What surprised me about most of the "whys" from other Beachbody Coaches was that the majority of them revolved around their hopes and dreams for their family. There was no doubt in my or Wes's mind that this was a good place for us, because a lot of those "whys" that we heard, we could have written ourselves. They were about wanting to spend more time with their family. They were about people wanting to choose a life of design. They were about people not wanting to live a life of complacency, just going through the motions. Wishing away the Monday through Friday work week, to spend a whopping two days out of seven with their family, in between using those two days to get ready for the next Monday through Friday work week.
We were already starting to focus on a new journey for our family because you can't go through something like we went through over the past year and NOT come out with a different view of life. We could have easily just joined with a free coach to help us too, but after truly thinking about our "why", it was like the choice was made for us. I admit, I was completely skeptical, just like most people probably are when they hear about the opportunity of becoming a coach. Part of me didn't even want to entertain the idea because A) I'm busy enough B) how could I help others if I wasn't a health or fitness expert myself and C) I was afraid to admit my "why".
I had a lot of "whys" running through my mind, but there was just something that wasn't sitting right. Almost like an itch that I couldn't scratch. There were so many reasons that I wanted to do this, that didn't have anything to do with money. I wanted to hold myself accountable for sticking with my health and fitness goals for a change. I wanted to make this a transformation for our whole family. I wanted to set a better example for Emma and Jack. I wanted to learn how to help other cancer survivors who were struggling with where to start after treatment. All of those things were 100% true, and still are. But it just felt like something was missing. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.
One of the things my coach said to me when I was talking to her about my why, was this...
"They say that "your why" is supposed to make you cry."
And it sure did.
I remembered coming across this post one day, that I couldn't even finish reading. It was called "The Important Thing About Yelling", by Rachel Macy Stafford. I couldn't finish reading it because it just hit too close to home. I chalked it up to the fact that I was going through cancer treatment and that it was okay for me to get frustrated more easily than others. So at the time, I closed the post and went on about my business. But even though I didn't read the whole post, I remembered it, it struck a cord, so I ultimately ended up going back.
If you haven't seen it yourself, the post talks about Rachel "in the midst of her highly distracted life" and how she became a yeller. It wasn't often, but when it happened, she said it was extreme. And it wasn't even about anything big. It was the normal mishaps and typical kid issues and attitudes that irritated her to the point of losing control. Just like what was happening to me.
It wasn't an easy pill to swallow. And for a long time, I avoided trying to even think about it. It was when I started to notice the look on Emma's face after she made an innocent mistake, or spilled some milk. She was afraid of Mommy's reaction. That was a hard thing to watch. Just like Rachel did, I realized that was not the mother that I wanted my kids to grow up with.
After a lot of soul searching and self reflecting, I realized that it all stemmed from just being spread too thin. I was overloaded by to do lists, my inability to say no, my constant need to try chase perfection as a working mom. In the little free time that I had, I was focusing on things that weren't truly important or benefiting my family, like what the Kardashian's posted on Instagram that day, or trying to catch up with some reality TV show.
It was like finally, everything seemed to fit together. Everything I learned about myself, and what I wanted out of life after surviving breast cancer. The goals I had for myself. The things I needed to change about myself to become the mother that I wanted to be. The things I wanted for my family.
Then I thought, well crap. If I become a Beachbody Coach, isn't that just adding to my to do list? Isn't that going to make it worse? Nope. It helped. 1,000 times over. It helped.
It helped me focus on what is TRULY important in life. And guess what. It's not what the Kardashian's posted on Instagram. It helped me to realize that I need to slow down. It was something that Wes and I could focus on together, for our family. The personal development that comes along with being a coach has been invaluable. I don't claim to have all the answers, and I probably never will. I don't yet know exactly where this new journey will lead us, but it feels so incredibly good to be so focused on something healthy for our family.
Obviously as a parent of a five year old and a three year old there are going to be frustrating days. I will never claim to be Mary Sunshine every single day. But I have made the CHOICE to become more aware of my reactions and get those non-value added things out of my life. And you know what? It's working. I can see the change in Emma. I can see the change in myself. Like Rachel says, "The important thing is ... life is too short to get upset over spilled cereal and misplaced shoes."
So if you ever run into a Beachbody Coach. Don't assume they are in it for the money. Don't assume its a get rich quick scheme. Ask them what their "why" is, and I think you'll be surprised.
If this sounds familiar to you, and you are interested in joining our team, or even if you just are looking to start writing a new story for you or your family, don't hesitate. Take it from Rachel, no matter what happened yesterday, today is a new day.
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