Again, a post directed at just some of my readers. For my other readers bear with me – I am making some changes and this is part of the transition. In the spirit of continuing to be openly and honestly document my adventure, I am posting this here. Usual transmission with extra awesome will be returning after this. 
To My 12WBT Queensland Crew
Hello lovelies! I’d like to express how very proud I am of the Queensland Crew – of each you individually and as a team. There is something incredibly special and empowering about this group we have created. It is something to cherish and protect. I believe that when women stop comparing & competing and start lifting one another to a more empowered position in which they can take their own action toward their goals is when magic happens. I have said that before to this group in various ways and I believe it with all my heart. Over the last year or so I have been privileged to increasingly spend time with other women who share this same conviction.
I draw tremendous encouragement from the actions of this group – we can make a difference and it starts inside each of us. I have had time to reflect. For 18 months I have been a ‘reluctant leader’ of this team up until this point. Like always in my life, I found myself in a position of leadership that I did not actively seek out. I have been determined for a while now to shake off & throw out ALL of “The Old Ange” however I have realised that there are bits that are worth keeping and accepting. No throwing the baby out with the bath water! 
There are bits that I actually need to pick up and step more fully into else I will just keep struggling. This is part of my current challenge. I’ve got my head around eating clean & training – that’s locked in but this mindset stuff is where I am working hard. I have made huge progress but am a work in progress, we all are.
I have always *just* wanted to help people. That’s all I want to do – with every fibre of my being. Throughout my life the story has been on repeat – I have wanted to help people to the point that it causes me pain & harm. Over the last year I’ve allowed myself at times to become drained. That was my doing – not the act of others. I own that 100%. I’ve enabled energy vampirism; allowed others to plug on in and suck away. That is not sustainable for them or me. It helps NO ONE.
It’s been grinding me but I’ve figured it out why. It’s been grinding on me because I believe in empowerment – helping others to find their own sustainable solutions (in this 12WBT context and beyond in my personal and professional life). Not to spoon feed or prop up. I’ve figured out how to do things differently: smarter, better and sustainably. How to ground my energy, stand still, focus and be able to help by delivering 100% of me rather than scrambling to keep up. I have also come to the point of understanding and acceptance of who I am and what I want to do with this short life we get. Finally! After 37 years and after slamming myself into the wall so often! To this is end, I will no longer be a ‘reluctant leader’ of this team. I will step up and lead willingly. This, ironically, will take less time & energy than what I have been doing! Ha! I will encourage others to step up more to lead as well so we give this team a more solid foundation that will lead to longevity and sustainability. Like I said – this team is something special to be cherished and protected. What started out as ‘just 12 weeks’ has become a long term thing and I would love to see this group continue to evolve & persist into the future. I would love for this team to continue provide acceptance and support regardless of whether someone is a current 12WBT member or not. Once a Queensland Crew member, always a member.
I really appreciate that I can be honest with this team. I have a bit to get off my chest so this honest post using my blog & the group are the best platforms to do this. My ‘journey’ has been unexpectedly and accidentally public. Very public over the last 18 months! You know how hard this ‘journey’ to lose weight etc is without the additional things I have said yes to. I need to be smarter about it. I entered the 12WBT with the spirit of being open to anything and everything. To saying “yes” to anything – this was helpful. I never expected it to unfold the way it has… at times it has blown my mind in good & bad ways! I don’t regret one moment or decision. It’s all part of my adventure to bring me to where I need to be. I am so much stronger now than ever before – my lessons were far beyond weight loss and fitness. And the adventure continues!
Like taking on a leadership role, I have resisted this ‘public’ stuff and resisted the ‘inspirational’ tag that gets used. I have really, really struggled with it. Stating this may surprise some of you but I’ve squished that down, internalized it and tried to push on. I have tried to stay open and say “yes”. It’s not easy to share your story and photos in a gut-wrenchingly honest way, some of you know this just as well as I do. Some of you have experienced the hurt & nastiness that results. The price you pay for sharing. Everything has a cost / consequence. The motivation for sharing my story & allowing the public stuff is not attention seeking or showing off. Christ – if I wanted to show off or seek attention I would be doing it in other ways, let me promise you that! Those who make that type of comment about anyone’s before / after pics really don’t get it. They have a long way to go in that case and that’s their journey to navigate. It would have been far easier for me to drop the 40kg, stay private and go on my merry way. But that was not how my adventure was meant to go! I have zero regrets but have learnt plenty!
What drives me is this burning desire to help people that I have had since a young age and I don’t fully understand “how” I can fulfill that yet but it’s coming together. I just know what I need to do next: be honest, speak my mind and step fully into who I am. The leadership role, the inspirational tag and the public stuff is not going to go away…. So I have accepted it and I am stepping fully into that. I won’t waste energy resisting and fighting it anymore.
I am not someone who has all the answers. It’s not ‘easier’ for me. I am not to be put on some pedestal as some all knowing person who has it totally sussed. That grinds me sooo hard when someone thinks I somehow have a magical answer – because I feel that by those thoughts they are disempowering themselves. They are crippling themselves. That burns me badly. I want everyone to shine. Everyone has it in them to be the best version of themself. They can do exactly what I have done. It’s not magic. I am no fucking guru. I am no fucking oracle. I don’t know it all. I don’t know all the answers.
The scientist in me has this approach to life: “I don’t know the answer to that, but let’s find out!” This is a core part of my personal approach to life and my teaching philosophy in my professional life. It’s part of who I am hard wired to be.
I guess *if* I did have a secret than this would be it: curiosity.
Curiosity plus the ability to say “I don’t know” and the guts and determination to find seek the answers & act on that information – and now to share that honestly and publicly with you. Now I also have the guts to accept my position as ‘inspirational’ and one of a number of ‘leaders’ of our Queensland Crew.
xx Ange
Hi Ange, I live in Sydney and wish I lived in Qld so I can be part of the Qld crew. It’s all due to your posts and reading about your 12wbt journey. You’re such an inspiration. Thanks for taking on this leadership role (I’ve always thought of you as a leader anyway) and taking the time to help and inspire so many of us. Best wishes Antoinette
Thank you Antoinette! Your words are really kind and encouraging, thank you for taking the time to write. xx
Wow. I don’t know what to say to do justice to that incredible piece of writing. My heart is full with compassion and respect for your honesty and bravery in talking direct from your heart. I am also not in Queensland but as soon as I joined 12WBT and read your story I knew instantly that here was a real woman, who had conquered many of her internal demons – demons that I have batted for far too many years.
Bottom line … you have given me hope. I am feeling so not fab right now – but that’s Ok. It’s up to me to take back control of living my best life. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being just you. You are so ‘enough’ to be the leader people are already treating you as – and i feel very grateful to be lifted up by your words and to know that a vulnerable, honest, dare-to-speak her truth leader is exactly the leader I want to be too. Thanks for giving us all permission to shine in our most authentic way.
And WOW is all I can say in response to your comment. Thank you.
If I have given just 1 person hope then all is indeed super dooper awesome!! My post today was a combination of firstly wanting to acknowledge that the Queensland Crew members are incredible – and to say it out loud as recent events have demonstrated once again just how very special this community is that we have built. Secondly, I had a desire to speak my truth and put some of the mindset stuff I have been working through for a long time now out on the table.
Thank you – I do feel I am ‘enough’ to be me and being me includes being a leader. I accept that now after years of resistance in many situations in my life! I am becoming comfortable in my own skin and that is the key to health, happiness and well-being I believe. Working out who you are and loving that person.
xxx
I am also struggling at the moment but read your blog as a reminder that if I don’t give up and take each step one at a time I will reach my goals and fulfil my dreams. Well that’s the positive voice in my head that is still competing with the negative one but not giving up.
Your words really do help x