If my posts inspire you, annoy you, mark you think, I ask that you take a minute to read this! This is just my jumble of thoughts about my journey so far, focusing on challenge groups and my role as a coach and as a challenger.
Do Beachbody coaches make money? Yes, many of them do, although this can vary a lot and some just sign up as a coach to get a discount. That's totally fine.
Do I make money as a coach? Ha, no, not really.
Do I want to make money as a coach? If that means I'm helping a ton of people realize their goals, then yes!
But really, I don't care about they money. I know people say that but don't mean it, but I do. I started as a challenger in January and within a couple weeks had more senior coaches telling me I was already acting like a coach and I should join them. I LOVED encouraging other women and made it a point to like everyone's posts and to add a comment if I felt I could, and to especially jump in on progress posts and give congrats as soon as I saw them. I was turned off by the idea that a coach makes money. I don't want to be icky.
I was telling everyone about my success and how much I loved my group and my workout program, but I still hadn't signed up as a coach. Finally, I decided to sign up. I loved the products (21 Day Fix Extreme and Shakeology) so much and I knew I was in it for the long haul. If I could reach out and help others get better, then I would. If not, a monthly discount on Shakeology wouldn't hurt.
I am not a salesperson. My mom wouldn't even let me participate in fundraisers as a kid, and I was totally OK with that. My mom also occasionally tried to bribe me with money or a treat. I hated that. I would have done what she asked without that promise, but couldn't do it once there was a bribe involved. I don't do things if my heart's not in it. If I don't believe in it, I'm not going to stand by it. It doesn't feel right to me!
So, when I 'spam' facebook with posts about my progress, my fit tribe, my workouts, I am not trying to sell a product. I am not trying to toot my own horn. I am most definitely not trying to make you feel bad about yourself. I AM trying to sell you an idea --- that you can be better. That you are capable of change. That you are capable of so much more than you think! And that there is a team of women and coaches available to you, to share your story of growth and loss with, to give you the tools you need to succeed, to celebrate your successes, to lift you up when you feel like you have failed! There is so much power in this if you give it your all.
Imagine a place where all of your posts get likes... All of your words are appreciated... Your struggles are heard and responded to... You're applauded for your good choices and encouraged when you "slip up" or overindulge...
Imagine if your first instinct isn't to laugh or plant a sarcastic comment, but is to find a positive and lift another person up! Where you don't immediately start the comparison game (but she is skinnier than me! Or I look way better!) --- no!!! Your instinct becomes, wow, she looks amazing!!! Wow, I think maybe I could do that too!
Our challenge group is like this little bubble of positivity. No one gets cut down. If you're like me, facebook has become a place where you can present and share your life with others. But you only share the best stuff! And God forbid you get real and post a pic with no makeup on. Or talk about something that is close to your heart, because it may not be of interest to anyone else... But this group is exactly the kind of place. It's a place to be your real you. And that's what I discovered, and it opened me up to an inner peace I didn't know was available to me.
Yes, I have bad days. Yes, I get down. Sometimes I eat cookie dough and drag my feet before a workout. I still lose my patience with my son. I still have lazy days on the couch. But I am more me than I have ever been. I am excited and willing to reach out to others. To lift them up! And I am open to new relationships. I'm not constantly comparing myself to others --- I used to think, they are too cool to care about little old me! Too put together to relate to me and my struggles! But I am banishing that kind of thought. And it's not because I am eating healthier, properly portioned food. It's not because I workout every day and am losing weight. These are good things. But, being part of a group where I am heard, where I can be me, where I get to lift other women up (and they appreciate it) and surround myself with positive vibes --- these things have made me better. They have made me stronger. They have made me braver. More open. A better listener. A better mom, friend, partner to my husband. My goals are not just my own, but now I want to see others achieve their goals. In about 10 seconds I can think of 10 women I am personally rooting for and watching as they conquer their own goals! If I had another 10 seconds, I could think of 10 more.
I can't think of any better way I could have spent the last three months than growing with these women.
I think it's so hard to get all that across in little posts here and there, so I wanted to put that all out there. Please, if you feel compelled to ask questions, I want to talk!
