How To Skate With Confidence Into The New Year

Our daughters were given new ice skates for Christmas. Then my mom quickly ordered them “trainers” to help the girls learn to skate with confidence. Even the trainer tool isn’t enough though at times. They still need their daddy as back-up. When I snapped these photos tonight, from the behind the lens, I realized skating with trainers and back-up encompassed much of my year. 

Because on this blog or on my other social media pages like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you might see smiling faces or witty sayings only. It might seem like I am skating beautifully solo through life. But the truth is, I am holding on for dear life, smiling through it as best I can and thankfully I have the support of many to back me up when I fall.

This year, I have skated in life more with confidence than ever before. I left the comforts of a title and a full-time job to be a more at-home mom. I set goals and exceeded them personally and professionally. Any goals in the exercise and weight areas I failed at but I will try again. Just ask my real life trainer Michelle. We aren’t giving up.

Most important in my skate through life, I am never skating alone. I am rooted in my faith. I fully know God has a plan mapped out for me. Through much trial and error, I am now simply trying to seek His way. I don’t always choose the right route and often have speed bumps. But thankfully, I have a support network of family and friends, mentors and advisors who guide me along the way and keep me rooted in my values. 

At times, I skate taller, stronger and need less assistance. Say for example, when the socks are actually folded at our house and I have actually completed half of my to-do list for the day. Or when I venture to a new place to speak to a new crowd of people. Or I write a new feature for a new publication. All happened this year. The socks were all folded at our house, at least twice. I spoke at new venues. I wrote for new publications. It builds confidence.

I glide with confidence. I keep skating through life. I still am looking ahead to try to predict the speed bumps. 

But you can’t always seem them. Even when you have confidence and are looking ahead to predict the bumps of life, trying your best to be prepared.

Life gets foggy. A little blurry at times. 

And we all slip and fall when skating through life. It’s not always our fault. We cannot control it.

I have fallen this year. Not everything worked out the way I wanted it to. Like most first-world middle-class people my needs and wants seem trivial compared to a mom or dad going to bed at night on dirt floors without even food for nourishment for their families.

But, we all have to do what we can with what have where we are. That is a key to my skate through life. 

And you will fall and get hurt. You will maybe, just maybe, feel like quitting. As my mom tells me,  after a hard fall, you can’t always wait to heal. You have to keep going. And so I have. I fell. I got back up and kept skating, with a trainer or two to help and plenty of back-up support.

Life is easier some years than others. 2013 will be a year I will never forget, mostly for the positive changes we made for our family, marriage, business and my career.

It was not easy. It was a rewarding challenge though. It would not have been possible without the training help of many, without the back-up guidance of mentors, advisors and friends and of course, from the man, who stands beside me through it all, my husband, Nathan.

Nathan is teaching our daughters to skate with confidence in our small town, where our friend voluntarily brings his Bobcat to the rink and cleans the snow off and the park board has the warming house toasty and waiting for you. I pray that our girls learn to skate in life with confidence and a smile on their face, that they can see the path ahead and follow it as best they can. Even when they are gliding along we will be there, not too far, to pick them up when they fall. How can you skate into the New Year with confidence? 

1. Have faith and seek God’s plan for your life. It’s far greater and more rewarding than our own earthly plans. 

2. Have a road map with just a few goals and realistic deadlines for yourself. 

3. Seek guidance from people you trust and view as strong leaders you can learn from.

4. Keep going when you fall. Get back up, slowly and don’t quit. You can’t always wait for the wounds to heal. 

5. Be confident in who you are, where you are and what you are doing. 

6. Don’t be afraid to lean on others, as your trainers or fall back on those that love you most. 

7. Measure your success. Look back in a year from now and see the road you have traveled. You will have skated through life hopefully with confidence and success. 

I don’t have any awards or medals to show you for my 2013 success. But I can see it in my family, marriage and work. It is not mine alone. It’s rooted in faith and a team effort. Many of you are a part of it.

Thank you all.