by Anne Mace

Ever had those days where all you can do is put one foot in front of the other? Or those days when you wish you could curl up on the couch with a big bowl of Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey and shut out everyone and everything?

We have all been there at some point. Today this is my day. I woke up with every desire to call in sick to work. I had no desire to do anything.

You see I was “broken up with” this weekend.  He sent me a text message saying, “I don’t want to do this anymore.”  What’s even worse, is that I was out of town at a work function, in a hotel room. While I was not in love with him, he hurt my heart. I cared very much about him and to think the person I just spent the last few months with will no longer be around is rough.

I had decided to compete in nine weeks, and the day before my first night of contest prep, he ends things with me. This was now going to be an emotional and physical journey. Lying in the hotel tub with puffy eyes and sad tunes playing was going to get me nowhere, so I started thinking…

How do I get back in the saddle again when the horse is in Michigan and I am in Texas?

Where the hell is my horse?

I wondered if I would be able to do it – if I would be able to walk into this prep with my head held high and meet not only the physical wear and tear on my body, but do it in a vulnerable state. I started thinking about my horse and how I could get back on it when it hit me: Momma, was getting a new horse!

That’s right, I was getting a thoroughbred – top of the line. One you might see in a CMT country movie!

The next morning, my alarm went off, and the last thing I wanted to do was get up and go workout. Yet that’s just what I did. I wasn’t happy about it, and it didn’t feel great; I ran on a lake trail, and I barely made my time, but I finished.

You see, the workout wasn’t about how good it felt; it was about doing what I know I needed to do – putting one foot in front of the other. This accomplishment alone left me feeling successful. Eating clean meals when the ice cream was there, while people around me were eating burgers and fries – this is the feeling of pride knowing I did not let my emotions or what had happened to me dictate what I wanted.

Life Just Isn’t Fair

So many times life hits us at the most inappropriate time. While you may not have experienced a break-up, there are so many other curve-balls life throws at us, sending our horses running for the hills. I’ve met some of the most amazing fitness-oriented women in the past few years. Women who’ve battled cancer, Crohn’s disease, a death of a child, miscarriages, divorces, remarriages, eating disorders, infertility.

These women do daily what they know they need to – even when it hurts, when it doesn’t feel good.

We all lose motivation at times. Laziness is the norm; determination and dedication are the exception to the rule. But the ladies here on OL, we have something better. We know deep down inside there’s a burning passion to be fit, to be healthy, to be a role model, to break stereotypes, and to teach. People watch us every day to find this difference – to find out what we have they want.

Why are we different?

Just like anyone else, we lose our horses from time to time. What makes us different is that nothing stops us from finding a new one. We’re different because we made a choice to be different.

Complacency, Status quo, Easy – these words are foreign to us. We’re different because we set goals, because we achieve our goals, because when someone says, “Girls who lift heavy get bulky,” we smile and grin as we deadlift twice our body weight. When a man next to us in the gym tries to give us advice, we pick up the same weight he is using and ask “Is this how it’s done?” Okay, maybe that’s just me, but we are different because we chose to be at some point along the journey.

Find yourself a horse!

So, where’s your horse today?

I’ve been reading so many people say their motivation is low. Something is in the air, but today… today is a new day.  Find yourself a horse.  Not just any old horse, but a new horse – a thoroughbred.

You deserve the best. No matter your income level, your past, your present; everything will change at some point. The biggest changes are the changes we make for ourselves.

Make today your new day. Do not wait for the right time. You owe it to yourself to start making decisions today for a better tomorrow.

You never know if the check is in the mail, if that apology is in the works, or if Mr. Right is around the corner. Tomorrow is unknown, but today, we can find our horse and start a new trail.

Let me know how you found your new horse and what you are going to do with it!

About Anne

Anne Mace is certified as a Domestic Violence Instructor by F.L.E.T.C. (a division of the Office on Homeland Security). She has educated groups ranging from auditoriums of high school students, to lawyers, police officers, and the general public on the topic of domestic abuse. She also has first-hand experience, having been a victim of abuse back in college.