THCreate

With 2020 being a year that stood out from years prior, I will remember it as the year that led me to making drastic yet necessary changes that influenced the way I think and live in 2021. I’m the kind of guy who is not boastful but takes pride in accomplishment and achievement.

Today, I want to talk about those achievements I’ve made, as it could persuade others to make changes beneficial to their lives.

The Completion of my BSBA

I am beyond ecstatic to report that I have completed my second degree and will officially graduate tomorrow on Saturday, May 15, 2021! I have attended Indiana Tech CPS (College of Professional Studies) online since February 2018. Completing my second degree wasn’t complicated but did require consistent and persistent efforts.

Being a working father, I worked the nightshift which allowed intervals of downtime to complete homework assignments and cram studying in when I couldn’t at home. Luckily, the healthcare field made parenting and completing activities a breeze with a three 12-hour shift weekly schedule.

Many people asked me over the years how did you do it or when would you sleep? Simple. The nights I worked, I only took naps when my children (ages 2 and 4, in 2018) napped. Keep in mind I would work three 12-hour shifts in a row to allow for more days off to parent. Sure, I could take my kids to my mother, but I believe I could do it and I did. That’s not to say at times I didn’t rely on my mother for childcare, but I knew as a parent and an adult, that I had to do what I had to do.

Now, three years later, I finally completed my second degree–a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Management. Why did I choose that degree? When I transferred from Jefferson Community & Technical College in 2018, an advisor recommended this path, though my first degree is an Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Technology majoring in Programming. Two different degree paths with a recipe for career success.

My message to those who feel they have a large load on their plate are to keep trying and not stop. Figure out what has to be done and how you have to balance your school-work-life to achieve your educational goals.

Moving On from a loveless relationship

It’s no secret that I am officially single. In reality, I’ve been single for a long time; however, I coexisted with the person who I thought was my soul mate–the mother of my children–but we were not compatible by any means. While it is completely unfortunate to throw away years of history, dating back to childhood, it’s the experience that was necessary to mature for the next woman in my life.

I was in a relationship where I was content, comfortable, and financially stuck. I wasn’t getting anywhere. I wasn’t being pushed. I was being nagged and that behavior made me fall out of love. I always felt like the one who did everything. I wasn’t seeing goals being slayed that I saw other relationships do with success. Nobody said a relationship is easy because it is a job that requires work. When that person brought me down because they had gloom in their life, I didn’t want to become apart of it anymore and eventually blocked the negative vibes which existed around me.

Relationships really do hurt when they end but hurt even more so when they involve children. My children were always with me, much as they are today. What confused me is why I put in more energy than the woman who is the mother of our kids. I’m not saying she didn’t do anything, but the desire was more focused on thy self than on the child. In a recent but final date in March 2021, her words which expressed defeated motherhood really got to me. To know that someone I created life with felt our children were preventing her from doing what made her happy really did a number on my processor.

From that moment, I stopped trying, accepted what was and let it go. Unfortunately, I’m stuck co-parenting but this is the fault of my own for creating life out of wedlock, assuming Kentucky observes rules as such for custody. We agreed to a schedule that has worked thus far, but it is still difficult not seeing my children who I have seen every day on a daily basis since 2014.

Much like the quote referenced in the image above states, “perhaps it’s time to get up and leave” and that is what I did. No more negative vibes in the same home. No more laughing with the person I thought wanted to continue to work though problems with. No more of the past. The past will set you free as it did me.

My message to those in relationships that are not jointly goal-seeking is to move on. Love hurts, but you don’t have to. Time heals all wounds. I’d be lying if I said I moved on in a day, but the process of moving out literally happened the day after we discussed she was ready for “space.” We know what space means.

Slaying my fitness goals

I have been consistently in the gym for two years now. I started when I noticed my ex was moving on from me, so I decided to change my physique as well. I am slim-build guy where the only fat that thrives is on my love handles.

Attending the gym has been a game changer for me. Before, I would work out two to three days a week for 30 minutes each session. As time has passed and my education on fitness has increased, I spend five to six days slaying my goals in the gym for no less than one hour.

In that hour, I am consistently moving my body leaving no time to talk to the fellow attendees, unless of course it is someone I have a recent rapport with or is asking for fitness help. It’s great and truly motivating when people come to me to ask for help. I’m no body builder or power lifter, but I do have muscle that is trying to make its debut.

I train smart, I stretch before initiating any daily workout, I target core workouts when I stretch. To me, this has to be done to reach the goals I set for myself. If I don’t, it’s a let down, so I do because I don’t let myself down. To let myself down is to show my children that Daddy can’t do something and that is not how I raise my kids. I do things from start to finish and that confidence boost gives me motivation to come back the next day.

My message to those who are seeking fitness goals are to be diligent and be consistent. You’ve heard it just as I have: consistency is key. The more consistent and persistent one is to a task, the likelihood of that task being completed because of the goal that was set. Don’t stop trying. We all live in the bodies we do for a reason. Love it. Love yourself. Take care of yourself. Deposit knowledge into your brain so that those concepts can be applied daily just like communion. Knowledge is power. Power is fuel. Many blessings. Thanks for reading my post!