​Today Celeste speaks with Joy Sheppard, a mother and nurse practitioner who started competed in 2014. She turned pro in 2018 at North Americans when she won the Overall. Joy talks about the feelings she has before stepping on stage and how gratitude plays into her whole prep. In speaking about her journey as a competitor, going through life struggles has really forced her to look at herself and make major changes. She recognizes the importance of really knowing why she wants to compete and playing the long game. In recounting the experience of her first show, Joy says that it was all a blur but remembers feeling how fun it was. Over the years, her definition of fitness has changed to include way more that just a physique. She now prioritizes mental health instead of tying her worth to how hard she works. After earning her pro card in 2018, she felt lost in her identity and decided to start therapy, which has been paramount to her current outlook on life. It helped her learn how to feel and understand her feelings, and now she doesn’t even recognize her old self. Joy talks about how she used to use the gym and shows as distractions from her pain and unhappiness.Taking inventory of her own life allowed her to make the changes she needed in her life. She can now make conscious choices on how she responds to things. Joy notices many people put too much stock in prep and don’t give enough effort to rest and time to grow. Joy’s ultimate goal is to make it to the Olympia stage! Because she knows herself better and repeats the sport, she feels more confident setting challenging goals! Topics Covered Include: -Overcoming hurdles to compete -Taking time off to improve -Why she competes -Separating her identity from the stage -The importance of mental health -The difference between an obsession and a healthy commitment -How Buddhism helped her parents change -Making mindful choices -Normalizing offseason bodies -Being ready for the National stage -Competing with tattoos You don’t want to miss this incredible interview! Joy’s story is so powerful! CONNECT WITH CELESTE: Website: http://www.celestial.fit Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celestial_fit/ All Links: http://www.celestial.fit/links.html CONNECT WITH JOY: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joysheppard_ifbbpro/ Time Stamps [1:00] introduction [2:50] pre-show ritual [4:55] journey as a competitor [8:40] first prep and first show [11:59] committing to bodybuilding [15:40] prioritizing mental health and getting therapy [22:00] having a strong sense of self [25:20] having parents who are Buddhist and how they changed [31:22] how her parents’ change impacted her view of family [39:00] changes in training over the years [44:00] challenges of an offseason [50:20] shaking the victim mentality [53:00] Being ready for the national stage [64:00] Competing with tattoos [70:00] Advice for competitors

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