NOTE: THIS IS A REPLAY FORM EARLIER IN THE YEAR BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH READING AGAIN SEEING THAT WE ARE SO CLOSE TO THE END OF 2009!!!

If you attended Sunday session last week, you know what this phrase means. Sometimes things happen at a workshop, a camp, a session, that makes me turn off the music and get down and dirty. For those of you who werent there (which is the majority of you) I will fill you in. As Lil P and I watched and critiqued the gals who were posing, we both noticed the same thing- here are 20 beautiful girls who look as though they are lost when it comes to presentation and confidence. I couldnt take it anymore and I said to Lil P, "I feel like shutting off the music and telling them how I feel". Lil P says "when has this ever stopped you?". Well, as Lil P knows me so well, I did just that. I gathered the girls together and said- basically "whats up". Why arent you confident? Why arent you feeling fabulous? When I talk this way, its not rehearsed, its raw and its straight from my heart. So it just comes out. I love you and all I really want is for you all to see what I see. I see some amazing people who are all, exceptional in so many aspects of their life. But when it comes to their appearance, they cringe. I remember a few years ago, watching Hillary Clinton getting interviewed. She was so well versed on every subject. She spoke with such confidence and passion. But when the interviewer asked her about her weight, she immediately sounded like every woman out there- unsure, ashamed and lost. I will never forget that moment and it reminded me of my recent Sunday session. Whether you compete or not, we all have had these feelings. Why do we let our opinion of ourselves rest on our abs or how tight our butt is? Why cant we look at ourselves first, from a more personal view- we are professionals, we are good students, we are great moms, we do well at our job, we are good daughters, we ALL are good at so much. Why do we let this "image of what we think we need to look like" rule us? Well, for those of you who compete, if you think your upcoming competiton is about your BODY, you are dead wrong. Its about charisma, the IT factor. Its about confidence and showmanship. Sure Savage Sister Lindsay Messina has a great body but thats not why she wins her competitions and graces the cover of magazines. She wins and gets the jobs because of her confidence, her charisma and her fierceness. This is what a winner is made up of- you are not a set of abs- you are not a pair of great legs- and once you GET this, you will have success. You need to be sure of yourself. You need to look inside of what you have done in your life and what you have accomplished outside of all this fitness stuff. For it is then and only then, where you will feel like you are one with yourself. When you walk onstage, the judges want to see charisma and a gal who isnt worried if her butt is too big or her abs are tight-they want to see a person who feels good in her own skin-this will make them DROP THEIR PENCILS as I have done in the past when I have judged shows. When I see that certain person come on stage and they are a sight to see, I drop the pencil and I enjoy their walk, their grace and their uniqueness! And those bright lights see right into your soul so unless you truly believe in yourself, you cant hide it! This doesnt apply soley to competitors. Its the same in life--when you walk into a room, your charisma is what makes you memorable. Stop worrying about your body and focus on your beliefs, your confidence and that certain something that makes you YOU