I never thought I would bethat girl. You know,that girl.The one who casually manages to get up at 4:30 in the morning, three to five days a week, to catch a 5:15 a.m. workout class before starting her day of work.

Or how about,that girl who just so happened to come face-to-face with a therapist two months ago only to hear a few words strung together into one very complex sentence:

“You areborderline clinically depressed.”

No, I can’t say I ever thought this would be me, but I can say that these two things have been some of the biggest catalysts in my change of lifestyle.

This last year has been a rough one. After my diagnosis of depression, the loss of my father, and a few other health issues I faced, it dawned upon me that something in my life desperately needed to change. So, seven weeks ago, I decided it was about time that I took matters into my own hands.

I had been hearing things left and right aboutFit Body Boot Camp… Well, I hadn’t been hearing much about it, more like I just kept running into women who looked absolutely amazing and I wanted to know how they did it. Before I knew it, there I was signing up for a 6-week body challenge.

My goal was simply to commit. If I was going to do this, I was going to put everything I had left in me into this. I needed to feel better. Deep down, I knew this whole “working out on a regular basis” thing was going to make a huge difference. As I took on the body challenge morning after morning, I began to realize the small differences in my mood, as well as my body and how it functioned. I started to feel a little less sad, and I was also gaining more ability in, as well as out, of the gym. Keeping things consistent in my daily routine was also a major thing in holding myself accountable for this new approach to my everyday.

I am fully aware that working out is just one aspect in achieving overall wellness, but it sure does place a fantastic role in that. It helps with balancing the mind, body, and soul, which I strongly believe are all connected. I have also realized that I need a community of people to help me keep all of those connections in place. I can’t do it all on my own, nor should anyone else who is in a situation similar to mine.

We as humans need healthy outlets for our energy, whether that energy is good or bad. We need to fully invest in ourselves.We need to fully commit to being alive, well, and taking each day as it comes.If you don’t have people, go findyour people. The kind of people who have been where you want to go, and have achieved things that you want to see yourself achieving. Learn from them, soak in their knowledge, and be ready to act on these types of behaviors.

At the end of the day, I just want to enjoy life. I have been amazed at what can happen when you just stay open to the idea of thinking “maybe this is possible,” because believe me when I say this; it is possible.

Accept no imitations! Lauren, our guest blogger, wears the Shefit Perfect Lounge Bra & the Shefit Ultimate Sports Bra, available only at Shefit.com.