Sunday, August 02, 2020

Celebrating 22 Years as an Indoor Cycling Instructor!

Well, we continue to celebrate events...anniversaries, birthdays, holidays...as they continue to roll around every year. Even though this year is so different. In fact, very little is the same. But we celebrate. We celebrate all that has brought us to where we are today. We celebrate all that we hope and aspire to be in the future. 6 months from now. 1 year from now. 5 years from now. We continue to celebrate. And we continue to hope. And we continue to forge on with commitment, strength, determination. It would be so easy to be discouraged. To even give up. Sometimes, that is completely okay. As long as we know the reason why we are giving up. Is it because life threw us a curveball and we realized that thoughts, plans, hopes, and dreams upon which we had been sitting...which we were holding back...which scared us...could now be fully realized? Upon which we could now more assuredly act? Have the doors to the closet within which we were hiding, afraid to fully embrace our new goals and aspirations, now been fully and robustly swung open? Are we ready to hit it out of the park? Or is it because we encountered one of life's road bumps and instead of just slowing down and reassessing all that is before us, we chose to give up and bounce into a safer place? The jolt of a setback. The jerk of a disappointment. The fear and effort too great to continue. The road closed. The future in today's quarantined, stay-at-home-ordered, mask-wearing, social distancing environment is so very uncertain. We are facing times that are unprecedented. But we can choose to live a more rewarding life. One where you truly love yourself. One where you truly love each other. One where you truly love and respect everyone. I truly hope that each of you are able to happily and healthfully make the right decision for yourselves with clear eyes and an open heart and mind. Choose what makes you happy. Choose to have fun! Choose to do what you have always wanted to do. And it may be the very thing you have been doing. Or it may be something brand new. But swing at that curveball. Buckle up your seatbelt just a little bit tighter. Though it seems that every month so far in 2020 has brought us a new and different "challenge" or setback, choose to embrace it and use it to accomplish even more. Because it is a choice. We're in a new environment. A different situation. Choose to make the most of it for yourself. Choose to do it side by side with your brothers and sisters. Choose to support each other. Choose to love each other. Choose. And celebrate. I know I'm being all lofty and philosophical. Maybe it is because I'm celebrating 22 years of being an indoor cycling instructor. That's right. On August 2, 1998, I taught my very first spin class. And here it is August 2, 2020. 22 years later. I never envisioned being an instructor for this long. But I'm sure glad I have been. I am grateful for the opportunities that being an instructor has afforded me. I am so grateful for all the people I have met. For the people with whom I have worked. And I have worked with a lot of people. I am proud to have been employed by Crunch for all of those 22 years. I am glad that I had the chance to work at many other gyms as well. Equinox. Gold's. Sportivo. Meridien. Over the years I have met and instructed many amazing people. Nicole Kidman. Christina Applegate. Queen Latifah. Lisa Rinna. Del Shores. Maggie. Maureen. Maria. Mary. Rose. Gloria. Jason. Jim. Jonathan. Rich. Many who inspire me to this day. I am so lucky to have learned so much doing something that I love. I have always said, "I'll quit when I'm no longer having fun!" Well, I'm still having fun. The current environment isn't allowing me to teach at this particular moment in time, but we will all be riding together again soon. In the meantime, I'm putting to use a lot of what I have learned. I've learned that cycling...or exercise in general...can get us through so much. It can help us live healthier, happier, longer lives. It can make our bodies stronger. It can help us get through difficult and trying times (see...now!) It is so important to take that time for yourself to make yourself stronger, happier, and healthier! Life has thrown us a curveball. We have hit a road bump. Choose to make the most of life. Choose to take on the challenge. Choose to do it! And celebrate when you do! Together. With love.