How Fitness Grounded Me Through a Huge Life Change

This blog is written by Shelli, one of our awesome Fly community members, a mother of four, and an inspiration to the whole Fly team. 

Two years ago, I went through a very hard, life-changing situation. My world as I knew it was forever changed. I had to quickly learn how to become a single mom. Some days I was balancing everything and on other days, the days I did not have my children, I had to adjust to the paralyzing quiet and loneliness I had never felt before. As I evaluated my life, I realized that as I was trying to make the divorce easier on my four children and to prove my worth as an owner at work, I was giving up many things I enjoyed doing. I wasn’t living out who I knew I could really become. I had always worked out and made that a priority, but through the transition of the divorce, I felt selfish and, honestly, prideful caring about how I looked and felt while others around me were hurting.

I heard about Fly and decided it was time to take a leap of faith, try something new, and trust I could be accepted at my lowest. At that point, I was doing anything I could to put meaning to each day…to get up, put one step forward, and rebuild my life. Fly and REALLY working out became a crucial part of this journey. Each morning, my alarm woke me up at 4:30 a.m. and many mornings I thought, “I am exhausted. I can’t do this.” But, I knew my Fly community was expecting me and that my goals were too big to wait one more day. I got in my car, drove across town, and showed up.

Once I took that step forward, I knew I could take the next step forward. Each day, I continued building my business, rebuilding my new family, and hitting goals to become mentally and physically stronger. On the days my kids were with their dad, instead of feeling alone, I would step into Fly, feel a part of something, and keep moving. On days I felt knocked down, I would leave Fly feeling built up. Oftentimes, during spin class, Jenni will ask us what we will do in the dark. Do we hide or do we step into the light?

I chose to look for the light. I chose to tackle the day and the trials and joys of each day head on. Every day, I work out alongside my oldest daughter. She is already learning the importance of setting a healthy balance in life and has gained many mentors and amazing examples from other woman at Fly.

Going to Fly is now part of my normal schedule and how I find balance. I make myself a priority each morning and give myself the time I need to set my intentions for the day – physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. This time allows me to be a better mom, friend, and business owner. I love the example I’ve set for my kids. I am able to show them a balance between family, work, and being healthy. I am able to show my girls what it looks like to be a strong woman. And every day, I am able to show all four of my kids that no goal is unachievable when you have strong determination, work ethic, and faith. I am thankful to have the ability to show them how to restart and how to take small steps each day so that when you look back, you do not even recognize where you started.

Balance does not happen overnight. But it can happen to anyone who truly wants it, commits to it, and finds a community to encourage you to keep working toward it.