Obstacles...

We all face obstacles. We face obstacles in parenting, relationships, careers, etc. It's how we persevere and push through and overcome these obstacles that matters. Tonight I was reminded of an obstacle I face on a daily basis, one I can normally maneuver through/around, one I've learned to live with for nearly five years. I live with a mild traumatic brain injury. Yes, really... Nearly five years ago I was in a car accident that caused a fairly significant trauma to my head. This impacted my memory, ability to multi-task, emotional regulation and other things. This is not something I talk about. I talk about the accident and I talk about having a head injury. I do not talk about the life long effects that have "healed" as much as they ever will. Tonight I was reminded of my struggle when I was attempting a new workout. This workout requires you to do fast paced multiple step moves that involve moving both your arms and legs. This is VERY hard for me. Truthfully there were a couple I literally could NOT do no matter how hard I tried. I got fucking pissed, I yelled at the TV, I swore at myself, I wanted to cry (but I don't, so I didn't). One thing to know about me, I USE anger, I let it push me. Tonight, instead of throwing myself a pity party I turned that anger into determination. I fought through it and I finished that dam workout!
Why am I telling you this? I'm telling you this to show you that you can fight through any obstacle. That everyone has something (or multiple things) that they COULD use as an excuse to not fight, to not dig deep, to not persevere but i'm here to tell you that you SHOULDN'T use those things as excuses. Instead, use them to push you! So you have a full and busy life with several kids, have them workout WITH you, make it a family affair (dance parties, open gym at the local school, swimming at a local pool, etc.). So you're tired, guess what, the more you are active the less tired you are and the more energy you have!  So you work full time and "just can't find the time," guess what, a lot of people work full time, raise kids, train for big events, take classes, volunteer, etc. If you WANT to make it a priority, you WILL make the time to get it done!! I graduated with a 4.0 in my masters program while struggling with a traumatic brain injury. I've worked full time, raised children, trained for a marathon, and took classes towards my PhD ALL at the same time with a traumatic brain injury. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO! I am living proof of that. Obstacles are not meant to stop you, they are just meant to help you find a different path to your goal!