Keep Raising the Bar with your goals and aspirations!
Today, Facebook showed me a picture from 2 years ago. I was going to the annual Zumba Convention ready to have a blast! Earlier this year, I asked myself, "What's next?" What else can I do? What other goals should I pursue. Over the next few months, I felt led to increase my skills set and expand my experiences. After much deliberation, I convinced my husband that I should prepare for the Personal Training certification. We debated for a while. Finally, we decided it was the right thing to do. The timing of it all worked out perfectly! Once we agreed the certification, I ordered my study materials and he received them just before returning back to Ghana. The timing was perfect! First, his trip to the US was done on a short notice and he received my package just before leaving his hotel. God is good!
Knowing that I wanted to work in the US as Personal Trainer for my upcoming summer break, I had to first pass the exam. I quickly learned that going to school while raising kids, managing a home, and running a business is NOT a joke! Whoa!!!!! The demands are unreal! When I went to college, I didn't have children so it was easy to just focus on my studies. Much respect to people who juggle it all! Its a tough situation. You need the qualifications for the desired job yet your family needs you and you have a job to do! OUCH! Well done to people you overcome those challenges! :-) You all are AWESOME!!!!!
So...back to the story! :-) LOL!
Finally, I set a study schedule and pushed through it....often with many late nights (my husband wasn't expecting this part of the deal....lol). I felt like a college kid again, but with more demands! :-) lol Through this process, all I could hear was God's spirit pushing me and the encouraging words from family and friends. Everyday was a day of victory and one step closer to the goal. Each week leading up to my summer break was marked as a key milestone. Through it all, I had to keep pushing on..... I often asked myself, "Why am I doing this?" Sometimes the answers came back:
-"I'm preparing you for the next level."
-"I'm allowing you to be an example to your children.....teaching them about study skills and goal attainment."
-"I'm teaching you time management and focus."
Later, I learned about another fitness convention that could give me more exposure to various fitness formats and certifications. Again, my husband and I debated if I should attend. The tradeoff would be I'd have to miss the Zumba Convention. Oh la la...this was a VERY difficult decision! After weighing the options, I decided to attend the other convention. No regrets at ALL! I learned a ton and experimented with various fitness formats!
Upon my return from the fitness convention, I started an internship at a fitness studio. Guess what? The fitness studio had almost ALL the exercise equipment that I used at the fitness convention and the team there taught me more techniques about fitness training! Practical application of book material and conference sessions! Yay!!! To God be the glory!
So, here I am reflecting a bit. Exactly 2 years ago, I was went to the Zumba Convention. On this same day 2 years later, I showcased my own fitness program as a Personal Trainer. My program included various exercise formats that merged from ALL the other trainings, conferences, and events attended over the years. It just amazed me how it all came together!
Key lesson from all this:
Continue to Raise the Bar! Continue to challenge yourself and grow! Whatever interest you, take time to study it wholeheartedly and hold on to your faith!
Let's Raise the Bar in all aspects of our lives and be our BEST!
Have a FitTastic Friday!
Quiana
