I was listening to a podcast the other day that talked about how joy and gratitude go hand in hand. Today, as I sit here typing this, I am (so gratefully) feeling both. This past Monday at 5:30 am, I taught my 100th class for reset:breathe Fitness. I had 37 people that joined me live and many more chimed in throughout the day that they have completed it. Getting up at that time of day is not easy for me, by any stretch of the imagination, but I can say with complete honesty – that this business, this community and this job, give me so much joy, it’s hard for me to put it into words. I actually can’t really believe I get to call it work because I truly love it so much.
I remember so well going to work early on after my oldest son was born and struggling through the 8 hour day because I was so unhappy with what I was doing. It wasn’t a fit for me and I wasn’t very good at it to be honest, but I just felt I had to be there to contribute to my family. I literally was watching the clock all freaking day. There were times I actually left in tears because I felt like I was wasting my days away while someone else looked after my child.
Three weeks after my second child, my oldest daughter was born, I found out the contract I had at this job wasn’t renewed. I was so stressed about it at the time because what would I do!? But I know now, it was both a blessing and a message of “wake the heck up.” It may sound crazy, but I have come to believe so strongly that we are guided by the universe, and for me, this was a big message from something bigger that I needed to do some major evaluation.
For the next 5 years and through two more babies, I worked part time teaching fitness classes and doing personal training because this is what I loved to do. I worked a few days a week and then otherwise taught in the early mornings or evenings around my husbands schedule so I could be home with my kids. It was exhausting but I regret none of it. There were days at home with my kids where I wanted to hide in closet with a pot of coffee and a lot of chocolate but there were also days…ok maybe more like moments, that I will cherish forever.
This past year was a bit of a transformation year for me. Actually it was hugely transformational. When my fourth son was born in August 2016, I knew I had to change things. What worked before was just not going to work anymore and I had to seriously figure some s*** out. I remember exactly a year ago, reading about a day in the life of this person who had created her dream job. She wrote out and shared her schedule and what each day was like for her and I remember thinking; “Damn!!!! I wish so much that was me, but yeah, no, it wouldn’t work.” But I couldn’t shake that article. I wanted her day. I wanted to create a life that would benefit my family. I wanted to get up everyday and be so excited for what I would get to do. I just had no idea how to do that and the thought of what it would take to get there was terrifying.
I have had a lot of “guidance” over the past year, and here we are, 100 classes in to a “job” I never could of dreamed of. That other part of the picture, the grateful part, there are no words for that either. The people in this community, the positivity, the motivation and the little daily successes are beyond what I could have imagined and yes- I’m just so grateful.
Joy and Gratitude. Imagine if everyone in the world felt both of those everyday? My belief is that we get to choose. Maybe not in every moment of the day, like when your child is having a meltdown in a parking lot, or bigger moments that life sometimes presents you, but there are times we do get to pick. There is also an opportunity on every single brand new day, for us to change things so we can find it. My hope for anyone who reads this, is that you feel both of these on the daily. If right now it’s just not happening, PLEASE know that it is absolutely possible for you. I believe that so strongly. Find your guide and you will get there. You are worth it. You are awesome.
T
