Forged in Fire

Right now, I’m in the trenches of what is undoubtedly the busiest season within my calendar year. Quite frankly, it’s become the busiest season of my life.

As a high school wrestling coach, we’re nearing the home stretch of the season, with about a month remaining.

The days are long. The nights are short. Time with my family is limited, to say the least.

Admittedly, It can be difficult. With a full slate of responsibilities and a mind that never stops churning. 

The constant pandering notions of what I may miss out on, spending so much time away from home – they can be ruthless. “What if I miss my daughter’s first steps?” and “You’re really going to be out of town for her first birthday?” These thoughts, alongside plenty of others, occupy my headspace constantly.

For some time, I allowed it to consume me – a whirlwind of negative thoughts that raced through my mind. It was debilitating, for a short while.

Day after day, I wrestled with the reasoning behind it all. Why was I so upset? Why was my mind a mess? 

After all, I pride myself on mental fortitude, right?  This movement I’m attempting to carry out is all about armoring these minds of ours. 

How can I preach one thing, while allowing my own circumstances to obliterate my emotional standing? 

In due time, I came to the conclusion that all of these strong things that I was feeling – the confusion, the anger, the defeat – were because my life was changing, right before my eyes. 

My priorities were shifting, and my trajectory needed some adjustment.

Coming to this understanding helped me to make sense of the struggles I’d been experiencing. 

It was clear to me that my family is everything. 

Nothing else matters in comparison.

All of this to say; I’ve grown to become more intentional – with both my time and with my actions.

Each moment at home with my family is spent offering the most present heart and mind that I can provide. 

Every experience with them is valuable beyond words. 

With the moments being few and far between, I do my best to make them count – to make them REALLY count. These moments that we won’t get back. The ones that we will long for one day. 

I’m living these very times as we speak, and It’s now my mission to live them to the absolute fullest. You should do the same.

Be present. Add value to the world around you, wherever you are.

Take a look at your life. Reevaluate what is most important to you – are your actions mirroring that? If they’re not, why not? 

Make a change. Live the life you want to live – the life you deserve to live – and act according to what means most to you. No matter what it takes.

Do what needs to be done. 

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