The reason I continue to coach people to optimum health is that I’m high on hope.

I remember the way it felt when I started dropping weight after virtually giving up on ever trying to climb that mountain. It seemed out of my reach–something for other people, but not for me. I didn’t want to talk about it, think about it, hear other people talk about it, or listen to yet another infomercial tell me they had the solution for my belly fat.

I remember the hope that was reignited in me when I started Take Shape for Life, a hope that made me think, “You know what? I can climb this mountain! I’ve got the right shoes, the right mindset, and I’m doing it!”

When a new client makes a decision to start this program, they have that hope. They are so often scared about what lies ahead, but that fear is cloaked with excitement and hope. I love that. When that hope is followed up with success, and they start to feel empowered, I get to watch and be a part of that story.

They start coming from a place of health, instead of a place of non-sick, two completely different frameworks. I watch how they feel confident about not ducking behind other people in photos, or no longer feel the need to avoid old friends who knew them when they were thinner. Exercise haters often discover a new love (instead of a have to) for moving their bodies. They find it easier to look people in the eye.

Sometimes, that hope is dashed. Maybe the program isn’t a fit somehow, or they only partially work the plan, or worse–they follow the plan and they have a contraindicator they didn’t initially realize that stymies their success. Stuff happens. That’s the sad part of coaching for me. I’d like to wave a magic wand over each new person and make sure, that beyond a doubt, they would meet their personal goals. Alas, no such wand came in my coaching kit. I have to believe, though, those few are on a journey that will lead them to a healthier lifestyle, and eventually they will find a fit for their bodies that works for them.

Mostly, though, coaching satisfies that addiction I’ve developed for hope. Seeing my son drop 200 pounds over the past two years on this plan and put in place healthy habits most 25 year olds don’t even think about is a blessing I couldn’t have dreamed up. Watching client after client avoid serious medical issues by reaching a healthy weight fills my cup. Seeing the confidence that comes from a client climbing a mountain they thought  impossible, makes me hopeful that collectively, we are all moving towards the best we can be.

“People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves, they have the first secret of success.” Norman Vincent Peale