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It is said that time heals just about anything, and that is usually true. I took the last five months to heal myself. I allowed myself to take a break. I stepped away from my blogging, my social media marketing, and all the other projects that I had lined up for myself. I let go of all that self-imposed pressure.
Early in 2023, I went through a breakup and I gave myself one month for each year that I was in that relationship to heal.
I wanted time to shed the person I used to be, or at least the parts of that person that I did not like. I wanted to take this time to get to know myself again—what made me tick, what made me happy, and what brought me joy.
That time was also spent reflecting on how I can contribute to the community and how I can help others. I wanted to stop "shouding" on myself and practice self-compassion.
Everything about my old life stopped, including my exercising and dieting. Instead, I walked in nature when the weather was nice, for as long as I wanted, whether it was 10 minutes or 45 minutes. There were no rules. There was no pressure.
In the meantime, I found myself working a couple of part-time jobs doing things that I liked to do, but I didn't want to be in the driver's seat anymore. I didn't want to be the boss this time.
My day-to-day life changed drastically. I just wanted to drive in my car, listen to podcasts, go to work, clock in, do my job, clock out, come home, and spend the rest of the evening doing whatever I felt like doing guilt-free.
I spent most of my free time in bed reading, watching TikTok videos, playing board games with my daughter, and doing whatever I wanted without having any expectations of myself or others.
Being able to do something like this, to give myself the freedom to guiltlessly do whatever I wanted, helped with my healing process.
I know that not everybody can do this, so I am extremely grateful that I was able to take this time off so that I could reflect on who I was and who I want to be.
This way, I was allowed to reflect on what parts of myself I wanted to bring with me to this new chapter of my life. I recently turned 40, and I had this idea that I wanted my life to be exactly the way I had always pictured it.
You know, when you are a little girl, you think that your life is going to be a certain way when you become an adult, but reality has a different plan for us.
So, when I turned 40, I wanted to start steering my life in the direction I wanted it to go for the rest of my life, without worrying about what I should be doing, what other people thought I should be doing, if I was making a fool of myself, or what would happen if I failed, without any fears or doubts.
And this is perfect because now I am able to show my readers that what I preach is actually something you can do if you are also looking to make changes in your life.
My certifications are in Women’s Fitness and life coaching, but my specialty is transformation.
You can change anything about your life, any aspect of it, and there is a formula for doing so. The difficult part is not knowing how to do it, and sometimes you need accountability and someone to be there for you to remind you of your goals and what the next step is.
That is why this magazine is happening now. This is a project that I started in the last business that I co-owned with the person that I broke up with. And since that went down, I thought that I had to let go of my magazine project, but I decided to keep going with it.
This magazine is something that I have been very passionate about because I want to reach people. I want to reach women who want to make a difference in their lives so that they can make a difference in the world.
I've always wondered what it is that I bring to the table in this world, and now I see that I want to help women live the life that they've dreamed of and create some sort of domino effect.
If I help you transform your life, then eventually you'll be able to turn around and either inspire someone else or do some good in the community and start a chain reaction.
Going forward, Gotta Love Myself will be an online magazine format where we talk about beauty, health, fitness, and wellness in general. I'm very excited to start this journey, and every month I will update you on my transformation progress.
Now that my 5 months of healing are up, I'm ready to hit the ground running and get everything in order so that I can start living the life that I always imagined for myself.
So I hope you join me if you have some growing to do, some learning to do, and some transforming to do. One of the best ways to join is by going to my Facebook page, which is facebook.com/groups/gottalovemyself.
We can hold each other accountable. We can celebrate each other. And of course, if you have any questions for me, I am available there as well. Every article in this magazine will be posted on my blog, gottalovemyself.com, and podcasts and videos will follow as the momentum grows.
Thanks so much for reading, and take care.
Nancy Valdez
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As a passionate personal trainer, women's fitness specialist, life coach, and nutrition coach, I am dedicated to helping you achieve your health and fitness goals. With years of experience in the fitness industry, I am committed to empowering and guiding you on your journey toward a healthier, happier you. Let's work together to unlock your full potential and create a sustainable, balanced approach to fitness, nutrition, and overall well-being. Get ready to transform your life!
