The momentum that we have to move through our lives and through our work is driven by different things for everyone. Some may be motivated by goals, rewards, money, while others by compliments, pleasing people, or love. But I believe that our passion is what drives our hearts forward. I'm not referring directly to romantic passion (though this would be on the list,) but passion for everything that you do that you feel like you can put your WHOLE being into. Some people are passionate about politics so they put their WHOLE lives into advocating and rallying (I think this is what they do but I have no idea for sure, not one of my passions :P ), those who are passionate about customer service give their best to every single person that they encounter 100 times over each day, ensuring that each person is provided with the best service possible. Counselors are driven by their passion for helping other people heal from the inside-out, teachers by their love for students and education, stay at home moms and dads by their children, whatever your heart decides it is passionate about - DO it!
If you have a choice, what a HUGE waste of time for our short little lives to be in a job or a stage of life that you hate! Waking up and dreading going to work or starting the day is not a satisfying way to spend even the smallest portion of your life.
I have felt myself ebb and flow with my passions over the course of my entire adult life. I am an incredibly passionate person (about things that I LOVE and things that I HATE.) I never do anything halfway. It is really frustrating actually because if I am annoyed at something I don't just get "kind of irritated." There is no way to hide it for me. A gift from my mother :) (love you!) One of my friends pointed out to me last weekend that I don't just KIND OF feel anything, I REALLY feel everything. This made me laugh and gave me something to think about.
This story is redeeming though and I don't want to toot my own horn, but after having a conversation with one of my first challengers that I've ever worked with who has been doing the 21 Day Fix for about 7 months now to assist her along her journey, she facebook messaged me this morning and said "Hannah! I was 1 lbs away from my goal weight on the scale this morning!!!"
Wow. Just WOW!
She continued to share how her confidence has been coming alive since working within the support of the challenge groups from not only me, but from all of the people that have walked with her the entire way. And THAT is when it struck me that I am in this for the long haul.
We continued to talk about how funny it is when people hear that I am an accountability coach but we are in different states. People are weirded out by how that works. But she went on to tell me that "we mostly want an observer on our journey." Someone to celebrate the successes and to stumble through all the road blocks together.
I went through a short period of time along my journey of being a coach where I wasn't sure if I made the right decision.
What do other people think about me?
What do they think about Beachbody?
Am I annoying people with all of my posts all of the time?
Do I want to be THAT person?
And the truth is that I focused on all of these things SO much that I got very distracted from all of the reasons that I SOUGHT out the opportunity to be a coach in the first place. I was not recruited by anyone, I was not approached or invited to become a coach or join anyone's team. I found the opportunity, researched RELENTLESSLY for weeks, "interviewed" with about four different coaches to see who would be the best fit for me, and then finally DOVE head first into becoming a coach. And what a ride it has been.
All of the time and passion that I wasted thinking about what other people thought about me could have been time spent helping more people!
My passion for food and clean-eating. For all of the preventative health reasons that exercise and nutrition play for EVERYONE. And my deep, intrinsic desire to be the accountability partner for everyone who wants me the way I NEEDED mine through my journey last year, led me to this place. NOT a promise of money or rewards.
I have gained friendship.
I have gained confidence in myself and also the work that I do from conversations like the one referenced above.
I have gained a thicker skin.
I have gained an irreplaceable group of people who have trusted me to walk with them through their journeys and beyond after the time they have met their goals.
And MOST importantly, I have finally found a way to take my passions from HOBBY to VOCATION.
My heart is exploding with happiness (because I don't go halfsies on my feelings!!)
I just wanted to take this moment to thank all of the amazing people who have touched my life since I became a coach this past December, new friends, Kaelyn - my success partner, Kati - my AMAZING coach and friend, everyone who has reached out to me to support the work that I do including the letters in the mail and messages, and especially my husband who has been SO amazing and supportive throughout this ENTIRE process, never doubting me even when I doubted myself. :) I am so so so grateful.
I came, I doubted myself, I got my fire back, and I'm not going anywhere. Whether anyone likes it or not. :)
p.s. HERE IS MY ANNOUNCEMENT - for those who kept reading to the end of this blog - I have officially enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition! By the end of my school year I will be a CERTIFIED Health Coach! I can't WAIT to share my journey with all of you!
