Saturday Success: Tresa

  So when I started this 30 day challenge I had an alterior motive that was bigger than just taking initial steps towards health.  I wanted to build a strong community with high quality people that I could surround myself with.  I am generally quiet and like to sit in the back of a room and just listen/observe what is going on.   Creating this challenge required me to take a really really difficult step out of my shell.   As opportunities have stemmed from the decision to create the challenge  more and more incredible, high caliber people are quickly coming into my life.  I had the opportunity to listen to the amazing Philip Cheung speak and he talked about the importance of having a strong team with high positive energy.  He said to picture a boat on the water with a team of people inside it.  As the water rises, the entire team rises.  No body sinks as long as they are in it together. This hit home to me because as a group, a team, we have encouraged each other and stayed strong with one another.  I feel like I am rising because of the people that are now in my life every single day!!  Thanks to each of you for being here.

One of the people that I have never met in person but now consider a true friend is Tresa Ruger.  She has not only been a fierce competitor but a fierce supporter in our challenge as well.  I wanted to highlight her this week so you could all get to know her better.  She is the kind of person you want to take this opportunity to get to know better.   She sent me pictures to but like some of of you know (Vanessa especially)  I am really bad at blogging and couldn't get the pictures off my email lol.   Her she is folks.  Tresa!!

When Stacy asked me if I would share on The 30 Day Health Challenge blog about some of my new adventures or cool things I've been doing, I had a very difficult time figuring out what to write. All of my adventures these days it seems are the continuation of a very long adventure that began several, several, several years ago. :) It has been a process of finding myself, as cliché as that sounds. But it carries a deep meaning for me. Over my lifetime I was a daughter, a sister, a wife, an employee, and a mother. I spent the majority of my life trying to please everyone around me to be the best at each of those identities that I could. But the problem was, I tried to figure out what everyone around me thought "best" was and tried to mold myself accordingly. Eventually, I took a look at myself and really did not know who I was. I could tell you what I thought everyone around me wanted me to be, but I did not truly know myself.

At that point of my life I was faced with several challenges which urged me to look inward. What I saw frightened me. I think subconsciously I blamed my family for turning me into someone I did not know. Of course this was not their fault, but I knew I held a grudge based on the way I treated them. I found myself going into my bedroom and shutting the door, avoiding even playful sounds of my three boys. I can't say how long I did that and it is one of my greatest regrets. It is hard for me to imagine what amazing things I missed out on in my little boys lives, because I was not aware of my own mental state.

This dark time allowed me to step off the rutty path I had been on for several years and realize that there are good things within myself that people will actually love if only I gave them and more importantly, myself, a chance. I went back to school at 38 years old. I received a bachelors degree in Social work and am currently pursuing my Masters degree. I have stopped living for others and have found a love of myself that I think is necessary in order to progress through this life. Maybe I've been vague enough that not a lot of this will make much sense. I guess what I'm trying to get at is my greatest adventure has been getting to know myself and not worrying what I think other people are thinking of me. Chances are, they aren't. I'm a work in progress. It's been a challenge for me to sit back and enjoy the ride instead of trying to predict the future or wishing I could weigh 20 lbs less, have thick, gorgeous, naturally curly, bouncy hair, and shoot under par. But I don't want to even imagine what amazing moments in my boys lives I would miss out on next.

Also, I just want to say... I love you Jill and I'm so proud of you. You inspire me to be "the strongest person you know" every day.