Beyond Boundaries Dr. Josefina Monasterio proves anything can be accomplished

By Renee' Novelle May 14, 2015 be Inspired Dr.Josefina. Life Coach There are those in this world who act as a spark, brightening even the darkest corners of life and spurring a fire that drives others toward their greatest accomplishments. These individuals radiate hope, opportunity, and spread of sense of peace that all is not lost. That anything is possible, because we can make it so. A rare breed in this darkening world, but a guiding light toward the prospect of a better tomorrow. One such individual is Dr. Josefina Monasterio. Though our encounters have been few, I’m captivated by her tendency to energize those around her. People smile a little brighter and laugh a little fuller when Dr. Monasterio is around, and I find myself enticed by her infectious zeal for life. Even now, though we’re speaking over the phone, she emanates such positivity that I can’t help but to believe the possibilities in life are endless. I feel renewed just having spoken with her. And once a clear understanding of her personal life philosophy has been uncovered, it’s easy to understand why she has this affect. And how she’s accomplished so much with no signs of slowing down any time soon. After relocating from Venezuela, earned her PhD from Boston University. She’s been First Fitness and NET for Success certified, and became a certified Yoga Therapist from the World Yoga Society in Calcutta. A former high school teacher, she later went on to donate her time assisting pregnant teens in completing their education, and has given motivational speeches across the globe. Now, she’s a life coach, a nutrition counselor, a blogger, and the host of a popular television show in Florida - and at 59, Dr. Monasterio started her path to becoming an award-winning bodybuilder, making a name for herself with her incredible stage presence and gracious style. And though she’s accomplished so much thus far, she eagerly awaits the next project life brings her way. I can’t help but to be curious how she’s achieved so much when most would be satisfied with just a fraction of her accomplishments. “Priorities.” She explains simply enough when I make the inquiry. “You have to prioritize what’s important to you. Everybody has 24 hours a day, 8 of those hours are for sleep.” She laughs. “I’m very conscientious about my time. I have respect for my time, so I only do those things that are meaningful, and have value. I don’t waste my time because it’s something that you can’t purchase, that you can’t buy. It’s precious, it’s beautiful. It’s awesome.” She begins her day earlier than most, waking with the dawn at 3:30am to get her first exercise in and spend time in prayer and meditation. “When I start my day with those three components, then I’m in harmony. My body, my mind and my spirit. And as a result of that, my emotions are pure and good and kind. Just working in those three components is what really worked for me. It’s fabulous, it’s phenomenal. And it also means that you don’t have challenges. You may have stress here and there,” she admits, “but you know how to deal with it because you have a clarity, so you don’t stress out.” The result is a free flowing lifestyle that has guided her through an abundance of experiences. “Everything is interconnected. It’s entwined, it’s just one melody, one rhythm. And if you go with it and you dance with it, then oh my god what a dance! It blows me away every single day.” But this way of living didn’t happen by chance. It’s a philosophy that developed over time, pieced together by the experiences in her life and refined by implementation and results… starting in high school. A geography teacher had begun a gymnastics program for the girls after school, which Josefina’s mother graciously allowed her permission to participate in. “He got me into things, like a split, that I would say, I can’t do it! And he would say yes you can, yes you can.” She remembers. “He taught me that I could, even though I was going through pain.” Within two years, she was competing on a national level. Until one day, her teacher didn’t show up for class or after school practice. Concerned, she made her inquiries, discovered he was sick and immediately went to see him in the hospital. “He was on an oxygen tank, and I was shocked because he was a strong, powerful man. And within about 5 minutes of me standing there, he died.” Though saddened by the experience, it had a powerful impact on her. “And that’s when I got it, that we have a spirit. That’s when I understood. Because his spirit is always with me. He taught me, yes I could. So don’t tell me I can’t because I won’t believe you. People say you can’t do this, you’re too old, you have an accent…” She begins to list what others would use as an excuse. Her response to such claims? “Oh whatever, that’s your problem, not my problem. I know I can!” After high school, she pursued her fitness passions in college by participating in track and field, where she met a professor who had competed in the 1960 Olympics in Rome. One day, he offered her a book, telling her, “I want you to read this book because you are this book.” The book was all about mental attitude. “And that’s when I got into the mind part of it. And that’s how I started connecting the body, the mind and the spirit from those experiences.” Her path in bodybuilding is just another extension of that concept. “This is about the openness of the heart. When you’re open to life, adventures open to you.” It happened completely by chance. After several hurricanes hit her area one year, she was scheduled to speak on the radio about stress and different coping methods. Also scheduled that day was a man who owned a gym, and he began talking to her about competitions. “And I said what is that?” Though she’d remained active and fit, competing was a new concept for her, but – being in the flow of life – she wasn’t opposed to trying something new. “He took me under his wing, and trained me the first year. I beat everybody. And I was 59 years old. Of course when you start doing something and you do it successfully, how can I give up?” She laughs. “So it has become my lifestyle, my passion. I’m planning on doing it for as long as I can look awesome. The moment that I quit won’t come for a long time. I’m not giving up that easy!” The benefits to her new lifestyle have been immense – not just mentally due to her numerous wins, but it has opened doors to medical opportunities she wouldn’t otherwise have. Specifically, the opportunity to try a new hip resurfacing procedure in lieu of a hip replacement. “We would never start someone your age with this new technology,” her physician had explained, “but because of your muscle mass and your bone density, I’ll do it.” Now she’s back to her regular schedule, achieving everything, restricted by nothing. The experience further increased her personal belief that aging is a self-fulfilled prophecy. And that nothing is impossible until you believe it is. “You have to stop blaming your family, your doctor, your this, your that… Take responsibility. No one else is responsible for your perfect health. I look better today than when I was a runner in college.” She explains. “Have courage to wake up, to look at yourself and say to yourself I can be better than this. Make a commitment to yourself. Not to your coach, not to your children, not to your husband - just to yourself. You are the most important person in the world, and whatever you promise to yourself, that’s exactly what you do. Because other than that you loose your value, you loose your power. Be honest. You have to live within your own house, and within your own house it should be honesty, integrity, and character.” It’s the concept that has driven her through her entire life. Empowerment. Accomplishment. Possibility. Dr. Monasterio is the living embodiment of that, and it’s a concept she hopes to impart to others. “That they believe in their heart and in their mind that it can be done. That it is possible for them. That it’s real for them. If anything I’d like to leave behind, it would be that.”