Life, Goals, Reality

I’d like to think that all of us have goals. We have a plan of some sort for our lives. We have a one year, five year or even ten year plan that we are all struggling to reach. Don’t lie...you have one! It may be something “simple” like loosing weight (this is no longer simple for me) or it might complexed like graduate from college, find a career and start to adult. Yes I am using the noun as a verb. Let’s be real here, adulting is a thing and it is hard! Sometimes we fall into this path to reach our goal so hard that when God opens a new path, you don’t see it. My goals have been fairy forward but I have been called into a different path that what I imagined at age 18. I started college at SHSU with intentions of getting my GPA up enough to get into Texas A&M. Then I wanted to finish my Animal Science degree in my four years. I did this. SUCESS! But wait... I had things thrown in there to change my path. My GPA was a 2.98. I needed a 3.0to get into Animal Scince as an incoming Junior at TAMU. I had already moved to my family ranch by the time the letter reached my mail. I went down to the school and pleaded my case to my advisor, Dr. Hesby, and with a lot of talk and one click of a button, I was in! I completed the next two years ON TIME and qualified for the “graduating with a 4 year degree with in 4 credits of my degree plan”. This was a bonus from George Bush. I was ecstatic! At the same time as I was finishing up my college hours, I was running a boarding facility at the ranch and had met Jeff, the love of my life and now my husband! Oh man.... that path had so many forks in the road! But I did it! Following that path, I wanted a career as a county agent with 4-h and I wanted to help with the equine program. I was placed in a county with NO HORSE PROGRAM. I knew very little about pigs and cattle. I helped where I could and bam, I built a long lasting horse program for that county. My goal was to stay until they wanted to transfer me to a county that was closer to where I wanted to live. God slapped a hard fork in my path. I had to get a Masters before I could transfer then my health tanked. I was already taking classes online so on my two year mark, I quit my job and went back to TAMU. All the while, Jeff was still working on his career in a deep east Texas town. We held together and I stayed in College Station from 2003-2006. I had then decided I wanted to teach on a college level. But again, another fork. I ended up getting a Masters of Education in Agricultural Education. I worked for the vet school on a project for over a year and decide it was time for new goals. Jeff and I found a house and I moved to Pineland, TX. I did get a chance to “teach” at a higher level with the small program in this tiny town. It was not where I wanted to raise my kids. Yes I said kids. Jeff and I married shortly after buying the house and almost 8 years of dating! My next round of goals were what some would think were simple. I wanted to start a family. This is where things got off track. It took me years to get pregnant. I was working then I lost my job and began to substitute for the local ISD’s in the area. I began to work on a teacher certification thinking I could just teach high school. I was shocked when I finally did get pregnant! I was one semester away from my certification. Remember how I said it was not where we wanted to raise our kids? Yeah... so we moved six weeks after our son was born in January of 2011. I finished my course work but eating an internship or student teaching was a no go. All that planning went down the tubes! We moved up here (near Dallas) and I had to rebuild my goals. I tried working and found out that while I was good at what I was doing, I really am better working for myself. This is something that I was told way before all the goals had been made. Why? I didn’t believe I could make it working for myself. Well, it came down to “now what?” God then threw so many forks in my road that I had to focus on my business. Between raising an active boy, barrel racing and being a wife....well guys, I just had to give it all to God and reinvent myself! I am probably one of the most over educated saddle cleaning, lesson instructing, tack/ supplement provider in the world. But you know what? I would not trade it for the world! My horses are literally providing for themselves. All else is for the vet, farrier, entryvfees etc. No, we are not rich. But I do ha e one hard working husband. We were only blessed with one child but that one child is awesome. A handful most of the time but smart, funny, talented and did I mention smart? And I get to take him to and from school. I get to take him to Sports! I get to attend all of his school programs! I also get to share my love for my horses and my knowledge with others. That is my passion. What is my point? Well, I am almost 40. I have a Masters Degree and my career is a stay at home mom and self employed as a riding coach, saddle cleaner, and stuff seller. But.....my blessings are amazing! When stuff was rolling down different paths, I had to think hard...now I just GIVE it to God and he points me where I need to go. So don’t be so hard on yourself if your path goes astray. Take a look around and see where God is sending you. You will be shocked at how your stress level will go down once you fall in step with God. Perhaps I will reinvent myself in the future. Yes....I’m about 37 days from being 40. But what the heck? I can be anything I want to be! Maybe I will pick up photography! Maybe I will figure a way to do lessons full time (I need an indoor arena) but all I know is I am me.i am part of my little family. I am a barrel racer. I am a horsewoman! I am loved and supported by my husband and my kid! I’m not going to say I’ve got this....no....God has got this! #tooblessedtobestressed #Iam #Godsplan