As some of you know, I left Power for Parkinson's for a bit in hopes to hike the Pacific Crest Trail this summer. I planned for over a year to hike from Mexico to Canada. After 200 miles, my dream disappeared because of an injury that quickly forced me off the trail.

Fast forward six months and three knee surgeries later...

I finished up a workout last night, and I heard the instructor end the class by saying, "Bloom where you are planted". I felt like she was talking directly to me. I have had a year of many unfortunate and unforeseen events that left me in a wildly different spot than I could have imagined. My plans failed. My body failed. I felt as though I failed. The plan I set for myself was gone and left me with a blank space and no direction. 

Life often hands us a completely different outcome than we see for ourselves, thus comes the saying, "Bloom where you are planted". To me, this means no matter the circumstance, what you’re left with, or what life throws at you, plant your feet and thrive.

After returning from my hike and re-joining the PFP team, I saw how dedicated our participants are to their health. Our participants created the perfect example of blooming where you're planted. They continually adapt to the things life throws at them. They find strength in adversity: thriving despite the obstacles placed in their way.

So today I am choosing to bloom and challenge you to see if you are too. For those of you who are already growing and moving, I urge you to share your story. You never know who might need it.

During the holiday season, a great place to share your story is through a fundraiser; click here to see how to set it up today.