That’s as good of a title I could come up with. Straight forward and to the point.
I was trying to write a blog about my kickboxing journey all afternoon because this morning was one of the best sessions I have had since starting. It has taken me a year to do what seems the simplest things and get the hang of someone remotely coming close to attacking me in a safe and controlled environment… ha. It was a few paragraphs long, trying to explain how far I have come and what an incredible trainer I have. Rene is my former coworker from the gym and one of the best trainers. He is knowledgeable, aware of every move you make, and corrects the slightest movements. He has never told me I’m wasting my time and should call the police if trouble strikes. I can guarantee he has the gift of teaching and is always motivating and ever the encourager.
However, I was having trouble finding inspirational words and stretching out the simplicity of stating “do things you suck at” in the name of saving the overall tone of my Christian blog.
“What would Jesus do?”
Well, He flipped tables and didn’t mince words often. He seems like a pretty straightforward guy who meant what He said and said what He meant.
Anyway, I cannot accurately communicate the train wreck that is my punching/kicking skills but I have come a long way since February (insert cringe face emoji here). A few weeks ago, it was time to renew my training package, and I had to decide: continue the training and PUSH MYSELF or quit and save my money. However, I had several reasons for starting this journey, and I am not a quitter and have a hard time “giving up” and have come way too far to stop now. I could save money by no longer going, but I know myself, and if I stopped training, I would “use it or lose it” meaning I would lose whatever I built up to now, and it would be harder to get back into it one day if I decided to.
Will I ever be an MMA fighter? No.
However, learning self-defense has been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and I cannot describe how trying something BRAND NEW that you’ve NEVER DONE can push you in other aspects in life. Having an excellent trainer or coach is also crucial because having an excellent outsider who even pretends to believe you can do things is a significant part of success. If Rene were not himself, I would have quit a long time ago. He has never once made me believe I could not do something, and I tell him OVER AND OVER how awesome he is and that I could never be my trainer.
Pushing yourself to try things you have never done blasts through so many mental blocks as we tend to get comfortable and settle in our ways. Trying new things can be scary, but it unlocks new levels in life and opens doors to so many new adventures like my new gentleman friend virtually helping me build a frame for my chalkboard and allowing me to be confident for new projects.
First time for everything—I built a frame for my garbage picking chalkboard!
I am so thankful I did not quit, and if you are looking for a great kickboxing/personal trainer in the New Orleans area, I highly recommend Rene. He has no idea I wrote this blog, and I will not send it to him either because that would be super weird, but I highly recommend him if you are looking to get started (and I would not do that unless he was the absolute best 🙂 ). Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from doing new things. I have lived with that mindset far too long and God has brought me out of so much darkness teaching me to let go.
Previous blog about it: Failing forward: I couldn’t fight my way out of a wet paper bag.
Surround yourself with people who see the best in you and believe you can do great things. Try new things and finish what you start. Try new things and live!!!
“You cut yourself off from all sorts of experiences because you tell yourself you are ‘not that sort of person’”
“But, I’m not.”
“How do you know? You’ve done nothing, been nowhere. How do you have the faintest idea what kind of person you are?”
― Jojo Moyes, Me Before You
I CANNOT BEGIN TO EXPLAIN THE EXCITEMENT OF THE ROUNDHOUSE KICK. THE STRUGGLE WAS REAL.
T H E
S T R U G G L E.
“A year from now you’ll have wished you started today.”
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