Just Jump

Every time I try something new or think about doing something new, I get that uneasy feeling inside. Ya know that, I'm not sure if I can do this or not? What if I fail feeling? For example the first time I moved to Nashville I was scared to death! Seriously! I was a small town girl who was completely clueless how to drive on the interstate, didn't have a flipping clue how to use a GPS, and had no idea where to even begin! I'm telling you when we first got there I wanted my hubby to drive me everywhere and at times just wanted to lock myself inside of my house! Crazy right? And let me tell ya the first time I decided to "just jump" in my car and go for it, everything that could go wrong did go wrong! The rain was pouring down, I was screaming at my GPS, "you stupid you know what", and got lost about three times, before I started to get the hang of what the hell she(GPS) was saying LOL! From that point on it just got easier and easier. I realize most people wouldn't feel the way I did, but for me that was a life altering experience. I realized I could do something I didn't think I could! I have a million experiences like that, as I'm sure most of you do as well. So for me with each and every one, I'm learning that sometimes you need to "just jump"!

Yes I realize that its good to think before you do something, but sometimes thinking gets in the way of just doing and you end up missing out on everything. Seems the more I think about something, the more I just end up talking myself out of it. If we always knew how something would go, then it wouldn't be near as scary or fun. Its the not knowing that you just have to go with sometimes and say "what the heck I'm gonna do this"! I always seem to find a little bit more about who I am and what I'm made of when I just jump and go for it. Sure sometimes I fail and run into regrets, but honestly even the regrets have lead me to a better me. So these days if there is something I really want to try, I do everything in my power to talk myself in to it. Life isn't waiting on me, so why would I want to miss out on it?

Exercise might not be jumping out of a plane, but for some of us just the thought of putting running shoes on and going for a run seems impossible! Exercise can be as scary as bungee jumping to some of us and stop us in our tracks every time! If you haven't worked out in ten years, one might think its too late now to even begin. You might think you can't do anything, so you end up doing nothing. Now I don't know about you, but that is one regret I don't want to feel. I mean ask yourself honestly, do you like the feeling of thinking you can't exercise? How does it feel to believe you are not capable of walking 3 miles or running one? Do you feel good about yourself when you think you couldn't do a set of weights even if you tried? How does it make you feel when at any time in your life you come across some obstacle or hurdle and the first thought you feel is "I can't, I can't, I can't"??? I don't know about you, but anytime I'm faced with something I think I can't do, I automatically feel regret or feel like a failure. My confidence level goes down and I get overwhelmed with doubt. That's why for me, if there is something I find important enough to want to try, I just jump and see what happens!

I find that the trying is better than the not trying. For example I'm NOT a runner, but I just signed up to be a "Girls on the Run" coach, so I can run a 5K in May. This is something I've NEVER done. At first I thought there was no way I'd be able to run this far, but yet with each and every practice and each and every prayer...I'm getting better all the time! Funny how something so small can seem so big, but for me this is one thing I've been nervous about. Or signing up to be a Turbo Kick instructor when I've never lead an exercise class in my life? I'm still shaking and scared to death, but I'm working my ass off every day to figure this out and start teaching. I still don't know how I'll do, but damned if I'm gonna stop. I'm just jumping in head first and hoping to come out on top in the end. Sure I might fail, might make a complete idiot out of myself in front of a group of people, might forget the steps...blah blah blah the mights just keep adding up, but I'm feeling stronger every day and that's what keeps me going!

So maybe you are one of those people who haven't worked out in years, but you are getting so sick of always telling yourself you could never do an hour of weights, or ever run a 5k, or swim 50 laps in a pool,...whatever negative thoughts about what you can't do could be erased with just beginning! Meaning taking baby steps to whatever it is you are sure you would never be able to do. Maybe you want to run a marathon, but haven't exercised in 10 years. Well maybe now is the time to just walk 1 mile today and maybe 2 miles tomorrow. Then heck maybe next week you could walk for 15 seconds and then run for 15 seconds and so on. But if you don't start somewhere, you'll just end up going nowhere. Is that really what you want to keep doing with your life, your health, and your body? Is that really a feeling you enjoy feeling? If it is then just continue living the way you are living, but if its not then maybe its time for you to "just jump"!

So I challenge you this week to do ONE thing you've always wanted to do! Or something you think you could NEVER do. Just a small step in the direction of something you think you CAN'T do! If its swimming 50 laps in the pool, maybe nows the time to at least swim 10 laps and see where you go from there! Just do something that will lead you in the direction of whatever it is you're afraid of and go ahead and dive in head first and see what happens! You might be faced with obstacles...people might judge you, cut you down, you might worry what you look like, that little voice in your head will try to talk you out of it, it might go against the way you live now, and on and on! There just might be a million reasons telling you that YOU CAN'T do this, but I want you to go ahead and do it ANYWAYS!

Beachbody Coach Jen Mangum
www.beachbodycoach.com/jenmangum
beachbodyjen@yahoo.com
970-209-4053
http://jenmangum.blogspot.com
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