How Pursuing Health and Inner Work Can Set You Free

I’m not talking about political or societal democracy, though that’s important.

I’m talking about the invisible cages we build around ourselves.

The cages we have formed from the beliefs we have about who we are, what we’re allowed to want, and how we should live.

The ones shaped by fear, pressure, conditioning, and shame.

Cages we probably don’t even realize we have.

Freedom — true, deep, personal freedom — is the ultimate win in life.

Freedom from self-limiting beliefs.
Freedom from the pressure to be liked or seen.
Freedom to speak your truth without second-guessing.
Freedom from diet culture and body obsession.
Freedom from burnout and over-functioning.
Freedom to live in alignment with your values instead of other people’s expectations.
Freedom to trust yourself.
Freedom to know you’re not stuck.

And here’s the truth: freedom isn’t just about your circumstances.

It’s about the relationship you have with yourself.

And reclaiming that kind of freedom takes time, effort, and a whole lot of inner work.

One of the most powerful tools for building that freedom?

Your health.

Mental, emotional, and physical.

Because without your health, you don’t have options.

You’re confined by fatigue, brain fog, inflammation, and pain.

You’re managing symptoms instead of building a life.

You’re reacting instead of choosing.

But when you pursue true health — not the kind rooted in obsession or aesthetics, but in self-respect — you create space for freedom.

You begin to build self-efficacy: the belief that you can impact your own outcomes.

You begin to experience autonomy: making decisions aligned with your values and needs instead of fear, pressure, or habit.

This is where fitness becomes a vehicle for transformation, even beyond the physical aspects.

Every time you show up for yourself, move your body, fuel it well, and keep a promise to yourself, you’re reinforcing that you can trust yourself.

You start seeing your body as a partner, not a project.

You become strong. Not just for aesthetics, but for life.

You gain the physical capacity to do the things that bring you joy, the stamina to parent the way you want, the strength to carry the load (literally and figuratively).

You’re no longer confined by the limitations of chronic pain, immobility, or disease that stem from prolonged neglect.

That’s why physical health is a non-negotiable part of freedom.

Because the ability to show up how you want to (energetically, emotionally, and physically) is everything.

Strength training was a massive turning point for me.

Before I started lifting weights and working with a coach, I saw fitness as something I had to do to “stay in shape” or burn calories. It was rooted in fear and body fixation.

But as I learned how to train intentionally — to build muscle, get stronger, and move better — I realized how empowering it was.

Progress wasn’t just about how I looked anymore. It was about feeling capable, confident, and grounded in my own skin.

Having a coach helped me tune out the noise and focus on what actually mattered. It gave me structure, feedback, and helped me build a level of trust in myself I hadn’t known before.

Lifting gave me more than strength. It gave me identity. It gave me belief.

And that belief carried over into every other area of my life.

I also had to unlearn diet culture.

Just as lifting shifted how I related to my body through movement, unlearning diet culture changed how I nourished it.

For years, I believed my worth was tied to the number on the scale.

I chased smaller, not stronger.

I believed I had to earn my food.

Now I use tools like macro tracking when I want clarity. Not to restrict, but to understand.

I have redefined beauty, self-care, and strength for myself. Not according to some arbitrary aesthetic ideal, but based on how I feel and function.

I’ve learned to love my body for what it does, not just how it looks.

To appreciate its uniqueness, especially the parts that don’t fit society’s standard.

To treat it with the respect it deserves — nourishing it, training it, and letting it rest.

And in return, my body gives me energy, resilience, and the ability to live a full, vibrant life.

Learning to Prioritize Inner Peace

I had to confront the part of me that felt guilty all the time: guilty for resting, guilty for saying no, guilty for wanting more than just getting through the day.

I remember sitting across from my therapist, exhausted and overwhelmed, when she asked me gently, “Jacqui, when do you feel guilty?”

That question hit me hard…

Because the answer was all the time.

I realized my guilt came from my people-pleasing tendencies — the belief that I was only valuable if I was selfless, agreeable, and available to everyone else first.

For years, I was the one who smoothed things over, took on too much, and ignored my own needs to keep the peace.

But fitness challenged that.

Every time I prioritized my workouts, tracked my food, or protected my sleep, I was making a quiet declaration: I matter, too.

Over time, those small, defiant acts added up. They helped me see that setting boundaries wasn’t selfish, it was essential. And once I started honoring my needs in the gym, that confidence and self-respect spilled over into every other part of my life, too.

I learned to speak up, take up space, and honor what I needed, even when it wasn’t convenient for others.

That same self-efficacy — the belief that I could create change — is what gave me the courage to start my own business in 2021.

Fitness taught me that I could set a goal, take consistent action, and grow through discomfort. That carried over into my career. I realized I didn’t have to settle for a life that left me depleted. I could build something different. Something better.

Starting my own coaching business was a leap, but it was one rooted in trust. I wanted more alignment, more flexibility, and more time for the things that mattered most: my family, my health, and my sense of purpose. Entrepreneurship has stretched me in every way, but it’s also given me more balance and meaning than I ever had before.

And it all started with building belief in myself; through movement, through discipline, through healing.

I don’t take that for granted.

Because I know what it feels like to live in survival mode. When your nervous system is fried, your body is inflamed, your hormones are out of whack, and everything feels heavy.

And I also know what it feels like to feel clear, grounded, and strong.

Health & Fitness Are Gateways to Inner Work

The more I’ve pursued health — not as a look, but as a practice — the more freedom I’ve gained.

Because health supports the inner work.

It builds confidence.

It sharpens awareness.

It gives you access to your own strength.

And it reinforces the idea that you always have a choice.

Becoming mentally and emotionally free doesn’t mean life gets easier.

It just means you’re choosing a different kind of hard. The kind of hard that leads to growth.

It means understanding that almost every situation has nuance.

That people operate from their own experiences, traumas, and values, not because things are inherently right or wrong.

It means being open to other perspectives while still honoring your own.

And ultimately, it means creating a life rooted in peace, purpose, and meaning.

Because you chose it, not because it was expected of you.

So even when working out, learning about your nutrition, and showing up when you don’t want to feels hard.

Remember that with every decision you make, you’re either leading yourself towards a freer life, or away from it.

You’re either growing and removing the cages, or you’re unintentionally building them.

I don’t know about you, but I would rather know that my hard work will pay off in the long run.

That even with age, I will be capable of getting down on the floor and playing with my future grandchildren instead of being confined to a chair.

That I will have patience, wisdom, and peace to pass along to future generations, instead of triggers and traumas.

That I can look back and know that I chose exactly what was right for me, instead of what was right for everyone else.

We’re here for a blip of time. Wouldn’t you want to spend it knowing that you’re not confined?

Your health is the pathway to mental and physical freedom. Don’t pass that up.

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