Stepping Beyond the Light

One of the the more memorable visuals my early-morning Seminary teacher used to illustrate what it meant to place trust in the Lord was the illustration of a spot-light, with us standing in the center of its bright glow, surrounded by darkness. The light represented our comfort zone. All the things we could see and touch and investigate. The darkness was the unknown. Who knows what might be hiding in the darkness. Joy or sorrow. Treasures or landmines. But whatever they may be, we'll be the better for experiencing them. The light will eventually follow, to illuminate our new surroundings. But we'll never know what's there until put our trust in Him and take that first step.

I took a huge step today. I signed up for a test. I haven't done anything "schoolish" since I left college in 2003. I haven't been in "student mode" in almost 10 years! Can I get back into it? And this is in an entirely different subject matter than what I went to college for! (Architectural Drafting) And it's expensive. Am I NUTS?? I keep asking myself: "WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING???"

What AM I doing?

Lots of people from the Zumba class I've been attending for the past 2 years have told me they love watching me as much as the instructor. They follow me if they can't see her. I'm good at picking up choreography, and can stay on beat. But I'm not doing Zumba, exactly. I'm going for an AFAA Group Fitness Certification, and then a "Flirtification" certification to teach Flirty Girl Fitness.

WHY am I doing it?

I'm doing it because fitness has become my passion, and I want to share it. Zumba has truly changed my life, and the way I see myself. It's given me confidence, new strength (both physical and spiritual), and I would love to be able to help others make those same discoveries within them selves.

I'm hoping that bringing something new to town (Flirty Girl) will help smooth the way for me to find a position at a gym, even if only as a substitute at first. Goodness knows I probably won't be ready to be a dedicated regular teacher right off the bat! I'll need time to work out the inevitable kinks that comes with being a noob. :op But when I think about guiding a class through the paces, perhaps triggering a water-shed moment for someone who used to think "I'm not good at this" or just "I'm not good", to realizing that, hey, here's something I CAN do! Here's something I can do and have FUN with, and be the better for it! I get excited! How many women are out there that feel like a failure, or that they simply don't measure up, no matter how hard they try? You don't need to be a hard body to dance. You don't need to have perfect rhythm to have fun and break a sweat. Music is so powerful, and combined with the endorphins your body starts pumping out when you start exercising?! It's amazing! It's healing! Discovering what your body - something that is uniquely you - is capable of is incredibly empowering. I want to spread the love! ;)

Why ELSE am I doing it?

I want my kids to see what it means to follow your passions. To not be afraid of failure. Or, perhaps more accurately, to look that fear in the face and not let it stop you. Because the only SURE way to fail is to never try. And failure from trying can be it's own reward, in a way. To quote one of my favorite Disney movies "From failure you learn! From success... not so much" (Meet the Robinsons). It's impossible not to gain *something* from trying. New insight, new knowledge, new ways of looking at things you might not have discovered had you succeeded the first time. Something good will come of it.

Anything else?

Ya. I want to show ME how to follow my passions. I have never. ever. ever. ever. ever. done something like this before. Ever. Which is why I'm nervous as heck. But it's also why I'm so excited.

I'm stepping beyond the light. I believe there's treasure out there.