Loneliness is a choice, YOUR choice...

Now that competition season is well underway, one of the most common things I hear is what a "lonely" sport bodybuilding is. What a "lonely" lifestyle it is. In my opinion (which is the only thing that matters, since it's my blog LOL!) that is YOUR choice. If you feel the need to close yourself off from people, or wrap yourself in a little cocoon that's fine but don't complain that nobody understands or supports you or that you're lonely and miserable.

I absolutely LOVE my sport..I love training, even dieting lol I really love the lifestyle that I choose to live. Yes, I CHOOSE my lifestyle..hence, it's something that I enjoy, something that is fulfilling and genuinely makes me happy. Are there moments that I bitch and complain? Would I rather eat ice cream and cookies over egg whites? Of course, I'm human and I have emotions, sometimes they are up and sometimes they are really down but overall, in the grand scheme of things I love what I do.

People say that I'm "lucky" because I have supportive people in my life..I don't think I'm lucky, but I do believe I am fortunate to have the support system that I do. Was it always this way? Hell no, but I make the choice as to who I share my life and my journey with. Not everyone in my world is a competitor or even into the same lifestyle I am but, they are positive forces in my life. They all have a PASSION for SOMETHING, a DRIVE so they understand how happy my sport makes me, therefore they support me in anyway they can.

No doubt, bodybuilding is not a "team" sport in the same sense as baseball or football etc. I get that. It is for the loner, if you will..no argument from me there. Yes, I am the one moving weight in the gym, I'm the one climbing the step mill to hell and there is NOBODY else responsible for prepping and eating my meals except for ME, but to think when I get on stage that it was all me is ridiculous. There are so many incredible people who are there along for the ride with me. From random texts/emails to a pep talk when I'm having a tough day or advice along the way, to listening to me rant about the jerkoff on MY stepmill lol..I do have a TEAM of people who in one way or another make an impact on me and my journey. And honestly, having them on the crazy train with me is part of the fun!

If you aren't happy and you don't LOVE what you're doing then you should take a step back and think about WHY you're doing it. I do truly believe that you are "who you hang with" so I limit my time with people who suck the energy and positivity out of my life. If you're locking yourself in a cave just to compete, you're missing out on some incredible opportunites/experiences and you're not really getting the full reward of the journey.