Responsibility is defined as “the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone”. In Amo Kgori's case, we are more focused on the first part of what defines responsibility. “Why?”, you may wonder. Simply put, that is what she has molded herself into.
She is a woman bent on taking all the responsibility for every single action she has to take in her life. The 29-year-old marketing exec came from a very humble background. She is the quintessential black female South African, and her story is shared by many of her peers. She was raised by a single mother in Mabopane, a township in the north of Pretoria in Gauteng, a province that is the heart of our country.
Like a lot of Kasi girls, physical exercise wasn't always a priority. She was consistently considered as the pretty but chubby girl, and when she unexpectedly lost her brother and her job, she took control over her life and a new Amo was born.
She became responsible for how she responded to these hardships in her life. She chose to face them directly and work on them with everything she has got, one by one driven by hope and the joy that will be waiting for her at the end of accomplishment.
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Amo chose to change herself and take charge of her life because it was a necessity for her mind, body, and spirit. Her life was stuck in a dark place because she was defined but external circumstances and not by herself. In short, her entire life's existence was defined by how others perceived her, the unexpected loss of her brother and the loss of her job.
Amo chose to take charge of her life the moment she decided to let go of all the negativity in her life and focused on getting results. She motivated herself daily by believing in herself in her own words, "Amo Kgori, the world owes you nothing. You are completely responsible for your own life. Don’t take people for granted, God has placed them in your life for a reason. The only thing standing between you and achieving your goals is you.“ This was the beginning of a long and hard journey which at the end was beyond fruitful for her.
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Amo has made fitness a part of her daily routine which is a far cry from the girl who used to think that being physically active isn't necessary. Her daily routine consists of waking up and doing some HIIT or going for a jog before heading to her 7:30 am to 4:30 pm job. She would then hit the gym from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm while running her wellness business on the side. She has learned that getting results, being disciplined and strict with herself is the formula and key to her success in life. When things get hard and her consistency starts to waver and she starts to feel like giving it all up, she always reminds herself, “Amo Kgori, you are here for results, overcoming these challenges and becoming the best version of yourself in every aspect of your life. You are here to add value to people’s lives and to empower them.”
Her biggest goal in life is to make sure that she impacts as many people as she can and empowers them to gain more free time to grow themselves and be better in their health, financially and mentally. She believes that life is mostly determined by how we spend our time.
Even though she is at a stage where she has reached her body goal which was shedding a few KG's, she went from 98kg's to 68kg's and hasn't stopped because she has come to learn that the struggle in growth happens day by day.
“As much as I love the fitness lifestyle and working out, I would be lying if I said it was an easy road. I had to train my mind to be stronger than my excuses. I constantly need to convince my thinking brain to ignore my feelings brain. My results and how I feel after an intense session always keep me consistent.
Amo has taught us that for our lives to change, we have to individually take responsibility. There is no excuse and no hardship that will give you the results you want from life. You need to move beyond negative thinking and do the things you don’t want to do for you to grow.
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Images shot by @72_photography
Photographer @elijah_palm
Image Retouching by Seventwo Creative Agency
Article by Tribal Fit