Saturday, March 10, 2012

ROCK the BOAT

It’s hard but that doesn’t mean it is impossible. There are many stages in life and each one brings it own challenges. How we approach each of these challenges and the strategies we use to tackle them help define who we are as a person. It begins very early in life, even before we can recall those memories. It could be as simple as trying to get a cookie out of the cookie jar without mom knowing. Yet, we forgot to wipe the crumbs off our chin even though we successfully got the cookie out quickly and quietly without mom knowing. But we learned from that ‘mistake’ and knew to wipe our mouth the next time. As we age, the challenges become bigger and more involved. Bullying on the playground, disagreements with friends, frustration with homework, obeying our parent’s ridiculous rules, or family issues all appear to be overwhelming at their initial appearance in our lives. As a result, we learn problem solving and coping skills. We begin to master these over time and hopefully improve with each episode we encounter. We learn how to manage our anger, express our gratitude, vent our frustrations, and trust our instincts, etc. We learn our limits. We set our limits. We often do not exceed our limits. So the question is why? It’s called Life. There are rules we must live by. Some are set by you, by society, by government, by loved ones, by religious beliefs, and many other sources but the rules exist and we are acutely aware of them. We live so much of our life by the rules that we forget they are meant to be broken. It goes against everything we are raised to believe but without stepping outside of the ‘rule box’, we cannot learn. As children and teenagers, we tested the limits put upon us but as we grow older we are reluctant to keep pushing those limits. Why? We are comfortable. We are mature. We have responsibilities. We don’t want to rock the boat. It’s time to rock the boat… I was settled into my life as a mom, wife and a probation officer. I had become the stereotypical suburban wife. I thought I was happy. I thought I had everything I wanted. I thought I had achieved my goals. I was wrong. My father died three days after my 31st birthday. I took a new perspective on my life. I was not happy. I had not achieved the goals I had set for myself. I lay awake at night thinking about all of the things my dad did not get to accomplish. Most of all, I was sad that he would not see my children grow up and he wouldn’t be here to enjoy his ‘golden years’. I promised myself I would not have regrets. Life is a gift and does not last forever. I began to rock the boat. I began to evaluate my marriage, my career, my physical health, and my mental health. My weight had topped out at 176 pounds on my 5’7 frame. My life was in need of an overhaul. My dad’s death shook awake my inner strength. I had fallen asleep along the path of life. I took stock of what I had become and where I still wanted to go. I began breaking the rules. I applied for my dream job as a federal agent. It was a 9-month process followed by an additional three months away at school, far from my small children and husband. I was in therapy for my marriage. I picked up the pace on my exercise program. I was awake. I began living my life. It was the greatest gift my dad gave me. I joined Weight Watchers and lost 40 pounds in three months and have kept it off for eight years. I enjoyed success as an amateur triathlete often placing in the top three of my age group. I stepped up my weight lifting program and improved my nutrition. I made sacrifices to reach my goals. Working out became a habit and as much a part of my day as my family and my job. I suffered setbacks along the way but each one made me stronger and I continued on my journey. Due to several running injuries including a torn lumbar disc and two torn high hamstring tendons in my right glute, I traded in triathlons for figure competitions and have never looked back. Now at 41, I can look back at the last 10 years and I know I took control. I am a federal agent, I am divorced, I am a single mother, I am a girlfriend, I am an athlete, I am a daughter, I am a friend, I am a sister, I am a daughter and I am a woman. But most importantly I am becoming who I want to be. I continue to grow each day. I have so much to accomplish on the road ahead. I hope to inspire and help those that think they can’t, those that don’t have time, those that have too many excuses. It’s time to take control of your life. No one else can do it for you. It’s not easy. It’s not painless. It doesn’t come quickly. It takes patience. It takes perseverance. It takes discipline. It takes dedication. I took control. I rocked the boat and now I am ROCKING my world! When will you begin? Rachel S. Williams www.mycellblock.blogspot.com

1 comment:

  1. The vision you have for your life has given you forward momentum towards self actualization. It all starts with becoming conscious. You rock, girl!

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