CHANGE. What a word! What comes to your mind when you think of change?
Change your clothes
Change your job
Change your food
Change your body
Change your mind
Change your thinking
Change your LIFE!
When I think of the word change, the first thing that pops into my mind is a butterfly. I know, crazy right? No not really. Did you know that it takes a butterfly anywhere from one month to a year to change? If you are a true science expert the butterfly goes through the process of metamorphosis (egg, larvae, pupa, and butterfly).
So this leads me to my next few questions:
- Is change necessary?
- Why is change important?
As we enter into the month of September, I stop and reminisce. Wow what a difference a year can make! In one year, all the changes that were listed above, are just a few of the changes I’ve went through. As many of you know, I entered Season 2 Fight Camp last September. What many of you don’t know is that I entered the fight camp because I was hating the person I had become in the mirror. Have you ever looked at the person in the mirror and not recognized the person staring back at you? I have. Does it feel good? No, no it does not. (Fight Camp: An intense 8 week program that fighters go through prior to fighting which focuses on physical, emotional, and mental training on and off the mat. Check out Fight Night Video where we test our skills & endurance)
Which leads me to something in my life had to CHANGE. Perhaps you are experiencing this same feeling?
Metamorphosis Begins…..
Part One: The EGG
I began Season 2 Fight camp, just for the sole purpose of losing weight. I “just knew” this would solve ALL of my problems. Well, I’m here to say, that’s great and losing weight is an amazing feeling, but what happened when fight camp was over? I started my same routine again, which was the worst routine possible. Go to work, come home, sleep, workout, eat, drink, and go to bed.
Do you see a pattern? Something missing? Yes, most definitely, it’s called keeping with that change and creating goals for yourself.
Part Two: The Larvae
I came back to Fight Camp Season 3. My husband thought I was crazy, somewhere around Week 2, I thought I literally was crazy for doing this to my body again, but then something changed. I started to realize that not only did my physical body need a change, so did my mind, and my spirit. If you’ve ever experienced fight camp then you know, that you have to check in daily with your coaches, on 3 levels: emotional, mental, and physical.
I can remember the final week of fight camp sitting in my kitchen floor, and bawling my eyes out. (Ladies, I’m sure you’ve been there before, and it doesn’t feel good, perhaps looking and longing for a change that is so desperately needed, but not sure what…) So as I sat in the floor, I soon began to realize that I was crying because I needed a true change. I needed to stand up for women. I needed to be a STRONG woman. I’ve always admired my mom. I lost my dad tragically five years ago, and my mom was able to stand and preach at my dad’s funeral. I know right? Doesn’t that sound awful, but yet BRAVE at the same time. Here this lady was who lost the love of her life, 32 years of marriage, 2 children, but yet able to stand and tell everyone that he’s in a better place and that their faith needed to remain strong.
What a concept? Talk about change in your life.
So as I sat there thinking about being a strong woman, I realized what a strong woman means. A strong woman means FACING YOUR FEARS! I sent a text to my mom and my sister letting them know that on that night, I would be fighting for them, for all the strong women in my life.
So my question to you today would be are you looking for a change in your life? If you are, I would HIGHLY suggest signing up for our new 7 Week Program called OVERDRIVE at John Wai Martial Arts in Plantation, Fl. Get ready to face your fears, and make that change that maybe you have just been longing and needing! What are you waiting for? “My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.”—Ruth Bader Ginsburg
**Rachel Dailey is Broward County School Teacher and an Instructor at John Wai Martial Arts in Plantation.**