Just over six years ago, we moved our family from Utah to Arizona. We have grown so much since then. It feels like a whole other life living in Utah.

We moved to Arizona so my husband could start his MBA. I was excited for my husband to pursue his dream, but I was sad about moving away from my family.

I am the oldest of five kids. I’ve always felt a big pull back to my family.

I lived away from family before. I lived in New York City for my internship after college, Jerusalem to study the Bible, England / Wales to serve a mission for our church for 18 months, and several different apartments in college.

I always came back home  when I lived away before. When we moved to Arizona, I wasn’t very sure if I would come back.

Luckily, I have an amazing aunt in Arizona, and my husband’s family was there too. That made it a lot easier. I was grateful for them and the incredible friends we met.

I don’t know what it is, but there is something about family that is irreplaceable. No matter how busy I try to be or how many people I meet, I always feel a big void in my life living away from my family.

It was humbling to move to Arizona into an apartment that was twice as small as the townhouse we moved from. My husband and I both left our stable jobs to move there. We thought my husband had a job when we got there, but it didn’t work out.

The first few months were rough.

I talked to my dad on the phone one day, and he told me I needed to get out of our apartment. So I did. I got out, and I started meeting people.

I met people at the pool, the park, the hair salon, etc. Everywhere I went, I talked to people. I got to know them, and I learned about them. The more I learned about others, the less I thought about myself and my problems.

My situation got better, and after a few months, I started to love living in Arizona. I loved the people. I loved serving the people. I loved the friends I met, and I loved the adventures we had there.

The biggest lesson I learned was to focus on the GOOD. I’ve learned this lesson over and over in my life! It’s so easy to get stuck focusing on what is wrong with our lives. When we flip it and focus on what is going right / good in our lives, everything changes for the better!!

My situation didn’t change for two years, but my attitude did, and that made the world of a difference.

Shannon Golladay is a former competitive gymnast. She was also a dancer, runner, and a cheerleader who wanted her body back after she had kids. She found herself tired, overweight and wishing she had her body back after her first baby was born. She found a way to not just lose the weight, but also gain energy, and get toned by doing workouts and following simple meal plans at home. In December 2011, she decided to pay it forward and help other former athletes get their bodies back. She loves helping women live life with energy, purpose and drive again!