Happy Friday! It is a relatively warm day today and we are supposed to have a gorgeous weekend in NYC with the weather in the 40's, thankfully. Mother Nature has been pretty bipolar lately, so it'll be nice to have a weekend where it's warm enough to actually walk around outside.

I have a really great roundup this week for you guys- there were so links it was hard to narrow them down and choose. I bookmarked several for myself as future references to come back to.

Here are the nine things that I was inspired by, learned from, and laughed and smiled at this week. Would love to hear any fun things you've read, as well! 

Inspired

1. Sport England launched their new initiative, "This Girl Can" and this video has gone viral for good reason. This video shows real women, real bodies in motion and in reality, we don't look like those fitness models in the catalogs with makeup on, hair done, and just the right amount of Evian-misted sweaty skin. 

"This Girl Can celebrates the women who are doing their thing no matter how they do it, how they look or even how sweaty they get. They’re here to inspire us to wiggle, jiggle, move and prove that judgement is a barrier that can be overcome.#thisgirlcan"

It pains me inside whenever I hear someone say they feel too uncomfortable to workout, especially at a gym like mine where there are many a model walking around. I mean, I've been there before, especially being a trainer and being "on display" at all hours of the day. 

But now, I actually feel at my sexiest, most beautiful, and most confident self when I am red-faced and sweaty because I just showed some barbells and kettlebells who's boss. I love it when my face is wind-burned and lips chapped from running so fast outside by the river.

Cheers to #thisgirlcan for celebrating true beauty and strength.

2. I loved this beautiful piece by actress Amber Valletta on MindBodyGreen on the "12 Things I Would Say to my 20-Something Self." 

I frequently think of all the silly things I got caught up and tied up in knots about when I was younger, and I can only imagine what I'll look back on once I'm in my thirties and smile about. I absolutely love every single point she makes here, but #10 particularly stands out to me, as I try to live by this, but she puts it so eloquently: Gratitude will be the compass for your attitude. It is so true, and this lesson is continually reinforced through my experiences. Being grateful is a practice.

3. My friend MC posted this article called, "What if Having an Extraordinary Life Isn't the Point?" to her Facebook awhile back and it was a really nice reminder. There is so much pressure thanks to social media to lead these grandiose, extravagant, extraordinary lives, and everyone ends up feeling like their lives as they are are simply not enough. As this article says, "we think our life has to count!" As I always say, I like to find the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Life doesn't have to be fancy or over the top to be wonderful- it's about those little moments and loved ones that bring true happiness.

On the same note, Real Simple started this awesome hashtag on Instagram, #WomenIRL. So many times can peoples lives look literally picture-perfect, and the reality is is that life is freakin' messy. It's sometimes really ugly, frustrating, and a struggle just to get through the day.

4. I'm a big nerd for Thought Catalog articles, and I really liked this one I found last week called "How to Ruin Your Life Without Even Noticing You Are." Too many times are we stifled by fear of being vulnerable, of taking chances, of caring too much. Don't let those little things hold you back and prevent you from the live you want to live.

Learned

5. If there is anything I really, really hate, it is wasting food. Cooking for 1 gal the majority of the time while living in a city where groceries are NOT cheap has made me become a lot smarter of a shopper, but I still have my moments where I'll begrudgingly have to throw out some slimy greens because I didn't plan as well as I wished.

Real Simple put up this great little cheat-sheet of how long you can store (almost) anything in the fridge, freezer, and pantry. I think I'm going to print this out and hang it up on my fridge.

6. While I won't say I agree with 100% of the information offered on here, Buzzfeed put together a pretty solid compilation of healthy eating charts.

I know many people and several of my clients have struggled with understanding what proper portion sizes look like- many people are shocked when they realize that they've been eating about 3 serving sizes of almonds when they thought they were having a little healthy snack that accidentally added another 600 calories onto their day...

7. I love Kelly McGonigal. She is a behavioral psychologist and author, and I saw her speak at the Equinox HPLS conference. I've since read her awesome book, The Willpower Instinct (I highly recommend!), and she highlighted 4 Willpower Hacks That Really Work on Equinox's Q Blog for us mere mortals. Willpower is very much like a muscle- you have to use it to build it, but have to train it smartly or else you will fatigue it out. 

Laughed and Smiled

8. I was in absolute stitches over this. We all know about Gwynnie and her GOOP-ness. Don't get me wrong, I actually love some of her recipes and like her but there are some things she preaches (ACHOO Tracy Anderson) that make me raise more than an eyebrow at. 

This writer tried Gwyneth's Diet and her narrative of her experience, "I tried Gwenyth's Diet and Got a Rash on My Face" is just hilariously written and pure entertainment. I hope all you foodies and health-minded readers enjoy! Also, if you want a more uncensored version, a writer from Jezebel did the same thing and recounted her experience here.

9. One of my clients sent me this last week as a response to an email I had sent asking her how she was doing after our first workout since not seeing each other for the holiday break for about 2.5 weeks. She just responded with this... I can't stop watching it. This is my spirit animal on the days where I am waking up at 4:30am and trying to get out of bed.