What’s Your Excuse? There will always be obstacles – it’s how we respond that matters!

A few days ago in a message exchange a friend said to me: “You really went for it!  I’m so proud of you!”

Thank you and I love you too Annie!

This statement was in response to a recent purchase I made for my business – which she told me about mind you.  I researched, bought it, and (per her words) jumped right in.  I hadn’t heard about this Cricut machine until early September and had zero idea on where to start.  What I knew and still know is that is an investment and will help me grow my business in the ways I want to.  So I went for it.

It came within five days, and I started playing.  Making mistakes and laughing at myself along the way because let’s face it, I may have worked in telco for 15 years, but I was never the most tech savvy.  I’m still not but this thing is very user friendly and intuitive.  Let’s also just say that YouTube and I bonded a little extra those first few days as I went through the how-to videos and some fundamental tutorials.  Like I said, at the end of the day, it’s an investment and I plan to fully utilize it.

Before I continue, I’ll share one of my favourite quotes.  No credit to me:

“Feel the fear and do it anyway!”

Read it again and then my friends, remember it!  Why?  Because feeling something means we care and whether that feeling is fear, nerves, excitement and even confusion, it will drive you.  Drive you to learn, make mistakes and be okay with them.  In turn, we grow.

I’ve learnt through my time on this earth that unless you try, you’ll never know.  Unless you ask, you won’t receive.  Unless you fall, you can’t get up and try again.  See, you can try and fail a few times over, but I guarantee you that with each lesson there is a little improvement and a lot of learning.  I’ve had to re-do, retry, and reset more times than I can count but as long as I still feel the passion in my gut, I’ll try 1000 times over!

“I fear not the person who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the person who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee (modified to be gender inclusive).

Let’s touch on excuses.  You know, the ones we list all the reasons as to why we can’t or won’t.  We all have dreams and goals but unless you act on it a.k.a. try, it will stay in your dreams.  The only way to live out your dreams is to actually get up and do something about it.  Try the new hobby, apply for the role you think you’re not qualified for, start your small business, buy the damn shoes!  You feel me?  If you’ve ever said I’m:

• Too old
• Not in shape
• Scared my family/friends won’t support me
• Afraid people will laugh at me
• Not the first/only person doing it
• Just scared
• …

Remember, there will always be something.  An obstacle, a setback, a mistake, a person, OR things just don’t work out the way you planned.  Whatever it is just remember that everything happens for a reason and in due time.  It really does.

Alright, story time – ya’ll knew it was coming 😊.

You all gave me a lot of love on the piece I wrote about my daughter’s first bout!  Thank you.  It was as epic as it could be for my first time in a boxer’s corner mixed with the emotions of a mom watching her 10-year-old compete for the first time and see her SLAY while doing so!

I was training to compete in that very same tournament.  I was ready to get back in there and it felt good training like I did pre Covid.  Body and mind right but, it didn’t work out.  I was watching the tournament entries and while there were Master Females (a.k.a. over 40) registered, we didn’t match up either by weight or experience.  I never quit my training and kept putting it out to the universe that something happen before the tournament started but nothing.

Fast forward to my daughter’s fight day.  It was a long day and despite the early wake up call, she loved it “behind the scenes”.  This was a cool “backstage” experience for a first timer.  My first fight, as big of a night as it was, there were 10 fighters total.  This tournament saw 600+ over the course of 4 days, 3 rings and bouts progressing one after the other for 10-12 hours straight.  As a passionate event marketer, the Brampton Cup is as big a production as the concerts I worked on back in the day.

Aaaaand I digress!  Checking in, waiting in line, weigh-ins and given the green light by the doctor – she observed the process then asked questions.  I realized then how much I take for granted.

“Oh mummy, I had a female doctor check me out.  That’s so cool and cool she’s checking to see if my punches are solid”.

Friends, it didn’t work out for me because I had to be present!  It would have been an amazing experience to fight on the same card as her but that first time for her, I had to be mom first and then coach during the fight.  I knew there was reason or a lesson as to why it didn’t play out for me but in that moment, by her side, was when the lightbulb went off.

Setbacks happen.  Life happens.  It’s what we do or rather, how we react to it that matters at the end of the day.  At my age it’s tough enough to find fights so yeah, I could say I’m done but while I still wake up everyday and have the will the drive and an able body, I’ll go for those runs, spar rounds upon rounds and my time will come.  I’m not done.

So, what’s it gonna be?  Will it be an excuse or are you going to feel the fear and do it anyway.  Leave your comments.  I’d love to know what you’re going to jump right into.