After my mum died, I gained more than 15 lbs eating my feelings. Eventually after a visit to the doctor and I was told that I was at high risk for diabetes (it’s in my family on both sides) I finally stopped eating ice cream every.single.day and started dealing with the pain and loss I was hiding from. This also brought me to a whole shift in my lifestyle and diet.

This epiphany/change resulted in what some people saw as dramatic results. I lost the weight emotionally and physically and it showed. Everybody wanted to know what I was doing…what my secret was. I remember a manager pulling me into her office and demanding to know what my “secret” was…there was visible disappointment when I told her I changed my lifestyle and it was a combination of diet and exercise.

I realize that she was hoping for a quick fix…some magic pill or “secret” that could be passed on.

My secret was simple really: I was honest with myself about the life I wanted to live and that the way I was living in the present would not get me the life I knew I wanted. I had to make changes and be willing to do the work.

And so I did it…for myself, for the future me who wanted to enjoy the life I’m working so hard to create.

Today, one of those “secret” seekers, stopped me to update me on her own lifestyle change. You see she too was hoping for a quick fix. But I still shared with her exactly what I was doing. She tried and couldn’t stick with it, not because she didn’t want to be healthy and well but because as she quickly found out…what worked for me, was just not working for her.

She found out after a visit to her doctor that she had several things she needed to look at and change and she was given a personalized meal and exercise plan.

Three months later, she looks amazing – no drastic weight-loss – just a day-to-day commitment to better, her skin is clear and most importantly it was not a fad diet. It was a lifestyle change that includes exercise that she is sticking too.

I could not stop remarking on how happy she looked now that she found what works for her. And I was reminded that we are all uniquely and wonderfully made. It’s okay to seek inspiration outside of ourselves, if only as a compass to the possibilities that exist….but the real work starts from within. You have to find what works for you and go do that. (Tweet this)

This is true for passion, creativity, love and loving and wellness. The resources for inspiration are endless, especially on the interwebs, but there comes a point in time where you have to stop searching for inspiration and start being an inspiration.

I will say it again: You have to find what works for you…and then you gotta stop looking and start doing the work.

And now on a totally unrelated and random note: I just wanna shout out all the busy worker bees out in the big old blue…you make chocolate and coffee possible and I need those in my life to survive all the crazy in this world. So cheers to you little bees. Keep up the good work.