The story of the butterfly
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.
Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further.
Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body, Neither happened! In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand:
The restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us. We will not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly.
The restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us. We will not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly.
As many of you know I recently got back from competing in Fort Lauderdale at an NPC National Competition. This was my one and only chance for this whole year of achieving PRO status and accomplishing my goal of joining the IFBB.
At this particular competition I had 2 in 38 chances of achieving this.
I didn't even make top 10. This was quite the blow because two weeks previously I had won first place at the NPC Iron Games in Culver City, a goal I had spent a year trying to accomplish.
This year I did 5 Figure competitions in 9 months. That's 11 months of prep. This is almost unheard of. But you haven't seen 'determined' until you've seen me! If nothing else, Ive got that market cornered! What happens when you want something SOOO bad and it just doesn't happen?
Well prepare yourself for the worlds biggest emotional roller-coaster of your life! One minute I'm so depressed I don't even know what to do with myself! The next minute I'm angry! Clearly THOSE JUDGES weren't looking at me! WTF!?!
Sad again: I'm not good enough.
Mad again: I just wasted all that time and money!
Guilty: Sorry Babe, I'm soo terribly sorry I let you down!
Joyful: Hey I made it this far! That's an accomplishment!
Downright bitter: What does she have that I don't aside from a massive amount of steroids!??!
Elated: Look at all these beautiful athletes and I am a class with them! HOly crap, that's COOL! I'm soo lucky to be here.
Depressed Again: Where's the red wine and peanut butter at?
told you
These last two competitions of the year were no more difficult then any other prep this year but I struggled BIG TIME! What a lot of you don't know was that 9 weeks before IRON GAMES I quit. then after 3 days of "qutting" I started back up again. I was making really great progress, not talking about my prep with anyone really, and feeling proud of myself for giving it another shot when BAM! 3 weeks before the IRON GAMES I QUIT AGAIN (like 'chocolate meltdown' QUIT). One night at around 10pm I hopped off that stair stepper, my t-shirt soaked thru, and walked right across the street to the CVS where I grabbed the most decadent chocolate bar I could find and went to town! My boyfriend ran after me but he was too late and when he tried to talk me out of my hysteria I snarled at him with the fury of a Mama Lioness protecting her cubs! "I'm thru!" I shouted through my tears! "I'm done! I quit! This is bullshit!" and I cried all the way home, eating my chocolate, and feeling like a complete failure.
Let's call it how it is: I'm a Quitter.
BUT I'm also a Fighter. AND FIGHTERS DON'T STAY QUIT FOR LONG.
The very next day I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and I got right back on my plan! I was determined to see this thing thru even if it killed ME!
Ironically, the ONLY competition (out of the 10 I've competed in) that I just couldn't stop QUITTING, (that terrified me) was THE ONE I WON FIRST PLACE in as a NPC FIGURE COMPETITOR.
Let that be a lesson to you. It sure is to me.
Right now I'm trying to figure out what's next. I have a lot of things in my personal and professional life that need tending to. BUT when it comes to that PRO STATUS I'm like a dog with a bone. SO 2013 wasn't my year but hey, it's all good, lucky for me GOD makes more years! I may not be a butterfly YET but don't worry about me! I'm in this cocoon for a reason and WHEN I DO EMERGE I WILL BLOW THE DOORS OFF THE IFBB! I'm still cooking.
I'm still GROWING
In more ways then one ;)
Keep fighting, your dreams are in your heart for a reason.
All my Love, Your Trainer & fellow GymKitten,
Tristan
*photo cred ISSAC HINDS
