Jan. 1 has already passed us, and I am humbled to see so many more faces outside running, biking, or doing active things, whether they have just started, or have continued their exercising streak through the new year.

I've talked extensively about the "healthy ideal" and how a healthy mental state is the true way to build a happier, stronger, and more productive life. If it weren't for the time I spent learning how to be okay with who I am, and realizing that exercise and other healthy lifestyle aspects are in celebration of my body rather than punishments, I wouldn't have grown into the person that I am today.

I am generally a happy person, always trying to see the good in people, and I try to look at the good in life rather than dwelling on the bad. Celebrating the new year is one of the greatest celebrations for yourself, as you can mentally reflect on all of your accomplishments from the past year, and look inwardly to find even more things you want to accomplish over the next 365 days. I am always one for celebrations, and every time the ball drops I feel happy about what I've gone through, but I'm also excited about what the next year will bring.

What I am not happy about is the amount of people who condemn those who wait until the new year to start their health regimen, whether they choose to ridicule the large number of new gym members, or the ones who choose to have a salad at lunch rather than french fries. The beginning of a year has so much promise, and for those who choose to put work into bettering themselves, they have courage and should be commended, not put down.

I am a firm believer in #NewYearNewYou because if I didn't follow that sort of life motto every year, I wouldn't look or feel like I do today. I've been seeing a lot of people who say this with sarcasm, as if it's not worth believing in, and I wonder when we started finding it okay to give up when things get tough. Yes, there are people who start going to gyms at the beginning of the year and eventually quit, but that doesn't mean that everyone does! Some people choose maybe to start running or join a group exercise class elsewhere -- or you can be like me and do Pilates in your room because no one can see you shaking profusely -- and them leaving the gym means that they haven't quite found their niche just yet.

Just because you may have a nicer body or "healthier" lifestyle than someone else -- which, you shouldn't be comparing your life to another's anyway -- doesn't mean you get to make fun of people who start going to the gym at the beginning of the year. I cannot tell you how many times I've been minding my own business at the gym and I overhear conversations of people who laugh at new gym-goers, saying things like "Oh, she'll last a week tops" or "I doubt she'll make it through that spin class she signed up for" because honestly, you have no right to judge anyone on their appearance or their capabilities just because you can do more because of their time they've put into bettering their bodies

I'm sorry, but I can't spend two hours lifting at the gym. I don't have the time or the strength to do so, and that doesn't make me weak, and it doesn't make me incapable. To the girl at the gym who told me that "I don't look like a runner," you are right, I am not a runner. That's not my thing, and, unfortunately, it probably will never be. I exercise in other ways, and what I do on my own time to make my body work better is none of your damn business.

There are many points I'm trying to make. For starters, if you want to be healthier, than actively try and change our life. There's nothing stopping you, and sitting around complaining about wanting to do it burns zero calories, while others are up off their couches and doing something to change it. For those of you who have already accomplished this, kudos to you, and stop condemning people for just starting their journey at the beginning of the year. Not all of them quit, and making them feel like what they want to change is impossible solves nothing, and you aren't gaining anything from your judgments.

You can always change your life whenever you want -- dye your hair, take a mini road trip, take up knitting (a personal favorite of mine) -- and there's nothing that says you have to do it at the beginning of the year, but it's okay if you do! And if you decide that you aren't ready now and want to wait until you are, then go for it. In the words of my main man F. Scott Fitzgerald:

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."

Cheers to all of you in this new year! #NewYearNewYou