The past 8 months have been an emotional ride to say the least. My blogging has been scarce, I find myself writing down my thoughts, only to find myself taking too much time to edit, proofread and ready to publish. Even after all that work and time, I deem it not worth publishing. Today I'm going to do something different, I'm going to power through and hopefully giving you something good to read.
July 17, 2011, a dear friend of mine was hit by a car while riding her bike on a local road. She was paralyzed from the waist down. It not only drastically changed her life, it changed the lives of everyone who knew her. For me it was the time to step up and be the kind of friend that we all talk about being. It's easy to be friends with people when it's lunch dates, telephone calls and workouts at the gym. The challenge really comes when you know what your friend needs and understand that there will be sacrifices on your part to be there for them. I can tell you first hand that it is the most rewarding type of friendship you can have. I am a better person because of her. She has shown me what a strong person can do when ones life is drastically altered.
I wish I could say that only one friend was dealt a difficult blow this past year. Another dear friend is suffering with stage four ovarian cancer. This disease has taken so much from her already, that it is hard to watch her suffer while she tries to stay strong and continue to fight. She was diagnosed before, treated and was told she was cancer free. A recent test showed that it was back. The details of the second round of treatment have yet to be revealed. There is no way around the fact that she has an uphill battle. She may be looking at another round of chemo, we just don’t know. We were hoping that the last surgery would will help eradicate any leftover cancer and help her to continue to be cancer free. As I sit by helpless, I do my best to be a friend and support her in any way I can.
While these heart rendering events are happening to my friends, my business is achieving a great deal of success. It is hard to imagine during these difficult times that positive things still can exist. I am so grateful for what I have around me. I have worked hard to establish a quality business that I can be proud of. I love the fact that people are excited about making a healthy change in there lives and that I am there to guide them. I know that living life well is the best thing you can do for yourself and those around you. As always, in business and life there are hurtles that come up. During my process to trademark “train hard finish strong” brand, it was challenged by a man who owns the “finish strong” brand. Due to his challenge, the government did not to award me the trademark for “train hard finish strong”. After a bit of back and forth, I was offered a licensing deal with the man so that I could legally sell items with that logo. As disappointing as it is to come up with something you thought would work and hit a snag, my goal is not to be a T-shirt company with a great slogan. So I adjust, “train hard finish strong” could also be “train hard be strong”. One challenge meets another challenge and again I grow. It has been a compelling year thus far.
I will admit, in the midst of everything that was happening, my exercising, eating habits and active lifestyle had taken a back seat. Within a couple of months though I have gotten myself back on track. Tune in next week and I will tell you how I pulled my life out of a wellness tailspin!
Train Hard Be Strong!
Jolene
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