I operate from two basic tenets:
-To live fully and out loud with compassion, kindness, courage, and respect for others.
-And to honor the individuality of every person who walks in my door with the gentle push and hard challenge that my workout at HSM provides, gently reminding you of how powerful you already are; and the knowledge that power in one aspect of your life be it a push up or plank translates to all aspects of your life large and small.
My workout at Hilliard Studio Method is not easy. It’s a challenge. We teach you how to move through the workout one breath and one exercise at a time. A pushup is not easy. Your body will resist. Your power comes in the trying, not in the accomplishment. Just as the power to own your life and move through your most challenging obstacles comes one breath, one decision to move forward, one courageous step at a time.
Fearless Happiness is the continuation of choosing courage to overcome your fear of the unknown you.
When I began HSM I had a thought. I had a concept about exercise and health that I believed were tightly interwoven into community. I had no idea what that looked like because it hadn’t happened yet because it was just that: a thought. When we begin to choose ourselves and believe in our own concept of how life can feel and look, it’s just that, a thought until one morning we wake up to a life of astonishing beauty and realize we are the creators.
To know how far I’ve come requires a look back at where I began. Only when I became comfortable with being uncomfortable, did I start to grow and experience joy/life as I had never imagined. It began with the absurd feeling that I was not being myself, an uneasiness that grew larger every day, and that my desires had gone completely out of whack. Especially my desire for Lee, a woman. Sometimes self-realization is so foreign it feels more like insanity in the moment. It felt as if I was shape shifting into something or someone brand new, albeit totally natural and at light speed. The missing puzzle piece was finally sliding into place and completing the picture. It started with choosing myself and freedom.
NOTE: Writing words like “choosing self” still bring trepidation and fear of sounding overly selfish or narcissistic both of which I’ve been accused of by those I care about.
But there it is. By nature, I’m free. I believe we all are, so when I finally allowed my natural state of freedom the permission to expand, life became lighter and my choices regarding people and things became clear overnight. The freedom to let go, which began in a place of uncertainty, strengthened my muscle of self-acceptance and allowed me to let go of unneeded things and people’s opinions that I could not control.
Here’s a secret: When you finally let go of controlling the narrative, the important people come back. And others show up. Maybe not as they were before, but almost always in a most beautiful way.
“The price is high; the reward is great.” M. Angelou
Expansion rarely happens in a safe zone.