CRAIG PRODUCTIONS LLC

WHOOO! So I am SOO happy because Winter Quarter is done and I actually finished strong. Although I didn't do AS much studying as I would have preferred, I left each exam feeling confident! So not only am I happy that it is all over (Thank You LORD!), but I'm pumped that I'll be on the Dean's List again! WHooo!

So now that I'm feeling fresh and way less stressed, I figured I'd jump back on here and reflect on my past couple of months because it has definitely been quite the journey...I cannot count how many times I literally got down on my knees and prayed that God would help me survive my crazy schedule over the past couple months. I of all people actually woke up dreading many mornings because I was feeling wayyy too overloaded! This was crazy for me because I am the kind of person who is normally always excited to get my day going and enjoy all the opportunities that I have been blessed with. So overall the last couple months were insane and it took all my mental and physical strength possible to make it through thanks to our amazing Lord's Grace, Love and Strength!

So what did I learn through all of this craziness..

First off - I learned the true meaning of the saying that you can determine someone's true character when times are tough. When I prepped for the Ironman I had a stress free summer to completely focus all of my energy on my prep! I was able to train when I needed, eat when I needed and I was working more hours, so I could definitely afford to make everything happen! It's easy to enjoy prep when the road is fairly easy. Well..this time around has been completely different. With a CRAZY school schedule I have had a very limited amount of time to focus on training and often found myself cutting my workouts short in order to finish a paper or study for an exam. I also had my hours cut at work, so affording everything that I would optimally need to compete has been tough as well! All of this mounded up to HUGE stress and it was a true test to see how I could handle it. How bad do I really want this? How bad do I REALLY want to compete at a National show? Although I had a rough start adjusting to the crazy schedule, I learned that if I want it bad enough I simply have to do whatever it takes to make it happen. I have to work with the time that I do have and make the most of it! Did I spend as much time prepping for Vancouver as I did Ironman? No. BUT I made the most of my time and that is what counts. I did what I could! So when the going gets tough...Real tough...Use this time to let your TRUE character shine! Be courageous and do what you can to still achieve your goals. It WILL get easier and when it does...It will feel SO good. That's where I'm at right now. Enjoying the fact that it has FINALLY gotten easier! WHoo! Makes the tough journey SO worth it!

Second off - I learned that God is truly so good and this was His way of showing me that I can't handle everything on my own. I do have an INSANE schedule and I just simply won't make it on my own. The Lord showed that I NEED to lean on Him because that is the only way that I will discover true strength to reach my dreams and accomplish everything that is on my plate. While I have always had faith in the Lord and trained for HIS glory, I have never had to rely on HIM for strength as much as I did over the past couple months and it was such an amazing experience. As many tears as I shed and as many nights that I spent endlessly frustrated with my work load, it was truly a blessing and it truly "stretched me" for the better. He has a reason for EVERYTHING and while this is a phrase that I've always believed "Everything happens for a reason", I was able to truly experience it and it was an amazing journey! So my lesson...He is there as a might strong tower ALWAYS and sometimes we go through tough situations as a reminder of His Grace and His Purpose for our lives!

So that's where I'm at. The last couple months were insane and looking back I am thankful for every single challenge that I endured! I'm now stronger than I was when the quarter started and I'm ready to challenge myself and grow stronger over the next couple months.

In the meantime I'm also going to be putting ALL of my attention on prep. I actually officially put ALL of my attention on prep as soon as I left campus today! My training session tonight was great! I had a lot of energy and my cardio was awesome as well! I felt like I couldn't stop and boy did that feel great! To be 1.5 weeks away from a show and feel that good...Gosh that is GREAT! So I'm off to watch some TV...what a concept for me! I haven't had a night to just do "whatever" in forever and I'm thoroughly excited!

Can't wait to kick off tomorrow strong! Chest and a couple cardio sessions! Gotta love it!

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

Diane

Tags: focused | determined