As you may have read in my creative section, when I was growing up my mother and I didn't have much in common. In fact, during my teen years we didn't see eye to eye on much of anything. We had some ups and downs as she preferred fabrics and threads, and I wanted a ball and a gym. Two completely different people. (Don't worry, we have more than reconciled through the years and have a stronger relationship now than we have ever had, I'd say.) But one day she told me something that meant more than anything else. She told me she admired my drive and my determination.
Those words stuck with me and still do. Blended with my father's advice that if you do something, do it all out or don't do it at all, I have set myself on a one way path. I may fail at certain endeavors. I may fail for a day, or a week. Eventually, though, I right myself, reset the compass, and push on. For those of you that have never met me, I'm not what people think of when they hear "basketball player." Most assume I am a soccer and/or softball player. Let's just say I got my father's body, with some female accessories. Short and muscles. I'm 5'5" and weigh about 140 lbs at my "ready" rate. So in high school, when I wanted to be a college basketball player, most thought it impossible. People thought I was crazy. I was too short, too slow, from too small of a school. Few things push me more than nay sayers. My husband, kids, and parents and their belief in me might be the only thing that motivates more than people telling me that what I want to do won't happen. But beyond the nay sayers and the positive reinforcement is something else. There is an internal switch in me that is always on. I am more determined than most. If there is something I want I go for it. I strive, work, cry, press and do what I need to do. my mother wasn't the only one to comment on my determination. It seems to be something people throughout my life have seen. So why the biography of my awesomeness? I want to see more people in this world with the same determination. In high school the goal was basketball. Check. College the goal was degree. Check. Now what? What am I driving towards? So many adults go through life with a case of the Mondays every day. Get up. Go to work. Go to the gym. Eat dinner. Go to bed. Or SAHMs- get up. Feed kids. Do laundry. Feed kids. Take kids to the playground. Feed kids. Nibble food. Put kids down for a nap. Figure out what to do with the quiet time. Waste time on pinterest... It's not fun or glamorous. When we look at our day like a never ending to do list or a constant responsibility to pay bills, there isn't much reason to have the drive to succeed. It's more like having the drive to get out of bed and show up on time. There are many self help books, seminars, and videos. Countless songs about taking a hold of your life and living it. Most people think, "Sure, only one life to live so take life and have fun!" Uh, ok. Then what? The words people tell us are right. It's our time to do something. So do something!! Not something willie nillie. Go make an impact. What are you goals? Yes, goals, with an -s. Just like my site, we are multifaceted people. We aren't just spouses, parents, or worker bees. Each part of our lives is important and it deserves to be focused. We should have one, or more, goal for each area of our lives. Think it out. Take your time. -What do you want in your walk with God? -What do you want in your life in regards to your marriage? Your family? Your spouse? Your kids? (Yes, I separate them out. They are not the same. Each of your pieces will intersect with the other, but they are not the same.) -What do you want with your career? Your hobbies? When was the last time you sat down, evaluated where you were and decided where you want to be? What's stopping you? Fear of failure? Yeah, I know. I get it. But we will fail more times than we can remember. It's what we do after we fail that creates that drive. On my high school basketball team, four years of varsity (it's not like the south when middle schoolers get to play on high school jv or varsity teams. High school sports were for high school students) we had ZERO winning seasons. None. Zilch. Nada. I had a terrible coach who didn't know the game. We never went to the play offs. So why on earth would I think that I could make it at the collegiate level? (No, I didn't do AAU. We couldn't afford that mess.) I have an internal drive that doesn't shut off. Sometimes I wish it would. Sometimes I wish I could live life from one cloud to the next. I can't. I want more from my life and I will do what I need to do to get it. Who's coming with me?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI have a lot to say about a lot of things. Archives
May 2023
Categories |