Now is Not the Time to Worry...

I've been loving the feedback and encouragement I've received on my last few posts! This blog was started as an expression of my love of health and well-being, and little did I ever know that it would really include as much as it has about mental and emotional health! Truth is though, health is just that:mental, emotional, physical and spiritual and I'm so glad that I've been able to be a voice for some of you experiencing hard times or looking for someone that can somewhat relate to your situation.

With that said, today's post is yet another humbling lesson I've been learning these days.

For those of you who don't know, my current pregnancy hasn't been as easy and breezy as I'd hoped and it's not baby's fault at all! It's all my health issues and really, I attribute all these issues to my last post baby experience.

After baby Ashton was born, (ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO... I have an almost 2 year old guys...) I was determined to be super mom. Never being a mom before, all I had to base my knowledge of the mom I was supposed to be was on my mom, and my other friends who were moms. Not only moms, but fitness moms.

I'd watched my fellow instructors have babies, then be back to work after maybe a couple weeks after having baby, and they'd be fit already and just these awesome super moms that I just had to be like.

Baby came. No one told me 1, I'd still look pregnant after baby came and 2, that it was okay, or 3 that there's no such thing as a super mom.

So less than a week into motherhood, I lost my focus and my insecurities took over. I was investing money in "skinny wraps" and spray tans, and eyelash extensions and skipping out on nursing baby because I was too busy worrying about me.

Wow. I don't think I've ever like written that down.. or ever acknowledged that I put me before my baby.. That hurts.

I went back to teaching after 4 weeks of having Ashton. I made the craziest welcome back playlist that I wasn't even physically ready for..

I did 5K's and Ragnar, and like 4 new certifications, and so much just to prove that I was back and ready and physically fit when I shouldn't have been even thinking about anything really except enjoying my baby boy. I ended up stress fractures all over my legs and feet, having to run heart and lung tests and constantly being out of work because of how many health issues I was facing.I don't even really remember anything but depression and sadness from my first months as a mom and all because I lost my focus.

I think the hardest part of that whole thing, was eventually talking to my fit mom friends and finding out that really, most of them didn't do anything their first months as moms except nurse and sleep, and nurse and sleep.. that their houses were messes... and that it was okay. They didn't care about anything else in the world except their babies...

That was not the time for me to worry about what I looked like, or what others thought of me.

Reality was, that people thought I was crazy for taking on so much so quickly. Meanwhile, I was just drowning in what I thought was what I was supposed to be doing.

Long story- here's another one, a little shorter.

I attended a certification workshop for another format I took on right at the beginning of this pregnancy. I remember talking to friends there about the Zumba(R) Convention and how I've never been and probably will never go to, because I'm always pregnant and sick blah blah blah.

Before I could even finish, the trainer looked at me and said, "You know, the best decision I made in my career, was to put my number one job before anything else. I'm a mom first. There will always be time for everything else. But you only get to have you little ones with you at home, and little for so long."

WOW. Talk about amazing. Here's this lady who has dedicated her life to fitness and has gone so far in her career - that is also the proudest person ever to be a mom first. She's about family FIRST.

My post today isn't about putting your career on hold, or yourself or love for yourself on hold. It's not about neglect or to give you an excuse to give up your dreams. Just maybe a reminder, mostly for me that there's a time and a place to worry about fitness, and jobs, and dreams and that parenthood isn't the end to all that.

Time will be on our side when we put what's important first.

One of my many mottos this year is "Now is not the time to worry about tomorrow." You're welcome to use it too.

When you're feeling overwhelmed or defeated, sit down for a second and know it's OKAY to not take on the world right now. There will be time for finishing school, or doing that load of laundry, or being a famous fitness instructor or whatever it is you're wanting to do! Don't think that you're missing out.

Don't stress about finances. The time to buy a sweet house will come. The chance to have that awesome car, or sweet awesome outfit will come.

In the mean time, lets take a look at where we are and be grateful. Lets forget the rest. Time to worry will come, but for now, lets focus on today and spend a little more time with our little ones and in our scriptures and doing an extra good job at our places of work whether we love them or not.

Make today amazing because you are amazing. God loves you. I love you.