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Some days are going to feel heavy. And sometimes, those heavy days turn into weeks, months, or entire seasons of life where it feels like the dark clouds outnumber the bright spots.

But that doesn't mean you're not making progress.

I've been thinking about how important it is to acknowledge what we're feeling instead of constantly trying to push through everything. Life brings unexpected challenges, difficult emotions, and experiences that can weigh on us in ways we don't always recognize right away.

And when we continue bottling those emotions up, eventually they have to come out somewhere.

That doesn't always look like anger. Sometimes it's exhaustion, frustration, sadness, or simply feeling overwhelmed by everything we've been carrying.

In this episode, I want to remind you that there's value in allowing yourself to experience those feelings without immediately trying to fix them or push them aside.

Because life can be incredibly difficult, but it can also be incredible.

We never really know what a day is going to bring, how much time we have, or what we might be able to do with the opportunities in front of us.

And while I believe in continuing to show up and move forward, I also believe we need to recognize that our best effort is going to look different from one day to the next.

Sometimes your best isn't maximum effort. Sometimes your best is doing absolutely nothing.

That doesn't mean you're giving up. It means you're acknowledging where you are and what you have available to give.

There will be days when you can push yourself forward, days when you need to pick yourself back up, and days when you're able to help somebody else through what they're experiencing.

There's room for all of it.

You don't need to have everything figured out. You don't need to turn every difficult moment into something productive. And you don't need to measure your worth by how much you accomplish when life feels overwhelming.

Whatever showing up looks like for you today, let that be enough.

We're going to keep moving forward, even if that looks a little different than we expected.

Life has a way of reminding us what really matters, sometimes in ways we wish it wouldn't.

I've experienced a lot of loss this year. My dad passed away in May, and there have been other losses in my extended family recently. Experiences like these have a way of shifting your perspective. They remind you just how valuable time is, how much kindness and compassion matter, and how important it is to be present in your own life.

In this episode, I'm sharing some thoughts about navigating the heavier moments of life while continuing to hold on to hope, optimism, and the things that bring us joy.

One thing I've been thinking about is how easily we can get caught up in distractions, frustrations, and things that ultimately don't deserve so much of our time and attention. There's nothing wrong with enjoying distractions or finding ways to relax. But we also need to give ourselves opportunities to recognize and work through what we're feeling.

Life is complicated. We can experience excitement, sadness, frustration, gratitude, and hope all at the same time. And just because someone else is dealing with something difficult doesn't mean your own feelings are any less important.

There's room for everyone to experience what they're experiencing.

I also believe we underestimate how much of a difference a little kindness can make. A few compassionate words, a thoughtful message, or simply taking a moment to understand another person can have an impact we may never fully recognize.

And that kindness needs to extend to ourselves, too.

Being at ease with yourself doesn't mean life is always going well. It doesn't mean you never struggle, get frustrated, or feel overwhelmed. It means learning to navigate those experiences without losing sight of who you are and what matters to you.

I'm still excited about the things I'm building. I'm still setting goals, showing up, and working toward the future. That optimism and energy are very real. So are the heavier moments that come with life.

Both can exist together.

As we move into another week, I want to encourage you to take a little time for yourself. Think about where your attention is going, what deserves your energy, and how you can bring a little more patience and compassion into your day.

Keep showing up. Keep working toward the things that matter to you. But don't forget to appreciate the time you have along the way.

And most importantly, remember that you deserve the same kindness, hope, and understanding you offer everyone else.

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Episode Description

In episode 2274 of The Almost Daily Podcast, I want to talk about something that I think we all need to remind ourselves of occasionally.

Don't give up on yourself, even when you're frustrated.

I'm recording this at the end of a long day, and physically, I'm feeling it.

Living with cerebral palsy means that even on relatively normal days, my body can be pretty worn down by the evening.

Most nights, I'd describe that exhaustion as around a seven out of ten.

Tonight, it's closer to an eight and a half or nine.

And while this isn't anything I haven't experienced before, that doesn't mean it isn't frustrating.

I had already completed my workout and mobility exercises earlier in the day, but I wanted to record one of the mobility videos I regularly share.

Those videos help keep me accountable, but they're also an opportunity to show what living in my body actually looks like.

I genuinely appreciate what my body allows me to do.

But appreciating yourself doesn't mean you never get frustrated with what you're experiencing.

Some days hurt.

Some days are exhausting.

And sometimes, even when you've done everything you intended to do, you reach a point where you're simply tired of dealing with it.

I think it's important to give ourselves room to experience those feelings.

I'm not going to pretend I'm having a great evening physically.

I'm going to acknowledge how I feel, give myself the opportunity to sit with those emotions, and allow tonight to be what it is.

And tomorrow?

I'll get up and do what I do.

I'll stretch in the morning, get to the gym, handle my work, and continue living my life to the best of my ability.

Not because I need to prove something.

Not because I'm ignoring how I feel tonight.

But because one frustrating day doesn't change the relationship I've built with myself or the life I've chosen to live.

I think there's something reassuring about knowing that you can experience a difficult day without questioning whether you're going to continue showing up for yourself.

Some days will go wonderfully.

Others will be difficult.

And sometimes all we can do is acknowledge the frustration, take care of ourselves, and continue forward when we're ready.

You don't have to feel motivated or positive every moment to remain committed to yourself.

You can have a hard day without making it mean something negative about who you are or where you're going.

Give yourself permission to feel what you're feeling without giving up on yourself in the process.

Keep showing up, keep trusting yourself, and keep doing what you can with the day you have.

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Episode Description

In episode 2273 of The Almost Daily Podcast, I'm reflecting on finding a rhythm in life, building consistency, looking back at the unexpected turns in my career, and learning to trust myself to figure things out along the way.

Lately, I've been making adjustments to my schedule. Moving things around, removing what isn't working, and finding a flow that gives me structure without making every day so rigid that one unexpected change throws everything off.

And I think there's something important in that.

Structure should help you navigate life, not make you feel like you're constantly falling behind.

One example is how I've approached my workouts.

Between my morning stretching and regular workouts, I've set a minimum goal of 50 workouts per month.

Most months, my established routine naturally gets me closer to 60.

But that difference gives me flexibility.

If I miss a session, oversleep, or need to adjust my schedule, I'm not suddenly worried about losing consistency.

And even at the minimum, 50 workouts a month becomes 600 workouts over a year.

That's the power of building something manageable and allowing the effort to accumulate.

I've also been thinking about how much my life has changed since I first started podcasting.

I remember challenging myself to record an episode every day for a month and falling short somewhere around day 27 or 28.

At the time, I hadn't accomplished exactly what I set out to do.

But I had developed the skill.

Now, thousands of episodes later, I've interviewed countless people, appeared on other podcasts, and developed an entire ecosystem of conversations around fitness, mental health, cerebral palsy, and personal development.

None of that was something I could have fully anticipated when I started.

The same is true of my career in marketing.

I originally wanted to move into an entry-level marketing position and learn my way through the company.

That opportunity didn't happen the way I expected.

Instead, I eventually worked with agencies, corporate marketing teams, freelance projects, public speaking, and lifecycle marketing.

And along the way, I developed systems and skills that I now use throughout Your Level Fitness.

There were also times when I questioned my direction entirely.

I considered physical therapy.

I explored becoming a registered dietitian.

I pursued personal training and habit-based nutrition coaching.

Looking back, those experiences weren't necessarily detours.

They became part of what I do today.

Sometimes you don't recognize how the pieces of your life fit together until you've had enough time to look back.

That's why I keep coming back to the idea of trusting yourself to figure things out.

You can create structure.

You can set goals.

You can establish deadlines when they're useful.

But not everything meaningful in life needs a deadline.

Sometimes you need to experiment.

Sometimes you need to change direction.

Sometimes something works, and sometimes you have to scrap it and try something else.

And sometimes the experience you thought was a setback turns out to be something you build upon years later.

I'm learning to appreciate that more as I continue adjusting my schedule, my work, and the things I want to create.

You don't have to know exactly where everything is going to trust yourself to keep figuring it out.

Find a rhythm that works for you.

Give yourself room to adjust.

And remember that consistency isn't about making every day look exactly the same.

It's about continuing to build something that fits your life, even as that life changes.

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Some days are going to look different than you planned.

In this episode of the Almost Daily Podcast, I’m talking about one of those days for me and why I think learning to scale things back is an important part of building something sustainable.

I usually aim for at least nine thousand steps during the week, and I have my routine set up so I can go to the gym daily if I want to. In reality, I usually end up there five or six days a week, and I am also perfectly okay with four.

Today, I looked at what I had already done, what I felt like doing, what I wanted to accomplish over the next few days, and what my body seemed to need.

So I scaled things back.

That is not always easy for me.

I am getting better at rest, but I still do not think I choose it as often as I should when it would actually be in my best interest.

And that is the bigger point.

You do not need to earn rest.

You do not need to push yourself to the edge first.

You do not need to prove that you worked hard enough before you are allowed to take your foot off the gas.

Sometimes moving forward means doing less today so you can keep showing up tomorrow.

I also talk about trying to stay present, hopeful, and optimistic without turning that into fake positivity.

There is a difference between ignoring what is hard and sitting with what is hard while still figuring out how to move forward.

And sometimes the thing that helps you move forward is rest.

Not quitting.

Not checking out.

Just giving yourself permission to scale back when you need to.

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I am jumping back into the running community, even if most of my miles right now are going to be walked.

And I am completely good with that.

In this episode of the Almost Daily Podcast, I’m talking about getting back into races, reconnecting with a community I have always enjoyed, and letting go of the idea that you have to run every mile for it to count.

For a long time, I got caught up in that mindset too.

I had coached Couch to 5K and 10K groups, completed plenty of 5Ks, and even did the Flying Pig 10K in 2019. But somewhere along the way, I started thinking that if I was not running, then maybe I was not really doing it.

I do not believe that anymore.

If you are showing up, putting in the work, training in a way that makes sense for you, and getting yourself to the start line, I think there is a place for you in the running community.

That is one of the things I have always liked most about it.

The support.

The people.

The energy.

The feeling you get when you hit that final stretch and people are there cheering you toward the finish.

I also talk about how I am preparing for an upcoming 5K, the training I am doing now, and how movement for me includes more than just the miles. Mobility work, gym sessions, getting my steps in, and taking care of my body are all part of it.

And yes, there is a little Your Level Fitness nostalgia mixed in too.

I brought back the Run YLF design, added a local flavor to the race day shirt, and connected it back to the larger #YLFcommunity with the reminder that every body is a runner’s body.

I like looking forward.

I like being present.

But I also think there is value in respecting where you came from and carrying some of those pieces with you.

So if you have been thinking about doing a race but telling yourself you are not fast enough, not running enough, or somehow do not belong, I want you to reconsider that.

Show up.

Do it your way.

There is room for you too.

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In episode 2,270 of The Almost Daily Podcast, I’m talking about something I keep relearning in different areas of life.

When in doubt, simplify.

I have spent a lot of time experimenting with podcasts, formats, ideas, and different ways to organize everything under Your Level Fitness. Some of those experiments worked really well. Others changed, evolved, or eventually disappeared. But that process helped me get much clearer about what the podcast network is actually supposed to do.

I now have the podcasts organized into three main categories.

The first group includes the frequently released shows that reinforce the bigger Your Level Fitness message. These are the podcasts where I talk regularly about building a forever active lifestyle, appreciating yourself from the inside/out, trusting yourself, and applying those ideas to health, fitness, personal development, and everyday life.

The second group is made up of problem-solving podcasts. These take the YLF approach and apply it to a specific obstacle or question. Some of these may have ten episodes. Others may eventually have dozens. The goal is not to keep producing episodes forever just because the feed exists. The goal is to create a useful resource around a specific problem.

The third group includes conversation and interview podcasts. These are the shows where I bring other people into the conversation, cohost with someone, or create space for people to share their experiences and perspectives.

A number of the problem-solving podcasts are already being built now and will begin releasing publicly starting January 1, 2027.

I also talk about why experimentation should not automatically be labeled as failure. A lot of what we call failing is simply the process of figuring things out. You try something, learn from it, adjust, and keep moving.

That same approach applies far beyond podcasting.

Make a decision about the direction you want to go. Stay connected to what you actually think and feel. Give yourself room to adjust. And most importantly, learn to trust yourself.

You do not need to have every answer before you start.

Sometimes you just need to keep experimenting until things become clear.

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Episode Description

I used to roll my eyes a little at awareness days.

A lot of the time, it can feel like people post statistics, share something for a day, and then everyone moves on. But I have started looking at awareness days differently.

Sometimes an awareness day is the first reason someone gives themselves to talk publicly about something that matters to them. It can be the push to share an experience, tell a story, or bring attention to something they have lived with personally.

In this episode, I talk about Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day, why I have changed the way I think about awareness days, and why I believe you do not have to wait for a designated day or month to talk about something that matters to you.

I also reflect on my dad's experience with ALS and why I know ALS awareness is something I will continue talking about in the future.

Your story does not have to be perfectly packaged. You also do not have to share anything you are uncomfortable sharing. But if there is something meaningful to you that you want people to understand, you are allowed to talk about it now.

Social media gives us the ability to share experiences in ways that can help other people feel seen, understood, or less alone. It can also help us process and make sense of our own experiences.

If something matters to you, you do not need to wait for an awareness day to start talking about it.