Since I started this blog and purchased this domain name, I knew I wanted the title of my blog to be both reflective of who I am, but also aspirational. I want this blog to define me, personally, and how I got to where I am. But I also know that the journey is never over. There is always another path, more road that unfolds ahead, more lessons to learn, and more stories to tell.
But I also hope that you can figure out your own version of a fiercely beautiful life. You get to define your life on your own terms. You get to be your own brand of fierce and beautiful.
To me, living a fiercely beautiful life means staying true to my values. And fighting for them, committing, every day, to be the person I know that I am.
It means being conscious of the impact I’m having on the world. Being a good, kind person to everyone I meet. Reducing my environmental impact, recycling whatever I can, choosing products that are eco-friendly when possible.
It is the whole family gathering for holidays, all coming home, healthy and happy. It’s falling right back into the patterns I grew up in and loved. The smiles I get across the dinner table, as we catch up on each other’s lives.
It’s making hard choices, to forego instant gratification now in favor of a better, happier life later. Deciding to save money and spend it on experiences. Choosing to spend money on real priorities, not just filling a home with stuff.
It is the feeling of the ice cold water at the start of swim practice, my hand hitting the wall after a sprint set, my lungs burning, gasping, but I feel strong.
It is that final rep on the squat rack, when my legs are shaking and burning, the groan is threatening to escape through my gritted teeth, and I finally push through those last few inches.
It is emerging from the depths of my novel, looking up over the book at my husband across the couch from me.
It is falling asleep on a beach, as the sun kisses my tanned skin and the rolling waves sing me a lullaby.
It is walking out of an interview knowing that I nailed it, that this job is the perfect culmination of my innate talent and everything that I’ve been working toward thus far.
It’s a walk in the park with my dog when the leaves are turning crisp and colorful and the setting sun is throwing hues of pink and purple across the sky.
It’s a cold beer on a hot summer day and a glass of wine in front of a crackling fire.
It’s laughing so hard that tears are rolling down my face.
It’s the smiles of your friends around the board game at the kitchen table as we munch on such delicacies as cheese and pretzels.
It’s the pain I felt when I hit a punching bag as hard as I could and realized how strong I actually am and that I can do something I’ve never done before.
It’s the thrill of finishing my first 10-mile road race and crossing the finish line in 287th place.
It’s the first glimpse I get of the world when I’ve climbed the mountain and the tree line falls away to either side, clouds kissing the tops of the hills in the distance and fading into the horizon.
It’s the house I own, where my blood, sweat, and tears are buried behind the walls I repainted, the toilet I fixed, and the water heater I replaced.
It’s the utter exhaustion at the end of a long week of work, but the pride I feel when the client loves the work we’ve done swallows up the 40-hour week and leaves me with instead with a feeling of fullness and content.
It’s the feeling that I belong in this world, in this life that I’ve built. The feeling that I’m making a difference to someone, for someone, for something, in some way.
It is to look up at the stars in the dark, early morning sky, and remember that I am so small, but even the smallest stone casts ripples.
To live a fiercely beautiful life is not without pain and hurt. It’s not without difficulty and sacrifice. To live a fiercely beautiful life is to see beyond the hurt and pain and hard choices and to know that those struggles got you here. That you lived and persevered. That everything that broke you also made you.
To live a fiercely beautiful life is to choose passion and love and friendship. It’s choosing to see the good in all that you do. It’s choosing to live a life with more meaning. A life that’s so full, it’s fit to burst. A life that brings tears to your eyes when you look back at where you came from because every step was filled with purpose.
To live a fiercely beautiful life is to find joy, to be kind, to hope, to love, to laugh, to inspire.