Today's NOT Born This Way story of strength and overcoming adversity comes to us from Aimee.
"I started strength training a little over two years ago out of desperation to find happiness. I was in this place of having no self-worth as a result of not properly getting help with past trauma. I wanted to look different because I thought that that would make me happy. I had always lacked a sense of identity as well as any sort of self-confidence.
About a year into my love for lifting I found myself ready to end my own life. I still hated myself that much. I had worked so hard to change my body but still was so full of hurt and self-hate. I was left with no other choice but to surrender to my lifelong depression and get some serious help.
I’ve had to step away from lifting a couple of times for different reasons but always questioned why I made that choice when I found my way back. Today, lifting is my favorite pastime for many reasons other than physical strength.
I’ve found a whole new confidence in myself, outside of looking a certain way. Lifting has shown me that I am strong, inside and out. It requires patience and commitment that I now can apply to all other areas of my life. It’s helped me to work through my traumas, make a terrifying career change, and even enroll back in college.
Today, I lift for so many reasons, and not one of them is to change how I look. Don’t get me wrong, I love noticing new muscle definition, but it is no longer my motivator. It eases my anxiety and helps me sleep at night. Squatting is pretty much meditation for me now. When I start to feel those insecurities creeping back in, lifting puts them back in their place.
Lifting has enabled me to prove to myself that I am CAPABLE of anything I put my mind to. Strength is empowering. It shows me that mistakes are okay as long as I get back up and try again. I am reminded every day that I was Not Born This Way. In fact, some days I don’t even recognize the person I see in the mirror. I see someone who took control of her life, is no longer a victim of her past and diagnoses.
P.S. Iron Legion Strength Co. showed me the way and I’m eternally grateful."
