My name is Elizabeth Aguilera, and I am a cancer survivor, military spouse and recent Purdue graduate. My sister and I have two powerful fitness journeys. In a three-year time span I have survived cancer while simultaneously dealing with military deployments, four cross country moves with the military, graduating in top 10 percent of students from Purdue and placing fourth place in my first NPC competition. Looking back on those three years, I can honestly say they were the hardest times of my life, and because of them I am not the woman I used to be.
Through fighting the disease and cancer, my sister and I have strived even harder to not only overcome our illnesses, but reach new goals we have always thought were out of reach. We are now motivational speakers, certified personal trainers, Oh Yeah! Athletes and Lifestyle Leaders, NPC competitors, and published fitness models with Naturally Fit.
I used fitness as an outlet to transform my life and create a stronger mind and body to help me reach my goals. My sister, Morgan, has a powerful story as well. Through overcoming anorexia and deciding to regain her health through proper nutrition and workout regimen, she has changed her life completely. Living a healthy lifestyle has transformed our bodies and minds. We chose to be fighters and never give up hope.
We are not your typical cookie cutter success story. Most of the media portray motivating stories focused upon men and women's weight loss journeys. We chose to share our two experiences to shed light on the fact that there are people everyday who are battling cancer and disease but in this industry it's hard for people to talk about these topics. After all, it is not an easy topic to speak of. We want to show people going through disease and illness, that just like us they too can change their lives. We are here to show you that fitness is not only about weight loss. A healthy lifestyle is not just about physical health and having a "hot body." It is about maintaining a balance with physical, mental and spiritual health.
Essentially, it is the hardest times that will shape you into the stronger person who you have always wanted to be. The road to success is full of challenges. Always. You have to be fearless. Wake up every morning and challenge yourself to fight. Be a better version of yourself everyday. When was the last time you tried something new? Everyday, every morning, give yourself the opportunity to fight for what you want and step into the unknown territory. It is going to be uncomfortable to fight when you are stressed, scared, feel alone or want to give up but that is when the magic is going to happen. The painful times molded our weaknesses into newfound strength and taught us how to live and cherish our health, and how to take pride in our bodies and minds.
We all have battles each and everyday that is forced into our presence. While trying to deal with these battles some of us revert to bad habits, which can often lead to a downward spiral. Mental will is like a muscle. When you practice being strong, it becomes a new habit. Think about it. Eventually how you live one day will end up how you live your life. By changing small habits each day we can transform our lives completely. It is inevitable that change and stress will enter our lives at some point or another. After all, you can't spell challenge without "change." Accept that life is full of change. Accept that you can't plan your life. Accept the choice to be a fighter and take the hits as they come. The only aspect you are in control of is your attitude. Accept that and from there you will find peace.
By sharing our stories we want to inspire people. We want someone to look at us and say, "because of you, I did not and will not give up".
Think about how you take out the trash everyday in your home. Could you image how it would be with over a month or year of trash if you chose to not take it all out? Now vision your mind. It is no different. Take out the trash and reach for mental clarity. Know that even if you have painful experiences or trials standing in your way that you will throw away those thoughts of fear and stress and use that energy to create positive changes. That is how I have gotten through my military stresses with my husband and still to this day how I deal with my cancer.
We have also created our own website and social media sites to motivate and encourage others to live a healthy lifestyle. On our sites we post daily workouts, nutrition tips, motivational posts and recipes. Everyday we motivate our followers to never give up and to fight for their goals. What seems to be bitter trials are often blessings in disguise. We are happy when God answered our prayers but we are more thankful when God is letting us answer to someone else's prayers. Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (@ElizabethMorganFit) and at our blog.
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