You know how they say that 60 is the new 40? My name is Susie Ripley, and I sure hope that is TRUE, because here I am at 60, contemplating what to do with my life...next. I have always said that your feet face forward, so you should always move in that direction, however, reflecting back on life has its advantages too.

As a Life and Community Coach, for the last 10 plus years, I am constantly asking people if they can remember a time that they felt aligned, happy and excited. When I asked myself those same questions recently, I immediately went back 10 years to a time when I was in the Health and Wellness industry. Working in Houston as the Health and Wellness Director of a large YMCA was one of the most challenging, yet rewarding times of my professional career. Every day I was excited about the work I did and fascinated by the science that was constantly coming out about fitness and health and the people I served. While I was in the industry as a fitness practitioner, at the beginning of my 20 year plus career, I was in management, programming and directing the practitioners. While the YMCA's have good training protocols, and in fact I was a faculty trainer for the YMCA of the USA Personal Training Program, I always looked to ACSM as the Gold Standard when evaluating protocols or had any question regarding protocols. Each year I would attend the ACSM Summit and could hardly wait until the next year's Summit. I always thought that if I had the money and the time, I would become ACSM certified. I believe now, as I believed then, that there is no better or comprehensive certification.

So when faced with another change in professional direction, I asked myself, why not now? What is stopping me? With the barriers out of the way, I am now embarking on a journey that will challenge me, to be sure, but also is making me feel more excited and alive, than I have felt …. In a LONG time! So, pass or fail, I will share with you my journey, in obtaining my ACSM CPT. I have no idea what this 60 year old will face with the challenges back into the Health and Wellness world, but I am willing to be transparent and share them with you. I have some fears, to be sure, but I am committed to pushing past them so that I can do what I am always encouraging and trying to inspire others to do… LIVE THE BEST LIFE EVER!

So…here we go!!