Do You Really Want to Win? Because I DO!

Here’s the deal. In this life we’re both cheerleaders and players. We are there to cheer our people on. We remain positive when they miss a field goal. We cheer for them when they fumble and encourage and motivate them to get to their goal. But, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past year it’s that you have to be your own cheerleader too. I know we need these other cheerleaders in our lives too. I would not have come this far if it hadn’t been for those key people in my life who grabbed their pom pom’s and gave me an “H!” However, I also had to learn to grab my own pom poms. Every time I hit a milestone, did something I couldn’t do before or tried something I wouldn’t have tried before, I had to be on the top of my own victory pyramid.

At the beginning of the football game, the cheerleaders fire up the crowd. They get them excited. They stand at the entrance of the tunnel and cheer for the team to come out. And the team comes out with a vengeance. They run out, pounding their chests, jumping up and down and feeding off the energy of the crowd.

I want to come running into life like that.
I want to be fired up.
I want to jump up and down and pound on my chest.
I will fight like hell to make my goal until the last buzzer sounds. Even if I don’t win, I will not be defeated.

Lately, though, I’ve felt like I’m cheering for the wrong teams. I’m cheering for those who are already defeated. “But” you may say, “those are the ones who need it most!”

What about what I need?

I’m on a journey and it’s starting to hit me that the closer I get to the Heather
I’m supposed to be, the further I’m going to get from the people who were satisfied with the old Heather.

The pushover
The fake-happy
The people-pleaser
The put-my-life-on-hold-to-help-you-deal-with-yours

That girl is going away.

You’re either on the new team bus wearing the school colors or you’re not. And for that matter, if you’re not gonna wave your own flag for yourself, I’m not going to hoist it up for you.

I’m busy waving my own.

The fact is I no longer have the time or energy to continue to fight for those who don’t fight for themselves. I’m living proof that you can drastically change your life. If you don’t like how it’s panning out, do something. You’re not helping anyone by sitting there and feeling bad or living with the status quo because it’s easier.

I was you. I have lost respect for that other me and I’m losing it for you.

DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING.

It’s time to get up, run down the tunnel and pound on your own chest. I’ll be on the sidelines with my pom poms when you’re ready, but until then I’ve got my own game to win.