"Do what you love, and love what you do"

We have all seen the phrase "Do what you love, and love what you do" to some extent.  This is something many of us reach to when we feel in a "rut" or that we are not reaching our full potential.  But to fully embrace this phrase is not only intimidating and scary, but somewhat exhausting.

I have a dream in my heart that has been very strong over the last year.  This is something that is very important to me, and just a part of who I have become.  My desire is to help everyone realize the strength inside them that they need to change the pieces of their life that need to be changed. Whether it's an unhealthy relationship with food, facing the fear of jumping into a new opportunity with both feet, or starting down their own journey to health or fitness...everyone has something about their life that they want to improve.

I've spent the last [almost] 6 years rediscovering who I am, what is important to me, and what I hope to leave this world when I am no longer here.  It has brought me to happy and sad tears, moments of exhilaration and absolute terror, and through life changing relationship adjustments.  What has come of all of this is the realization that life is so much bigger than we originally realize when we are younger, and that what we used to think was important is just a blip on the radar now.  My priorities in life are to be the very best mother to the blessing God gave me 8 years ago, and to be true to myself so that one day I can be the best partner to someone who deserves it.  I hope to inspire others to change their life for the better, and embrace who they are inside.

Although my journey started as a way to become healthier in pursuit of a career change, what has become of the last 6 years is something that words cannot even come close to describing.  This is my journey, and it won't look the same as yours.  However, we have a lot more in common than you probably realize, and I promise to be your biggest supporter as you discover what your journey will be.  I promise to be real, raw, and make no apologies for words that come from my heart.

Tiger Stripes Earned is a dream of mine that is starting to form out of a piece of me that has been ever-changing.  The literal piece of "Tiger Stripes Earned" refers to pounds and inches of stretch marks and forever loose skin that has come as a result of losing over 140 pounds on my journey.  The emotional piece of "Tiger Stripes Earned" is much more. It's accepting who I have become now, being ashamed of nothing, and embracing every aspect of the journey.  I won't hide behind the skin, the scars, or the lines.  I will use them to tell the story of how I got to where I am now, and to help you realize that the outside tells a story just as much as the inside does.

I hope to design up www.tigerstripesearned.com and have resources available to people in the form of blogs, videos, testimonials, recipes, etc that will help you understand what making a lifestyle change is all about.  I want this to be a place that people come to see REAL people making REAL change to better their lives. We are only given one life....let's make sure we are reaching our potential!