How Competing in BJJ Made Me a Better Woman
Do you live in fear? Or do you meet each day with a sense of courage? You only live your life once. Always taking “the back seat” won’t give you a feeling of accomplishment or fulfillment. To experience that, you need to accept the challenges life brings you.
In my case, that meant training in Brazilian jiu jitsu...and competing for the very first time in the Jiu Jitsu World League SoCal Championship 2019. Spoiler alert: I won gold, but it was more about the journey than standing on the podium at the end of the competition.
I’m the kind of person who can’t be complacent. Mediocrity is not who I am. But that doesn’t exempt me from feeling fearful or experiencing overwhelming self doubt. It can be such a strong feeling. Sometimes I want to give up and just be content with things the way they are. Of course, being in that head space is even worse than the discomfort of challenging myself. And the sense of not living up to my potential will stick with me, whereas growing pains will not. So complacency is not an option!
I’m always pushing myself to take risks. I even give myself pep talks, so I stop listening to temporary feelings or thoughts of “I can’t do this” or “this is too hard.” Instead, I tap into the energy that comes from believing that I am not alone. There is a power from heaven that is there to help me succeed. Access to this power requires discipline and hard work. It requires consistently living according to a higher standard, so that I ultimately find courage in the presence of fear.
The next time you feel weighed down or hopeless--the next time you want to be complacent--just remember that you won’t find happiness until you challenge the fear. Push yourself, and you will be surprised at the strength you have within. Tap into the power of heaven. It’s there to help you succeed and be courageous, even when the challenge feels like more than you can handle.
The connection between physical fitness and being courageous in life may not be obvious at first, but it’s there! The more you discipline yourself on your fitness journey, the more clearly you will see the road to the life you really want to live.
Who would’ve thought that my fitness journey would lead me into Brazilian jiu jitsu? Who would’ve thought that I’d absolutely love it, or that I would win gold in my first competition? I surprised myself, and in the process, I gained a deeper sense of my potential.
Why not surprise yourself? It’s time to commit to your fitness journey and live courageously!
