Dirt in your skirt blog

Balance – Life, Family, and Training

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Jackie Rust

11050255_10152637359326861_8087496161847631342_nI am incredibly honored and excited to team up with Dirt in your Skirt and share some of my thoughts on balancing life, family and training/racing. As I have tried to write this first article I have felt incredibly overwhelmed.

I am still trying to figure out a balance myself, so who am I to offer advice to anyone. Each time I have sat down to put my thoughts into words I found myself wondering what I could write that would really make a difference to anyone else.

I started watching other women that I look up to and noting the habits they have which make me admire them. There are my friends that are PTO moms and they somehow manage to volunteer at all of the school events. I have friends that have their kids in multiple sports and activities yet they somehow manage to keep their home clean and running like a tight ship. Then there are the ladies who work and have very successful careers but still get home at night to help their children with homework and prepare a nice meal for their family. The list of amazing, balanced women that I am surrounded by goes on. 

The interesting thing that I have found as I have watched each of these ladies is that none of them feel like they are doing enough. I’ve seen them beating themselves up and comparing themselves to Ms. Jones and all of the wonderful things that she is able to accomplish. While completely missing the fact that they are being watched and admired by myself and others. 

That is when it hit me.

We women are our own worst critics and we honestly need to give ourselves more credit. Even more than that, we women need to quit competing with each other in our daily lives and instead lift each other up and honor the gifts that we have each been blessed with. I am talented at running fast through mud and tackling obstacles. That doesn’t make me a better wife, mother or friend than a woman who is talented at organizing fund raisers or creating non-profit organizations. We have each been blessed with our own unique gifts, we must first figure out what our gift is and then share it with the world.

If we each focus on what we are able to do each day rather than focusing on what we are not able to do imagine what this world would be. Whatever your passion is, share it with others and be amazed at how you inspire others to be passionate.

My personal passion is living a healthy lifestyle and keeping my body in a physical condition that will allow me to pursue many adventures. I want to be an example to myself, my children and others that physical activity is essential in living a well rounded, joyful life.

The ways that I share my passion include teaching a fitness class each weekday morning so that other women can enjoy having a health and strong body. I volunteer my time weekday afternoons at my children’s school, where I encourage young children to make daily activity a habit for the rest of their lives. Most of you know me from my weekend activities. Weekends are when I get to race and showcase the hard work that I put in on an every day basis. It is the small everyday habits and choices that all add up over time to make a big difference and I think we lose sight of that. 

I think we forget that we are perfect just the way we are. I will begin to make a conscious change within myself of feeling worthy, if all you ladies will please do the same. You are talented and have your own special niche just as I have my own.

Let’s not compare our worth because that is like comparing apples and oranges. I will remember that somewhere out there my words will be exactly what someone needed to hear at the precise moment that they needed to hear it. I will remember that my strength will inspire another person to be strong right when they need the strength the most.

Most importantly though, I will remember that I am enough and so are you!