One fun fact about me that the people closest to me all know is that ever since 2018 I have become a complete gym rat. I love being in the gym. I remember reading about people who said they loved the gym so much sometimes that they would go in there to sit and think and to be honest, I thought they were crazy but they might be on to something.

Before I stopped being consistently inconsistent in the gym I always would get a word from God or revelation in the gym that I can apply to basically any area in my life as well as in the gym.

One example was how he taught me to "go into the unfamiliar." I know that probably sounds really weird and crazy but it's going to make sense in a few seconds.

So basically, I learned in the gym that "going into the unfamiliar" was similar to doing more reps until failure but I believe it has more depth to it than that. When I practiced this it really taught me how to not put so much trust in my own opinions and intelligence about my body and I went into "unfamiliar" pain to complete a certain amount of reps until failure.

I know I'm probably completely discouraging anyone to want to even think about going to the gym but I promise all of this is worth it which is the idea that I would like to encourage you in today.

Some gym terms/phrases that I've learned and experienced about fitness such as "time under tension" and "going until failure" have taught me how much "the other side" to the pain that you're experiencing it completely worth it.

I think it's amazing how when you work on your body that no matter if your body looks exactly like your "body goals" or not, you have no choice but to love it because of the discipline and work it took to create any changes at all.

Since the beginning of this year, I have definitely seen my body go through some different stages and looks that I didn't expect to see but I always had no choice but to appreciate it because of the work I put in behind the scenes.

I believe that this applies to many different areas. I've experienced this over and over again with God having me outgrow people, mindsets, and more.

The type of positions you're put in when you're outgrowing anything are supposed to be uncomfortable. Imagine how it feels to start to grow out of your clothes or shoes. I've gone through this enough times to see it works the same way except the changes happen internally. Well, they did for me.

But I want to encourage you to stand up to whatever life tries to throw at you because what's on the other side is worth it.

When I see God trying to show me something higher that he has for me and I'm not sure if I know how to let go of the familiar I just pray and ask him to show me how.

I've made the regretful mistake of allowing my imagination to tell me "what I had in the past was better" or worrying about "the potential" of something God no longer wanted me to be apart of whether it was an idea or my mindset or people.

It's not real.

What's in the past is not worth where you're going. Ever.