. This is probably the 97th “first post” I have written.
I have been toying with the idea of writing for years, but in typical Heather fashion, I didn’t let that idea grow. I sat with it for a long time, until it started to physically hurt to carry its weight around. Have you ever had a feeling like that? An urge to do something, create something, turn yourself into something- but you were too scared to take that leap? It gets old.
So back to the blog, this being my first post and all, I want to lay out what you should expect, that way you know really early on if this is going to be for you.
If you are someone easily offended by swear words, if you roll your eyes at bad grammar, if typos make you crazy or you are someone who points out misspellings, stop reading now. I am not your girl.
I do not consider myself an expert in anything. I have a lot of opinions, some really strong, and you are welcome to disagree with them all.
For what I lack in formal education (which is a lot), I make up for in experience. I used to say things like “I am not a (you fill in the fancy title)”. I don’t anymore. That was me playing small, and that wasn’t serving me.
As far as content, you’re gonna get it all here...Diet. YEP. I believe (strongly) that everything is our life is effected by what we eat. But don’t misinterpret that statement. That is not me saying “eat clean”. It is me saying FEEL good about what you put into your body, and that is gonna look hella different for everyone. (So many things to talk about here!!!!!!) (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Fitness, or as I like to refer to it, Movement. Another STRONG belief; we are made to move. (This is backed by science so I am not just blowing smoke here). We are animals. Physical beings. We are basically cavemen with cell phones, and cavemen didn’t just chill at a desk all day, then go back to their cave and chill on the couch. They moved. And 10,000 years later, they evolved, and still moved. It wasn’t until the very recent past that we got straight up lazy and stopped using our bodies. Now people reward themselves for taking X amount of steps every day. And while that is great, you should be walking, NO ONE high fives themselves every time they brush their teeth....
We are made to move. I believe an actual human responsibility. If you stop moving bad shit starts happening (I won’t even go all WOO on you and explain to you the absolute MIRACLE you are, and the fact that you CAN move is a SUPERPOWER and abusing that right is basically telling your creator you don’t appreciate the gift they gave you....) but I digress. Just like what you put into your body, (and more importantly, how you feel about it), moving is something you simply must give a shit about. Preferably, 2 or 3 shits. I have yet to encounter one person who is killing it in most parts of their lives who doesn’t have some form of movement practice. Walk, run, dance, lift, do yoga, ride a bike, lift, lift, lift... I don’t care, just move.
And move with no intention of changing your body, there is where the magic is, and we can chat all about that too!
(You also should know I get easily distracted and run off on tangents like above...)
Anywho...
Your relationship with yourself, because it is the most important one you have. Queen Maya Angelo said she did not trust people who say I love you, but do not love themselves. I agree. Having not loved myself for some time, I can clearly see (now) I did not fully love the souls around me. Here is a shot to the gut a lot of women need to see: if you are not taking care of yourself, you do a sub-par job of taking care of your family.
If you are not making time for yourself, to honor yourself (and that ain't a trip to target), you are not giving your people what they deserve. If you do not love yourself fully, and accept every inch of who are you, you don’t love them unconditionally either. Ladies, stop being a martyr. No one gives a shit that you drive your kids to practice 8 days a week... We have to start with us, clean up our shit, take care of our bodies, do the things that bring us joy
before we can even begin to care for the ones around us.
Basically, I want to help people be the best versions of themselves. I refer to it as my highest self.
Who I am when I am just killing it. I want to be that person all the time.
Not just on vacation, not on a special occasion, I want to be that girl all the time. I want that for too.
How AMAZING would it be to be surrounded by all these people living at their potential! (!!!!) I don’t want a “kinda” life; I don’t want to be surrounded by people who are OK. I want every day to be amazing, and I want everyone I come in contact with to be vibing so high I can’t help but smile even bigger when I see them.
And this is where the blog idea really came in. I read self help books like a crazy lady. I want all the secrets. I want all the tips. I want to know what every little happy badass did and I want to do it myself. In my quest for knowledge, I noticed one theme; every one left.
All of these gurus left. They moved. They traveled the world. They packed their sad self help, and left. I don’t like that.
I don’t believe happiness is something you chase. I think you grow it. You plant a seed right in your back yard and you TAKE CARE OF IT.
You don’t throw it as far away from where you are as you can, and hope that meeting it will somehow bring joy to your life. Beyond that, most of us can’t just GO. We are here. In a small town, the one we grew up in. And we aren’t 22 without roots. We have families, jobs, bills... all the fun things that tie us to an area. I don’t view that as a bad thing. I think it is the ultimate blessing.
Look around at everything holding you here. Isn’t it all pretty beautiful?
Maybe you think it’s not. Maybe you feel like your life/body/job/marriage/friendships are a mess you are desperate to fix...
SO FIX IT.
Last topic: Get out of your way.
Almost all of the time, YOU are the biggest problem you have. Sucks to hear, I know. I remember figuring that out being pretty pissed I couldn’t keep blaming everyone and everything else. But, there is also a lot of power there too. You know what happens when you take responsibility for the bad? You get to claim the good. I am my own hero now.
I like the sound of that...
I am Heather Maio. Mom of three skin bags of walking magic, wife to one stud. Self-help is my thing, because I was, and at times, still am, a messy little mess of self destruction. Anything I say, I am saying to myself. Any “wisdom” I have is from my own mistakes. I am not an expert. I am a girl with a lot to say and a desire to grow.I really hope you join me.
XO- HM