I’ve been an athlete from the time I was five. Exercise has been both physical and mental health for me over the years, from law school to raising three young boys. Two years ago (almost to the day) I had the opportunity to take my passion for fitness and combine it with my heart to encourage others to find their calling and pursue their purpose. I became a health and fitness coach with Beachbody and I started my own business.
My route from the practice of law to stay-at-home-mom to part-time risk manager to health and fitness coach was not at all linear or logical, but looking back I can see how each piece built on the next and brought me to where I am today. Coaching fuels my soul and a job building relationships with others is a perfect fit for this extrovert.
An Invitation
Last September, Melanie Mitro, 3-time top coach in the Beachbody company, was hosting a leadership retreat in Destin, Florida for her up-and-coming coaches. I did not expect to go and I was a little green with envy (OK, a lot green, but trying to keep it in check) that my best coach friends and accountability partners were all going. Then a last minute spot came available and I got the nod, for recognition of the work I was doing and the results my clients were seeing. I was elated.
Booking my trip only a few days before we were to depart, I was unable to get on the same flight home as my friend and business partner. My flight went through Dallas. Hmmm. Interesting. Only a week before I had reached out to a friend who had just relocated to the Dallas area (Part II, a Conversation).
I shared the proposed itinerary with Derek. Since that fateful Labor Day conversation we had continued to toy with the idea of Texas and references to the lone star state kept popping up everywhere. A friend calls this “Red Car Syndrome.” You go buy a new red car and suddenly you notice tons of red cars on the road when you’d never noticed them before. We were seeing license plates, hearing news stories, and random references were showing up in the most unusual places. And now I was going to be physically passing through the state. We looked at each other and Derek said “Go. Put your feet on the ground.” I reached back out to Bridget who said “Come.”
So not only was I now leaving in less than five days for a dream leadership opportunity in a spectacular locale, but I was also planning an overnight stay in Texas. And no one knew about the Texas detour. For a girl who tends to overshare, this was a Texas-sized secret I was keeping to myself. I wasn’t even sure why I was going.
At the end of a wonderful stay in Florida, a bunch of us departed together for the airport and then said goodbye as everyone continued on home, except me.
Putting My Feet on the Ground
I touched down at DFW and picked up my rental car. It was the first time I’d EVER been to Texas. I was alone in a great big giant state contemplating a potentially great big giant change in the direction of our life. I was both nervous and excited. And emotional. I was feeling all the feels.
I plugged in the address to Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas where Bridget had started working just a few weeks before. The first thing I noticed was the football field. Hello, Texas! I had talked with my friend about how and why they had selected Liberty for their three children after visiting eight or nine other Christian schools in the DFW Metroplex. In the process of deciding about schools, she had also been offered a job there. She welcomed me and showed me around and I had an opportunity to meet with the President. Whenever someone would ask “Why are you considering Texas?” I was slow to answer. I wasn’t sure. Were we really considering Texas? Was this really happening? Over the course of the next day Bridget would just look at me and say “You are in Texas.”
Wait. What?
Liberty Christian School, Argyle, Texas
I also met with a realtor that day. She drove me all around the area. We looked at Flower Mound, Argyle, Bartonville, Double Oak… I was trying to get a lay of the land. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for or really why I was there.
The next morning when I got up I decided to go for a run. I needed to talk to God to figure out why exactly He had me here, half way across the country. He was opening up my heart to a completely new place and a totally new experience. Our constant prayer as we began to discuss the idea of moving was “God, direct our steps. Open doors or close doors.”
When I finally returned home after my brief stay in Texas I had a hard time processing what had just transpired. One thing I knew for sure was that God did not close the door on Texas. In fact, it felt like He had kicked a new door wide open.
Recent Comments