The Tree That Bends Dosen't Always Break

The Tree That Bends Doesn’t Always Break

Today I write this post for two reasons. Reason number one so you can be understanding over the next few months. Reason number two so that maybe I can inspire you to do a little bit more.

Here’s the deal; my plate it’s pretty damn full. More like heaping over the sides full but its mine. Every minute of the craziness I have chosen for myself and I wouldn’t trade it for a minute. However, the next few upcoming months have me a little bit nervous.

Let me explain…

During my first year of teaching I started a masters program at Penn State with a dream to be a principal someday and eventually a college professor. I wanted to teach business for 5 – 7 years, move on to administration for a few and head off to teach teachers how to become passionate teachers at the college level. That’s been the plan since before IUP handed me a diploma. I took my graduate classes one at a time each semester. I took a few semesters off after having Carter and I took the past summer and fall of because my passion seemed to be heading elsewhere with Beachbody. I quickly realized that I loved being a coach because it was getting to run a business, teach my challengers how to live better lives and train and lead coaches on my team all while teaching them how to be successful. It’s the makings of my dream job. It comes with a much higher paycheck compared to the education field as well. BUT, I am not one to not finish what I start so our dream board in our bedroom has the goal of finishing up that master’s degree. I have three classes standing between me and a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Penn State. I refuse to quit now but I am having a hard time wanting to take on the overwhelming stress that comes with this because as I mentioned above the plates full.

One of my goals on the dream board. I look at this daily as a reminder to "finish what you started."  

When my feet hit the floor every morning they hit the ground running hard. I feel like I ran a marathon all before the bell at school rings at 8:10 am. My days starts at 4:30 am. I work out for 30 minutes and then hit the shower and get ready for the craziness to start. During my time to get ready I spend 10 minutes reading personal leadership development and I get caught up on the business news so I am ready for work. Then I check in with my challengers and get them on track for a successful day. After waking and taking my son to his school, I head off to work. My ride to school is usually filled with a quick phone conversation with my best friend. She’s almost 2 hours away from me but not a day passes by that I don’t talk with her each day. It’s nice to have someone like that in your life, someone to cheer you on or to let you vent about life’s curve balls. My school day is from 8:10 am – 3:16 pm. I am teaching an overloaded schedule this year that seems to have me really fighting to keep my head above water. We don’t usually have 6 different preps but this year I do. It’s harder than you would think and has truly tested my teaching skills. It is possible to do but is starting to take its toll on me. When the bell rings I head to quickly pick up my son. My hours from 4 – 8 pm are sacred to me. It’s my time to be a mom and absorb up all that I am missing during the day. It’s hard to be a working mom. You need thick skin. You sometimes feel like your missing out on so much, but it makes you appreciate the time you spend together even more. After I put my son to bed, I work my Beachbody business from 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm and sometimes 12:00 am. People often ask me what it is that I do during that time. I invite people to join me in my challenge groups, I check in with challengers, I work to train my coaches, I attend calls with our teams, I host calls with my own team each week, I blog and I look for ways to grow my business. It’s something that I love and to be honest, it never feels like work. In fact, I find myself staying up way to late because I am having so much fun I don’t want to stop working. I have quickly learned that there is some serious potential in working as a health and fitness coach and the businesswoman in me is enjoying the challenge. It started as a way to cover the cost of my Shakeology and is turning into my ticket to a six -figure income. I have learned that you have to have faith in the process and the dream you are creating because you won’t notice what you are accomplishing at first then all of the sudden the dream seems to be a whole lot more real.

I may not be sleeping quite enough, my life might look messy but here is the truth; I want the world to be better because I was here. I want my life, my work, my family to mean something. If your not making someone else’s life better, you’re wasting your time. Your life will only become better by helping make others lives better.

So I will ask this of you – make room on your plate for just a little bit more. You CAN do it and you CAN make time for the things you want in your life, whatever they might be. You have just to sacrifice and bend a bit. Chances are you won’t break. It might be hard but you really can do it. My only request in the coming months is that you all go easy on me. Your messages might take a day or two longer to get returned, I might seem a teeny tiny bit more stressed, but I promise I am still here and I will still keep chasing the dream. God has a plan for my life and he will put me exactly where I am supposed to be.

Thanks for all of your love and support! Now onward to conquer that grad class, a full time teaching job, a full time health and fitness job, motherhood and most importantly focusing on continuing to grow a strong marriage. God is good!