Karma is a bitch only if you aren’t doing the right thing
To my four readers: I’m pretty sure about half of you know what the past few years have been like for me – to the other half and the random person who called out sick from work today just because you felt like it and are now surfing the web aimlessly – I’m sorry you landed here. This is a very tedious and boring blog and you’re far better going to something on People’s website or the E Channel where you will find far juicier stories with lots of crazy drama and intrigue. Wait, maybe you will find that here. Okay well – either way – don’t tell me you weren’t warned.
The birth of my youngest daughter came on the heals of a brief separation from my now ex-husband. She was the reconciliation baby and a joy to my then 36 year old accomplished life. Life is never easy though and there are no happily ever afters…at least not without some major forks in the road and roller coaster rides.
Fast forward three years, and my marriage fell apart for good for more reasons than I would get into on a blog but after being with someone for 19 years, it is still a huge adjustment to suddenly be on my own – let alone be a mother of four and be alone. I had been involved in my ex-husband’s family business and what was left of it stayed with my ex-in-laws which left me without a job and income source. My house was suddenly upside down by about 200 thousand dollars and was going into foreclosure. Within a matter of months I found myself in a rental home, desperately trying to make ends meet with four children to support.
Slowly but surely I found ways to make money. One income source came from running a preschool in my home. At this point in my life, a corporate job is out of the question. With four children there is always someone sick, or someone with a half day or a day off – and of course I have my little Ashley who doesn’t go to school yet at all. So I have to be creative. I make some extra money doing web/graphic design but business with the economy is very slow and those jobs are few and far between.
There were many times where I felt life was just so unfair. I had worked hard. I had been a good mother and done the best that I could to make my marriage work. I had always been room mom or girl scout leader. I was the one outside playing street hockey or taking the kids for a walk or to the park. Yet I was amazed how many times I thought I just got hit over and over with bad news, bad luck and just plain meanness.
During the worst times, I was amazed at how out of the blue various people would show up and help me. Some of my family members lent me money, some people donated furniture. One of my clients actually purchased furniture for ALL FOUR children’s rooms after they had been living with just mattresses in their room for a year. Every single time I thought I would be out on the street in weeks, something happened. I would get a new client, or someone would send me money or pay a bill even. I have been all too close to having my car repossessed about three times during the last year.
I had to make tough decisions like whether or not to buy groceries or pay the electric bill. Some weeks I had to have a spur of the moment garage sale or sell my jewelry, just to keep my gas or water on. But through it all, it was like there was this constant lesson that I just needed to do the legwork and have a little faith and everything would be okay. Every day I woke up and put one foot in front of the other. Looking back now, I honestly don’t know how I didn’t fall apart completely – but that which doesn’t kill us….
After the worst year passed, I found that I was ready to put my life back on the front burner. I realized there were some major areas of my life that needed changing. At the top of the list, my health was not so great and my weight was making me feel less than a beautiful now single girl. I was sitting alone on a Sunday morning when the infomercial for the P90X came on. I don't think I even watched the whole thing before I decided I wanted to get the program. The only problem was, I didn't have the extra cash to sign up for even the monthly billing option. I had to set the goal just to fit it into the budget to purchase it.
I knew that being overweight was a problem for me – that I could not get past the stage I was in until I got my life together, including my health, my finances, my clutter and my confidence. Once I got the program, I knew this was going to be the beginning of a new life for me. I was and am ready to do the work to complete this program, lose the weight and then keep doing it so I don’t ever get to the place where I’m not healthy again.
One of the interesting things is that I was blessed with having a coach assigned to me (which btw is one of the awesome parts of working one of the Beachbody programs like P90X) and he has been there every day to encourage me and to laugh at my disdain for certain parts of the program (did you read my entry on Hell Yoga?) and he also opened my eyes to a whole new way of life. One of the things I’m finding out is that I want to be like that for other people! Imagine having a positive impact on someone’s life to the effect that they completely change their health and even their finances. Coach Dan and his wife Cammie are showing and helping me how to start a business of being a Beachbody Coach too. They are amazing and wonderful couple who have had their share of challenges along the way too. Cammie has MS and has seen a great improvement in her life from doing the P90X. Dan has some great stories to share too between his own story and some of his family members. They are a kind and generous couple who are taking me under their wing to help me succeed as a Coach myself.
Yeah…you can stop laughing. I did say Coach. Yes, I know I never exercised a day in my life with any regularity before. Yes, I know I have four children and work full time. What do you mean I like my wine too much? I can be lean and still have a glass of wine or two once in a while. And the vodka is only in the morning with my bloody marys. Gosh you’re a real downer. Would you please go read someone else’s blog now? Or better yet, let me be your coach and prove you wrong. You’ll see. The proof is in the pudding that I’m not eating any more. When you see my 30/60/90 day pictures…you’re going to say “Damn that girl was right.” And I’m always right, just ask my best friend Amanda.
Bye the way, this is going to make me look REALLY good in my Dave Ramsey class too. You can’t get to your financial goals if you don’t make more money and save it. It will be nice to work hard and see some amazing and tangible rewards.
So stay tuned…slowly but surely you will see my new life unfold. A new body, a new business, a new life.
Fitness Empress Out.
No comments:
Post a Comment