When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a nurse.  I wanted to take care of people.  For 30 years, I have honed and practiced my craft.  I am a great nurse!  I learned how to be there for others from strong women like my mother, and her mother before her.  My mother drummed a message into my head:  “You can be anything you want to be”.

I wanted to be a nurse.  I studied hard.  Passed the tests.  Got the jobs.  Climbed the ladder.  Given my professional drive and a well-directed path, I was able to retire at age 50.  My dad died way too soon, so I wanted to be sure I had time to live.

That was two years ago.  There was a whole world before me again.  No set path.  I looked around at my life.  Married to an incredible and supportive partner.  Living in rural America on acres of beauty.  “You can be anything you want to be” played in my head. 

I wanted to be a personal trainer. I studied hard.  Passed the tests.  Got a job at a local gym and fell in love helping other people become the best versions of themselves.  I learned about nutrition and became an even better coach.  Still, I felt I was missing something. 

“You can be anything you want to be.” 

As a young girl, I was tall and gangly.  My teeth stuck out, and then came braces.  I was smart and did well in school, but that was not “cool”.  I wanted to be smaller.  I wanted to be petite.  Given I am 5’9”, “petite” is not in my genetic make up! I loved being outside, but my girlfriends loved shopping and parties.  As I grew into a young adult, I found the gym.  I got stronger.  I did not get smaller.  I struggled with my self-image and found myself making harmful choices. 

Here I am.  I am 52 years old.  I am in a healthy relationship.  I have met the goals I have set for myself.  I still seem to be searching for something. I have spent years taking care of other people and I can say with confidence I am really good at it. 

But what about taking care of me?  Despite my years in caregiving, honing and crafting my skills, I have never quite figured out how to take care of me.  I love being fit.  I love to move and push myself.  I choose healthy foods most of the time, but have a love-hate relationship with food.  I feel incomplete. 

“You can be anything you want to be.”

I want to be whole.  I want to be the best me I can be.  I want to learn how to care for me first, without feelings of guilt or selfishness creeping in.  I want to learn how to care for others without depleting my own energy and spirit.

At Girls Gone Strong, I found women speaking to ME.  I found messages I needed to hear.  I found words to describe my feelings.  I read articles thinking… “ME TOO!”  I found a tribe of other strong women who are at various levels of figuring it out, together.

In the world of fitness professionals, I am a neophyte.  I am just scratching the surface of all there is to know, and how to apply it.  I am not famous.  I am just a woman who loves fitness, health, and teaching and found a great way to blend those loves together.  Finding GGS was an incredible gift. 

“You can be anything you want to be.”

I saw the Strongest You Coaching program advertised, and was immediately interested.  The old doubts started coming to the surface.  “You don’t need a coach, you ARE a coach.”  “You aren’t ready to commit to a program like that.”  “You can’t afford it.” 

“You will fail”. 

With that last statement reeling in my head, I knew I not only wanted SYC, I needed it.  Even coaches need coaches.  I need someone who is going to be objective and hold me accountable.  I need to learn new self-talk.  Given I have had years of practice living life, I know when it gets tough, my self-care takes a back seat to the care of others.  I need to learn to care for me.  I’m the only “me” there is.

I’m scared.  I’m unsure.  I’m nervous about exposing my well-protected weaknesses to others.  I know it is a big commitment both in time and money.  I can continue to do my own thing and wander a path that seems to keep going in circles.  Or, I can do something about it.

“You can be anything you want to be.”

I want to be the best “me” I can be.  I deserve it!  I am ready for Strongest You Coaching!