With a Heart of Gratitude...

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are proud members of the Busy Bees Club and Thanksgiving is not really a day to stop. In between shopping, cooking, visiting friends and family, and squeezing in that turkey day workout, it’s safe to say we are on the go. But we also know the importance of taking a moment to reflect. Read why we are grateful below, and don’t forget to take a moment to look at your own life and give thanks!

CaCera

As I sat down to begin writing what I was thankful for, I had deja vu. I remember having a dream almost two years ago that I was scrolling through what looked to be a blog. At that time, I shared the dream with Shawnie and we joked around about it. Well, here we are! I am thankful not only for the blog, but the impact we aim to make and the representation we strive to be for women of color. I am also grateful for one lesson in particular that the blog has been a vessel for.

I am not typically an open person. I believe in moving in silence, more out of the fear of failure. Launching Fit with Finesse, and having a partner in doing so has caused be to have to be more open. I’ve had to get comfortable sharing goals more openly and talking about what we are aiming to do. What I realized is that the things Shawnie and I spoke, wrote and prayed about this year came true. However, they have been other personal goals that I have kept to myself, and I’ve fallen short in meeting them. Fit with Finesse has helped me to learn to be open, speak boldly and be more vulnerable. The vulnerability thing will still take quite a bit of work, but I am very grateful for this lesson and the lasting impact it will have on my life as a whole.

Shawnie

Believe it or not, it was hard to get started on this post. With all the running around, setting goals, and not quite achieving them, I feel like I’m in this unyielding circle of “go higher, keep working, keep pushing, not there yet, try harder,” and so on. So when I had to stop and write this, I’m forced to reflect on my life and do a serious heart check. That’s one of the reasons I’m grateful for this blog

This time last year, I was not in a good space. My job wasn’t fulfilling me, I had some family stuff going on, I actually missed out on Thanksgiving with my family, because a financial bump in the road required me to pick up a second job, and my best friend moved away. At the beginning of this year, I promised myself two things, I would pursue my purpose and live my life with intention. When CaCera and I first started talking about this blog, it was an exciting idea. We knew we wanted to be a fun community for women of color to come to explore, tell their stories, and get inspired to try new things in the wellness space. We also thought it would be a cool way to keep in touch.

I’m in a much better place than I was last year, and I’m so grateful that with faith and persistence, things are really looking up. Fit with Finesse has been a breath of fresh air when things get hard. When we hear from readers that they love the blog, I feel like we are on the right track. I’m not one to be open with my personal goals or when crazy things happen, but I’m grateful to have a place, with my best friend, to share my own struggles and wins in hopes that someone can relate.