Guest Post – Thrive Style

Lisa Beach of Thrive Style

As we are moments away from “landing” in California, I have one more Guest Post until I’m able to blog again.   Hope you’ve enjoyed the Guest Posts.  I’ve missed sharing with you all.  I would like to introduce you all to yet another “wonderful” person I have met online since starting to blog, Lisa Beach of Thrive Style.  I think it is so cool to meet someone in cyberspace who can identify with you and what you stand for without even meeting them face-to-face.  I have asked Lisa to share her story here on Healthy Heyday.  Take it away, Lisa…

Thanks, JodyLynn, for asking me to write a guest post as you embark on your journey to California!

I write a blog called Thrive Style, and I thought I’d share a little bit about why I do it, and what thriving means to me.

I’d love to say that the “Style” part of my blog name comes from how stylish I am, but the truth is that Thrive Style is just a play on words coming from blending Thrive and Lifestyle.  I’m a lifestyle/wellness coach—so I help people figure out how to be healthier and happier in life through improving their food, actions, and thoughts over time.

I believe that our lifestyles define the extent to which we thrive.

I’ve learned that when we make improvements by leaps and bounds, we’re likely to bounce back to square one.  But when we change little things in a calculated positive manner, we can change our lives permanently for the better.

In addition to having the knowledge of what it means to be healthy, the key to a thriving existence is to feel and be positive in our approach.  This can be much easier said than done!

I think I always knew intellectually that positivity was important, but in practical application I was lacking skills.  For my young life, I seemed to attract a little bit of drama and had a little bit of a “world is out to get me” mentality even though I’ve always worked hard, done the right things, and followed rules.

Nothing challenged my way of thinking and living until I was 25, when my sister died from complications during childbirth at age 27.  She left so unexpectedly, and my tiny family got even smaller.  I moved home to upstate NY from Boston to help my brother-in-law take care of my infant nephew.

I got to be a mother!  It was amazing.  It was up to me whether or not this baby would thrive.  I put my heart and soul into coping with life without my best friend, being there for my parents, and caring for a baby. You might say my priorities changed quite a bit that year!  My hair also began to turn gray at an alarming rate, and I’ve faced some health issues since then.  As a result, the entire situation led me to my passion of working with people, one at a time, helping them enhance their wellness and lives.

I’ve realized that life does go on, whether you want it to or not.

I’ve learned through wellness coaching that work gets done and people live or die whether they are stressed about it or not.

I’ve seen people struggle with life’s hardships silently and endure worse things than you or I could ever imagine.

I’ve seen people fight everything in life—from diet to body image to their bosses.

I’ve stood in the middle of a busy office and cried with a woman whose daughter was diagnosed with cancer…and I later celebrated her clean bill of health.

I’ve been the recipient of an email regarding one of my favorite manufacturing worker clients that said, “By the way, “Bob” shot himself in the head last weekend.”

I’ve witnessed people lose 50 pounds through restriction and force, and then gain it back plus more and be in the depths of despair and self-loathing.

I’ve seen people change their lifestyles for the right reasons, and also for the wrong reasons.

I’ve learned that although I can help people through the process of self-improvement, they truly have to be ready to change in order for it to stick.

I’ve experienced readiness and un-readiness and change and changing-back myself.

I’ve often used this question that I ask clients when they’re floundering or slacking on their goals, “Did you put your heart into it?”

I’ve had a group of office workers playfully pick on me for always looking for the bright side of a bad week.

I’ve had a few bad weeks myself, when I never once looked at the bright side of things.

I’ve done research on super healthy women to find out what makes them place a high priority on healthy habits and how they maintain it.

I found that everyone’s reasons were different.

From all of this and more, I’ve come to the conclusion that we can thrive if we choose to, no matter what.  But in order to thrive, we have to do things that make us feel happy in each moment.  We have to learn that our emotions are indicators, and we can practice feeling better by designing our thoughts and our lives one step at a time.

I feel so lucky to be following my bliss in life, and I hope that’s the path you’re on in your own way.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on what has contributed to your happiness and ability to thrive!

WOW!  I’m inspired…how about you?  Thank you, Lisa for sharing. 

xo