Anyone remember that?
Stars in Their Eyes?
It was a TV talent show, that ran though the 90s…for 16 years actually!
It was essentially a singing contest but members of the public impersonated showbiz stars.
Each contestant would walk through ‘smoky’ doors before instantly reappearing dressed up as their chosen star.
Google it if you’re bored ;-)
What struck me about the show (amongst other things) was how often the impersonator would really become their star.
Sure, they’d been made up and had help from the guys in hair and wardrobe.
Many were obsessed, so they’d clearly spent years trying to sound like their stars too.
But for many it was more than that.
They moved like them, smiled like them, walked like them, danced like them.
The difference between going through the doors as their regular selves and reappearing through the smoke as their star was HUGE!
For many, they BECAME their star!
Why am I reminiscing about an old TV programme you may ask??
Because I was talking with one of our ladies the other day and the conversation really reminded me of this show.
The lady’s name is Hayley.
And no – she’s never been on “Stars in Their Eyes”
Well, not to my knowledge anyway!
Hayley was expressing her frustration at not being able to exercise as much as usual due to a slight injury.
She was chuckling to herself because at the beginning of the year she would have found any excuse not to train!
Now she was frustrated by it!
Why?
Because she’s not the Hayley she was.
Hayley WAS totally lacking in confidence and she hated, detested how she looked.
She felt sluggish and low and had no drive to do anything.
She over-ate and the worse she felt about herself, the more she ate.
She looked at joining a gym but the type of person she was then didn’t do that sort of thing, so she found every excuse in the book as to why she couldn’t…time, money…anything.
In December last year she hit rock bottom…Christmas parties were a living hell. She felt as though she didn’t belong at them. She felt like the largest person in a room full of beautiful people (her words, not mine).
She even felt as though she was letting her family down L
But then in January of this year, Hayley went through that transformation door.
She felt so low and she knew that if she didn’t do something, her mental health would deteriorate even further.
When she took photos and measurements at the start of her programme it broke her heart.
What had she become?
She’d become someone she no longer wanted to be…and she was about to change that.
But at the other side of that door, it was tough.
She wanted to quit at first.
Would pray for traffic so she could miss her sessions.
But she’d paid to do the programme now, so she was going to see it through to the end.
After all, she could quit when it finished if she wanted to.
But on the other side of that door, Hayley changed.
She BECAME someone else.
She started to WANT to go to sessions.
She started to LOVE the dark nights, the cool air, the starry skies.
She started to ENJOY a whole hour to herself, to clear her mind.
She started smiling ;-)
She had BECOME an exerciser. She was no longer failing – she was winning!
When Hayley finished her programme, for me, she appeared through that smoke as a new version of herself.
The one we all know today.
She’d lost 20 inches but she’d gained SO much more.
Everyone noticed the difference…family, colleagues, friends.
They noticed the spring in her step. They noticed that her spark was back.
Who is she now?
Now she’s a regular exerciser.
She makes food choices she’s proud of…even on holiday!
She feels great in a swimming costume J
She doesn’t fail or quit….she can and does succeed!
She’s confident in all aspects of her life, not just her fitness.
She IS a strong, fit, healthy lady….on a journey to improve herself, every single day.
And that, for me, is what transformation is all about.
It’s about who you become.
Sure you can lose weight, inches, drop dress sizes.
And that’s all great.
But when you change who you BECOME, just as Hayley has…that’s where the magic is.
That’s where Hayley is <3
