FitParent Spotlight: MAY we celebrate Right Into June?

"Whatever you attach consistently to the words 'I am,' you will become." - John Mason 

I had some fun during the Royal Wedding addressing fictitious invites using the honorary title "LADY" followed by my grandmother's first name, my first pet's name and representing the street I grew up on. My personal invite was addressed to... Lady Ella Gizmo of Dueber.   Even with such a regal name, I didn't get an invite.

But you know, I'm ok with that, besides as Miss Catherine Middleton so eloquently put it when asked if she realized how lucky she was to actually be dating the Prince, she stated, "he's lucky to be dating me."  Now there's a woman who knows what she's celebrating and why she can celebrate BIG!

With all the excitement surrounding the wedding of the century, everyone seemed to be in a celebratory mood.  There's no need in letting that excitement fizzle. I thought we'd have a little celebration ourselves.  May was chock full of reasons to celebrate. Milestones like graduations and weddings or health causes like women's health week and national health and fitness month gave us reason to celebrate legacies or we could simply celebrate life. 

Here's a few ideas on why you should continue celebrating:

Celebrate YOU

You are spirit. You are soul. Your are body. A healthy, happy spirit makes a healthy happy soul and in turn does a body good. To celebrate you as a whole, focus on all three parts of your being. 

How does Austell mom Jennifer Pinkett-Smith (two boys) celebrate who she is? 

Allow mistakes to be make-ups.

"I'm a person that loves to laugh and have fun. I don’t usually sweat the small stuff, and the image (reflection) I see in the mirror is beautiful. I enjoy the occasional pedicure, massage, girls' night out and working out with an amazing group of women who understand imperfections are nonexistent when you believe in yourself."

Celebrate YOUR LIFE

We all know the power of our words and the impact they have on our own lives. But what about the everyday things that sometime go unnoticed that are in fact helping develop us into FitParents? 

"A dream deferred is not a dream denied:" an often used statement but often forgotten pearl of wisdom.  As a FitParent, wife and teacher at Whitefield Academy, Pinkett-Smith reflects on the stuff we think is a stumbling block.

"In the past, I’ve limited my dreams to my abilities, but now I know that they are placed in my life by God. It is not by my strength that my dreams can be fulfilled, but through the strength and power of God. When dreams don’t come to fruition, I don’t view it as a loss, but as a way to hurry up and wait and grow."

Celebrate YOUR HEALTH

"Healthy means taking care of me by watching what I eat and exercising regularly. I celebrate my health by attending classes such as: Zumba, Salsa Fusion and Fit Club. These classes are high-impact, but low-pressure. You’re not made to feel that your body image is on trial, but the constant encouragement and support keeps me coming back," said Pinkett-Smith.

Family becomes the key to staying healthy and active. Pinkett-Smith shared that keeping her boys in sports and even an occasional workout with her husband keeps the entire family on the right path.

"Our family talks about ways we can continue to keep ourselves healthy. My husband, boys and workout instructor keep me motivated and compliment me on the changes and hard work."

Celebrate YOUR COMMUNITY

A community that works out together, stays together! Talk about a community coming together! Every age, every fitness level, everyone who came out to participate in the inaugural Mableton Day 5K came for a common reason: community.  

Rene Ayers of Mableton benchmarked her first ever 5K with the Mableton race simply because she felt like she was running with her neighbors.

"This was my first 5K but I enjoyed it because I felt like there was a sense of familiarity. You know, because it's my town,"Ayers said.

Though the route was intense, Ayers attributed her can-do spirit and tenacity to her personal training and took the liberty of walking when she needed to. Hats off to this FitParent (mom to a 6-yearr-old) who finished the race at 39:43. 

Hill challenges, diversity of ages, families running together were common threads among racers' post-run discussions. The energy on the course was contagious, and everyone seemed to cheer each other on and even brought out friends from across town to experience the camaraderie. Quite true for Mableton residents, Nicole Varner  and Tiffany Hairston, who wanted to experience their first-time 5k experience in their own "backyard."

"We were excited that this was happening in our little community," said Varner. "It was tough, but it was great to have so much diversity and family on the run because it kept you going." 

Varner, Hairston and fellow first-timer Tamika Johnson, who came all the way from East Point, teamed up to support each other and commemorate their first 5K run.

"We came together," said Hairston.  "We started together and finished together. We even considered the grand finale."

Clasping hands and throwing their heads back in a "we are the champions" fashion, all three ladies came in at an honorable time under 45 minutes! 

If there was one thing the Mableton Community Day 5k represented, it was to show that you could celebrate your community simply by getting involved. 

In the words of Kool & the Gang "Celebrate good times, come 'on." 

"No one ever became great by imitation: Imitation is limitation. Don't be a copy of something. Make your own impression. Dare to be who you are." - John Mason