Inspirations....

A big thank you to Nicole De Weever for finding this and posting it. I am continuously inspired by you Nicole. Thank you for being you and for spreading the inspiration..... (taken from Nicole's FB status post)

Nicole De Weever

If there is one thing I have learned about death it is that it is a great revealer. When I woke up this morning I was heartbroken in realizing how much time I waste on NONSENSE. It dawned on me that all we leave behind are...memories. Every moment, every interaction, every word is a creation of a memory.

The memories I want to leave behind should be those that mirror the deepest expression of my soul but in order to do so we must be true. That is easier said then done. Ultimately...the memories we leave behind should reflect how hard we loved and how much we were loved in return. Those memories should mark all we were willing to die for and LIVE for. I pray to leave memories behind so strong, they are tangible enough that those I loved can hold them and be comforted and STRENGHTHEND by them.

Last night I lost my grandmother and that loss reminded me to be careful with the positions I take with people I say I love. It reminded me of the necessity to continue to explore and expand my concepts of love and live up to the standards I discover. It reminded me not to take myself, my loved ones or my situation for granted. Most importantly... it reminded me that no matter what we are going through...we are ALIVE! That means...blessings await :) Grab them...and let's spend more time working towards the miracles we are in this short amount of time we have been given. Love deeply today...
This was written by Jada Pinkett I saw it and I was so moved because I really relate to what is being said.

2 years ago...

LiL Knee - May-July 2010

2 years ago today, I woke up and walked into an operating room for a 2+ hr reconstructive knee surgery. Today I am thankful that I am back doing what I love most in this world - DANCE - and grateful for all the love and support everyone gave me  (and still gives me) during the 8 months I went through the injury/rehab. 

LiL Knee - July 21, 2012

While I never want to go through anything like that again, I will say I am grateful because it taught me a lot and made me see things in a different way. And because of it, I met some pretty amazing people, and found out some pretty amazing things about those surrounding me.

I'm so thankful for Bethany Hamilton, Shawn Johnson, Aliya Mustafina, Alicia Sacramone, Allison Case, Karen Olivo, Courtney Kupets and everyone else who ever had an injury, publicly worked through it, and gave me the strength and courage to keep fighting until I was back. And it's a constant struggle - learning how to get back and re-train with what feels like a totally different body, learning how to trust your body again, having faith that everything will be ok. 

Life is way too short to focus on the bad. This injury/surgery could've been the end for me - but instead, I chose to focus on the positive - to stay close to those who support and inspire, and to steer clear of the negative ones. To keep my eye on the goal - getting back into the studio so I could, once again, FLY....going back and reading through this blog has taught me a lot - about myself, about my body, about others.....and even though I've been officially healed since January 1, 2011, I still keep this blog going to remind myself where I've been, where I'm headed, and where I want to go. 

~Memories In Action~
JKing Dance Company - May 2012

Thank you to everyone who continues to support me and my passion. In the words of 7 year old Xiana, "I LOVE YOU MUCH MUCH!"

"Imagine the one thing you love to do the most. Now imagine, out of nowhere, something happens and you realize you may never be able to do it again. How do you feel? Sad? Angry? Shell-shocked? For me, the answer was all of the above."

-Bethany Hamilton-

Knee Heroes of mine...

JKDC Promo Video

JKing Dance Company PROMO Video

Update

Haven't updated in forever! Summer has started - SO grateful to be dancing and not preparing for surgery! Can you believe it's almost been 2 years since I went "under the knife"??? I'm so thankful to be able to wake up and dance. There are still challenges, but that's life and I'm grateful for them all! And there's so much good stuff going on! Doing lots of rehearsing for JKing Dance Company and I love it! So thankful to be dancing for this amazing company!

In other news.....if you are a fan of gymnastics or want to be inspired, I have two books you have to read asap! The first one is WINNING BALANCE by Shawn Johnson and the second is OFF BALANCE by Dominique Moceanu. They are amazing!



‎"...Take my past and give me grace. Walk the path to which I face. Free my heart from this I feel. Lift me up and help me heal. Save me from what hurt my heart, beat me down, and made me part, made me fear and want to hide. Take away the pain inside...Keep me close to those that care, ones that love and want to share, ones that help when things go wrong, pick me up and make me strong. Let them know what I feel inside: burning flames that will not die...Let them know they changed my life, made me whole, and showed me the light: re-lit the flame that burnt in here, the passion and desire that made it clear, then taught me how to leap and fly...My heart's been turned inside out, but never once did I doubt what it was they gave to me: compassion, love, sincerity." -Shawn Johnson ♥

Don't take what you love for granted....

I know I know! It's been forever since I really updated this blog. SO much has been going on I don't know where to begin.....first of all JKing Dance Company's shows ~Memories in Action~ were amazing! I can't tell you how honored I was to be a part of that show! It was the greatest weekend of my life! I am still on a "high" from it. There is no greater feeling than to be on stage performing. I love it more than anything else! For more information about JKDC check out www.JoyceKingDance.com

Last Sunday I got some sad news. Elite gymnast, Shawn Johnson, has officially retired from gymnastics. Shawn had reconstructive knee surgery 6 months before I did. Prior to my injury I didn't even know she had injured her knee. She was a great comfort to me during my knee injury, surgery, and recovery, and her come back really inspired me to come back stronger than ever. She stated, 

“I still have the heart, drive, and desire to compete and help the USA at the London Olympics. Unfortunately, it has become obvious that my left knee is not able to sustain the demands of gymnastics any longer. All I can do now is gracefully retire and thank everyone who has believed in me and my journey."

I am thankful that I am healed and able to dance again. And I'm grateful that my tumbling skills are back. I will say that now that I'm healed, I never take any of that for granted anymore. I recently came across this quote from iSpeakGymnast, 

‎"Don't take the sport you play for granted. Every time you play, be thankful that you get to do something you love. Don't show up to practice complaining about not wanting to be there; you're there hopefully because you love it. Work hard every moment. Play every practice/game like it's your last because it very well could be. When you finally reach the day you can't play, and you can only watch, then you will know how much you love something that you once took for granted."

I'm still doing PT in my room at home daily. I still have pain because there is hardware in my knee. But every day I wake up and thank God for allowing me another day to get out of bed and do what I love most in this world, dancing for JKDC.

‎"Everything happens for a reason. Let that help you keep perspective in the hard times. Try to find the good in everything that happens-it's usually there somewhere." 

-Shawn Johnson

I DIE :)