Motivation Monday - Confessions of a Quitter

It's Motivation Monday and today I wanted to do something a little different.  Rather than share a motivational book, DVD or Audio CD with you, I wanted to share the following story with you: my story.  I ran into a teambeachbody member looking for someone to give them encouragement to not quit.  Boy, if you haven't been there, you haven't been working on a better you for very long.  I think we've all been there. I know I sure have.  It prompted me to make the following blog post, I hope it speaks to you.  Perhaps it will inspire you, I hope it motivates you to keep trying. - the kashubian

I confess, I'm a quitter.  So much stigma attached to that word, I hate it, but it's true.  I can call a spade a spade, look at myself for what I am.  I'll own it.
I was an all-conference athelete back in high school for fast pitch softball.  I got invited to some coveted all-star traveling tournament teams on the mid-west fast pitch circuit.  Coaches from other teams asked my dad if we could move into their district, just for the season.  I got to play tournaments infront of college scouts.  I was a catcher that even the umpires said they'd miss during my senior season.  The local bar leagues tried to recruit me for their team.  By my senior season I had logged 18 seasons of play, WIAA school season and summer seasons combined, all of them from behind the plate.  I had the knees to prove it and by graduation I had already had knee surgery.  I played through tech school and broke my sternum diving for a pop up...still finished the game and worked the weekend before going to the doctor even though it sounded like a broom stick breaking.  I wasn't a quitter back then, but my season was done, the doctor wouldn't let me play, another bad hit could puncture my lung or liver...now I was a quitter.  I moved for my first job, got recruited to a bar league, had a work place injury that required knee surgery...I had to quit again.  I was becoming good at quitting.
Then life got in the way.  Work, family...everything...just, life.  Oh, and 3 more knee surgeries...then carpal tunnel surgery...and then, and then, and then...
Before I understood much about Team Beachbody and anything about coaches, I floundered through 10-minute trainer.  Then I quit because life got in the way, again.  Like I said, I was getting good at quitting.
I saw the INSANITY commercial and it spoke to my old inner athlete.  I said "hell yeah, I can do that.  Just try to make me quit."  I did 3/4 of it.  Then we had to travel for my work, I even still kept up with it...then we had to travel to get our son who was home from his first deployment.  The uncertain travel schedule made it easy to quit.  I did, I quit yet again.  Like I said, I was good at quitting.
Then work got painfully slow, I went back to school and my butt got bigger...and bigger.  Cabin fever set in.  I saw the INSANITY commercial.  This was months after my husband nearly bled to death from a diverticulum (I have other posts on that nightmare), my mom had survived colon cancer (so far) and my dad had been forced into retirement by 2 back surgeries.  I was now the officially unofficial caretaker of the family, but I was really sucking at taking care of myself.  Stupid quitter.  Not this time, I defined my why and beat myself up with it every time I wanted to quit.
This was when I had the epiphany, I met my coach.
Who knew having someone I had never met in person believe in me could make that big of a difference?  The power of motivation and accountability.  I owe so much to her, things I never thought I'd gain by losing some inches, things like my self-esteem, self-confidence.  I used to be such a poser, my co-workers thinking I was so strong and together, so self-assured...I was faking it all because I was nothing but a quitter where it mattered most.  Thanks to my coach I learned how speaking to others to bouy them when they were discouraged spoke just as loudly to myself as it did them.  Now I got what that whole coach thingy was about.  Wow, did I wish I'd met her sooner!  Her and her whole team!  She offered the coaching opportunity to me, I took a look at it.
Then I finished INSANITY.  Second time through I actually finished it.  I had good results.  That day I felt like I could do anything, I was made of awesome.
That day I wanted everyone to taste what it felt like, even just once.
That is why I coach.  I'm not to my goal yet, I struggle like everyone else.  I've been a quitter.  I've been knocked down, so I'm real good at getting back up.
That's why when I saw a new message on the message boards today about somebody who asked for help because they were discouraged, I just had to reach out.  It's not about the money, it's not about getting the people.  It's about having somebody press PLAY one more day, having them finally finish it so they can feel good about themselves.  That's what it's about.
Les Mills Combat: Power HIIT 1 today.  Yep, I pressed PLAY, I really hope you did too.