Hey there, Love! I’m Laura, that gal behind the blog.
My Background
I feel as if I’m a jack of all trades. I am a certified educator in the states of Nebraska and Washington. I am also an NASM certified personal trainer and an Institute for Integrative Nutrition Holistic Health Coach. And I love to learn, so I am constantly reading to better myself and learn new things. I also love to educate, so I share what I’ve learned with others. This is just another format to do just that. Both the fields of education and training change constantly, and the gathering of new information never stops in either field. I want to say that I don’t consider myself an expert in anything because the material is always changing. I share what I learn and what works (or doesn’t work) for me.
My Story
I am a wife to an amazing and supportive husband. We have a great relationship, and I thank my lucky stars every day that I found him. He is my second husband, and I did it right this time. Without him, I wouldn’t have my wonderful son (step, but I don’t typically use that term).
I had the luck to know what I wanted to do when I was in 4th grade. Miss Elliott was a brilliant, caring teacher, and I wanted to be just like her. I even wore my hair in the same style (which is a little embarrassing now to think how blatantly adoring I was). Then Miss Elliott moved up to 5th grade with my class, and I was introduced to Mr. Caldwell. I’d wanted to be a teacher during 4th grade, and the dynamite combination of these two rockstars cemented my desire. During 9th grade English, I met Miss Johnson, who brought out my desire to be an English teacher. Twenty-one years later, I’m still teaching.
The personal training came about differently. I’ve always been active, and I still play sports, but it was a health scare that brought about the personal training. About nine years ago, I started feeling tired all the time. I would fall asleep as soon as I sat down. Sleeping for twelve hours was no big deal. I would sometimes feel as if I had to lay down because sitting took too much energy.
I went to the doctor and did all of the blood work, but she couldn’t find anything wrong. My husband suggested a video on organic foods, so I watched it. I had nothing to lose at that point. After watching, we decided to switch to as much organic as possible. It worked for about six months before the fatigue returned. I figured that food might be part of my problem, so I researched and read about fifteen books on non-processed, plant-based diets. Once I knew I could do it successfully, I made the switch. I couldn’t believe the difference it made for me.
The fatigue is not completely gone, but I can function. Helping others be healthier versions of themselves became a priority for me, and personal training became the next step. I received my certification and started training. I honestly thought that I would be helping all of these athletes get stronger and faster, but it turned out that my interests were better suited to helping people live better lives. I began to gravitate toward seniors and how to help them stay mobile. Stretching and functional movement became much more important to me than just helping someone get “buff.” People who had finished rehabilitation grabbed my attention. These people weren’t into vanity; they were into improving the quality of their lives.
Why Live and Thrive 365?
This site was created to help people like me.
I’ve struggled to come to terms with things about my body, what it’s capable of, and what it’s not capable of. There are days when I glow with happiness, and there are days when others should avoid me. I struggle with depression and doubt. They are constant battles. But the point is that I’m battling with it. I’m not giving in to the depression or doubt. I work to create my best life. I want to live and thrive 365 days of the year.
However, I’m still a teacher, and I want to share everything I’ve learned with you in the hopes that I can help you create your best life. There will be days when everything goes your way. And there will be days when everything goes wrong, and you don’t want to get out of bed. On those days, you have to keep plugging away. You have to go to bed at night knowing that you worked toward your goals even on the bad days. Don’t let the bad days win.
I will share my knowledge and experiences, good and bad, in the hopes that we can all learn, grow, and create the best life imaginable.
My Certifications
