I AM ISSUE 21 JULY. 2015 | Page 4

SHIRE-WOMEN! Local Shire women in business. [from top left] Blake Paxton @Shiremuma and I AM Advertising Guru. Emma Pilcher Fitness Expert, Sutherland Shire. Lana Johnson BPS Tensegrity, Caringbah. Huge Congratulations to Lana! As we go live, she is getting ready to walk down the aisle. We wish her an eternity of happiness and love with her extremely lucky groom. RAISE THE ROOF! Welcome to I AM Issue 21! 21 Issues! Looking back I have absolutely no idea how I got 21 issues out! The amount of words I have written, stories I have heard, layouts, photographs, phone calls… unbelievable. When I started I AM I just wanted to find what I myself was looking for - inspiration and motivation to really LIVE life. With so many stories bombarding our social media feeds and the television about the problems of the world, I was desperate to find stories about people creating solutions to make things better … to make things right. I guess for me, too, I was looking for a solution for my own life. I was tired, unmotivated and literally sick with anxiety and uncertainty. I wanted to find solutions that would provide me with some reassurance that things would be okay – hilarious, I was happy to settle for just ‘okay’. To be honest, I was absolutely sick to death of living in fear. I had suffered chronic anxiety and bouts of depression for almost 20 years of my life. With extensive treatment with psychologists, neurologists and my trusted doctor, I was able to get to a point of seeing past the fear that was consuming me on a daily basis and seek outlets that would ‘lift me up’. That is how my obsession with health and fitness started. Daily walks along the Esplanade turned into interval sprints and eventually running. I created, and updated regularly, an Ipod play-list that convinced me I could do anything I wanted. Music is an incredible form of therapy in itself. It has the ability to change your mood with a single tune, it is a vibration that dances with your energy, encouraging it to lay down or rise up! Once running became part of my comfort zone I started to look for add-ons. Little things to push my body back out of its comfort zone. I ventured into exploring coast lines at a rapid pace and high intensity weight lifting. I wanted to be strong! This was not a physical thing, this was a MENTAL thing! With every weight I lifted I powered my soul. In that zone, where you are lifting, you may think it’s your body getting stronger – that is an understatement, it is your soul. Your being becomes greater with every step you take towards a life that is not one you are used to. Every time you push yourself to explore and adventure outside of your comfort zone, you are growing as a person. You are raising the roof on ceilings you have created on your own ability. You have the power to do anything you desire. Choose to RAISE THE ROOF on your life. Samantha Jane Editor & Publisher I AM Magazine.