Life Happens.
This too shall pass.
When it rains it pours.
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

  Cliché. Everyone says them and everyone means well.  Just don’t say them to me right now.

Have you had a clear & focused life plan ….and then it completely changes in an instant?
That instant maybe a phonecall, an accident, announcement, or a single heartbeat. It stops you in your tracks and makes that focused plan fuzzy.
One misstep on the volleyball court changed my focused plan. I’ve been playing volleyball competitivley for over 25 years. One wrong step and BOOM!….pain, panic, and pity flooded me. I knew I had torn something in my knee. I instantly recalled many of the patient’s I’ve treated the past 18 years and their words on how they tore tendons, ligaments, muscles, cartilage. I instantly knew exactly what they were describing to me. It was a lightbulb moment I would have been fine never experiencing.

Two months ago I was focusing on my my presentations for local high schools, sports teams, company luncheons, etc. on ‘Food & Food Timing For weightloss and sports performance’.
I was editing my resume and actively looking to log more hours as a therapist while consulting with more clients regarding their food habits and tweaking those habits for success.
I was planning my running/training schedule for 2 upcoming Ultra Ragnar races in Chicago and Nashville. I was excited about a few days away from busy family life to run on the open road in new places.
My personal life is going through some changes which terrify me too, but the vision was clear.

Fast forward to today.
I sit here drinking my coffee and my brain is in complete disarray.
• My knee has stitches in it from a menisectomy 5 days ago.
• My range of motion (ROM) isn’t where I want it yet and my quad is having difficulty waking up. (Can you imagine if I didn’t take care of my body how much worse it would be?)
• I am pissed that I’ve gained a few pounds since my knee injury and can’t run to feel better.
• I just told my Ragnar team that I will NOT be participating in either race this year. (VERY hard decision since it’s a passion of mine)
• It’s hard to pick up more therapist hours when I’m recovering and on a crutch myself.
• I have about 12 individuals that want to take the leap of faith and join my Beachbody team as reps, but fear is holding them back. “Take the leap! It’s worth knowing if you can do it or not vs. just thinking about it!” (That’s what I find myself repeating often).
• My kids are feeling the stress of these last few weeks of school, friend drama, and other situations which are causing them to be irritable.
For the first time in my ‘type A’ personality life…. My future is uncertain and I have no idea what I’m really doing!  EEEEEK!!  This is foreign territory for me! The last time I felt like this was the first morning I woke up in the dorm room my freshman year of college in Cincinnati. I had NO idea what to expect or how to cope with college. I had NO idea how my journey would play out or end.
BUT…. As usual, it all worked out. I caught the hang of college life and embraced a daily schedule. I found focus and graduated with a 4.0 and an amazing job. It wasn’t easy…. I had a hell-of-a-time somedays.

Because of that, I know I can get through all the uncertainty now of my personal and professional life. I know I am strong enough to conquer anything thrown at me & I have the personality for success. I don’t need cliches.  The problem is, sometimes I don’t WANT to be strong enough. Some days, I just want to cry in my coffee and ask the famous question… WHY ME?

I know there must be a plan. A bigger plan than what I know.
There MUST be a reason why I have been forced to slow down, refocus, experience surgery and therapy as a patient vs. the therapist, leave my Ragnar team, and look at my future in an entirely new solo way.

I have to BELIEVE.
I don’t have to like it. I don’t have to know all the answers. (Did I really just say that?) I don’t have to be strong and pretend I have it all together all the time. (That’s a new lesson I’m learning). I don’t have to do this alone.

With prayer and some healthy support from others, I’ve been forced to see life in new ways.
I know a few things for sure.
• I will continue to educate and assist others on changing their food and exercise habits to create success & more active lifestyles.
• I will continue my mission to help others feel better about their bodies & do my part in fighting childhood obesity and food addictions/disorders.
• I will continue to be a leader for my children & someone they can depend on with 100% certainty.
• I will continue to fight my way back to running and rehab this knee and I will for CERTAIN have the body I’ve been focused on by my 40th Birthday this October.
• I will be a leader in the community.

Mark my words…. I will look back at all this in October as I’m running a half marathon near the ocean and celebrating my milestone Birthday in bikini with a banging body in the warm sand & know that I HAD to go through all these debacles to get to there. I have lessons to learn and I’m in the middle of them. I’m very determined and I will not apologize for it. I will be successful.

But for now… I’m going to rewarm my coffee, listen to the rain, and Google races near the ocean the weekend of October 17/18. Then, grab my crutch and go to the gym to ride the bike for increased knee range of motion while I review the food presentation I’m giving at a company luncheon this week.

NEVER GIVE UP.
When the world seems gloomy & nothing is going the way you expected……stay with the fight. Remind yourself that there is a lesson in the times of struggle and something brighter is in your future.
Make no apologies or excuses and find the peace of mind you deserve.
YOU. ARE. WORTH. IT.

If you would appreciate assistance finding your focus and plan regarding food, exercise, sports performance, or body image goals – please reach out to me. I’d be happy to assist you and keep you focused. Bashford.Lisa@yahoo.com