Parts of October and this first half of November have been rough: personally, professionally, and in my heart. Not going to lie… I cried for 2 weeks straight. Every day. About everything. I am not PMSing. I was just there. I needed to release apparently all this energy that had been bottled up.
But, even in the release I still had to manage all the other things I do day to day. And one of those major daily things are my riding lessons. They mean the world to me and I try to put everything I have into them- hoping some day to make it in the Grand Prix ring. But, sometimes those dreams can be lofty and far and romanticized.. and when the going gets rough, it all but takes that last inch of energy you have to not self-destruct that dream and throw in the towel. And thank goodness I didn’t because I just got word that we are moving Kalli and I to the jumper right!! Woot woot from the hunter ring. Imagine if I had quit last week? Imagine!
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one crying all week. So many friends and co-workers were in the same place. Yet, no one of course talked about it readily, until I had the guts to bring up my own troubles. Then all the gates opened.
How do you get through these times? I had been asked over and over again.
And here it is. My list of survival skills:
1. You release. You cry.
2. Listen to your body; what does it need? Give your body whatever it is.. extra sleep, a massage, a bath. (I went to bed one night at 8:30PM!!)
3. Eat… make sure you are giving yourself that nutrition
4. Share- talk to friends. As women, we particularly need that connection.
5. I prayed.. I prayed to whatever energy was out there to keep me from throwing in the towel and quitting a sport I love.
6. I reminded myself of what I heard once; that people have a tendency to quit before they have reached their fullest potential, but they always quit at the sweet spot. So no quitting! Access that inner stubbornness.
7. And then there were moments I forced myself to do things I knew would shift the energy, like meditate, go to boxing, make better food choices, clean, get a drink with friends when I didn’t want to even get of my sweat pants.. you know how that goes.
What do you do? Do you have a quit of things that keep you in the game when the going gets rough?