So in high school, I got good grades. I applied and got accepted into just about all of the colleges I applied to in California and Arizona…except that one school…and I was stoked, right? But of course I decided it was in the best interest of myself to take a semester off to give myself a break from schooling. And that was in 2007 when I graduated from high school.
So instead of packing my bags and heading straight to college after high school, I took that one semester off. January 2008, I enrolled in junior college, and made it a month and a half before I dropped out for personal reasons. Life happened, and I had to take care of me.
In the meantime, my alcoholism and addictions really started to take off. I worked as a waitress and made great money, money that was hard to walk away from. And I was good at it. So that motivation to just stop making money and go to school was nonexistent. My life revolved around working and partying. But I knew I needed to get my degree. November '08, I was talking about going back to school in the new year, and bammm…another personal reason I could not go back.
This went on for quite sometime. Always that promise to go make something of my life, and never keeping true to that promise to myself. Until September 2012, when I said enough is enough and enrolled back in school. And I stuck around for half the semester before dropping out again. My alcoholism was OUT OF CONTROL. My life was out of control. I was OUT OF CONTROL. Sure I was getting A's in my classes, but school was not a priority to me.
Fast forward to February 19, 2013, I decided to surrender, turn my will and my life over to God, and walk through life sober. I started exercising again inside and outside of the gym, cleaned up my diet, and fell in love with the feeling of "healthy." Going back to school was a long standing battle I had been losing at for years, and it most definitely was a trigger for me to drink and to use. So with that in mind, and knowing drinking and using was a death sentence for me, one battle to fight was enough for me. When the time was right, and my spirituality was where it needed to be, I would figure out what I wanted to do with my life.
I knew I loved to be healthy, I knew I loved the fitness lifestyle, I knew I loved food and eating healthy, why not go down that career path. My husband and I decided we wanted to start a business helping others achieve their fitness dreams. I knew I wanted to learn about the body and nutrition, so I enrolled in an ISSA Fitness Nutrition course to attain my certification in October 2014. When I started this course, I made a promise to myself that this time I WOULD FINISH WHAT I STARTED. And that I did. Sure I took longer to complete the course than I would have liked…but dude, I'm prepping for my first figure contest, working 5 nights a week, and the holiday season was in full swing at the restaurant. But right after the madness at work calmed down, I submitted my final exam, and I passed with flying colors.
What an accomplishment FOR ME. I put my mind to it, and I did it. Will I go back to school for my degree one day? Perhaps. But today, I am officially a Certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition, and I could not be more proud of myself.
I fully admire those who have gotten their degree. I think that is absolutely amazing. But just because I don't have a degree does not mean that I am "dumb" or "not up to par" in any way, shape or form. Obstacles happen in life, and life happens. Did I "choose" to be an alcoholic? NO. Do I use that as an excuse? NO. It just is what it is. Today I have knowledge I never knew before, and today I am stronger than I was before. I have this overwhelming sense of accomplishment that is completely intoxicating to me. I want more now.
So if you are reading my ramble and think this is "no big deal" or "dumb"…remember that everyone has a different path that they walk through in life. This might seem like a small deal to you, but it is a big deal for me considering my past experiences. My only hope is this: that if you have a challenge that you are hoping to overcome, put one step in front of the other and make that change. Find support, get a coach, read motivational books, do whatever you have to do to accomplish your goals. The world is at your fingertips!
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