Only human after all…

…I wasn’t planning on writing a Blog this weekend – it has been a few crazy weeks with the Winter Challenge and everything that accompanies it, and this weekend I was going to simply catch my breath.  But then week seven happened, and for me, personally, it wasn’t a great week. I have also learned that it’s at times like these, that I definitely have to write – it helps me sort the chaos, soften the edges, and find the gold buried beneath the overwhelm. I especially have to write, because life doesn’t pause just because my week fell a little apart.

It was one of those weeks that handed me a bit of everything – a big goodbye, a “fashion faux pas”, and a little stumble (literally).

It all started on Monday, when we had to say goodbye again to Mariné and Nina.  We had one weekend together, and Nina was just starting to recognise my face and my voice. She was just beginning to smile a little longer, lean in a little more, and be content in my arms. And then…my daughter and granddaughter had to fly back to Stellenbosch again.

It’s not just the goodbye – to me it’s always the ache of what could have been if we lived closer. The sadness is tied to the moments we’re missing, not just the ones we’ve had. We’re not only saying goodbye to a 9-month-old baby – we are saying goodbye to her today, at this stage, with this giggle, this little wobble, this fleeting version of her that will never exist again.

And there’s always the hard realization, that we probably won’t be there when she takes her first steps, or says “mamma”, or gets another tooth. But I have memorized her laugh, and I try to remind myself that a grandmother’s love isn’t measured in time spent – it’s measured in how deep it sits in your soul.

So yes, on Monday afternoon we had to rush back from the airport, for me to be on time to teach two classes. Because the show must go on. And I love the show – I live for the energy, the members, the workouts, and the sparkle in everyone’s eyes. This is my purpose, my platform, and my pulse.

But this week, the show continued while my heart was quietly missing someone tiny and soft and irreplaceable. I put on my brightest smile and showed up for class, as always, with all my energy and motivation and my best instructor face! But it wasn’t easy…

Then came the colour disaster. For the first time, in all my years of fitness filming, I arrived with the wrong colour. Much to all my members’ amusement, I confused Wednesday’s Bums and Tums recording with Thursday’s Step. I actually even couldn’t believe it myself, and it was then that I seriously had to remind myself – I am only human, and it’s not the end of the world. Just a wardrobe malfunction. Beyonce has them too!

And then came the fall! Yes, I fell. Right in the middle of the grand finale of our Step recording on Thursday. After a fluid and faultless performance, from everyone, it happened. In my own step class. The same class where I weekly preach confidence, control, and “own your step”. This time that step owned ME. For a split second I wasn’t focused, I twisted my ankle, and gravity won. But I got up, a little red-faced and all, and we completed the class. Because that’s what we do. We fall. And we get up.

Obviously, I am going to edit the fall out of the Patreon step video, but I included it in our motivational video of week eight. Why? Because everyone has been speculating about the details of that fall, even the members who were present – they were facing away from me at that moment when tragedy struck. I also wanted to share the incident with my members, because during a Fitness Challenge, especially, we all try so hard, don’t we? To be everything. Strong. Polished. Unshakable. But the truth is, the days that shake us a little are the ones that shape us the most.

Like Brené Brown says: “Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we are all in this together.” This week I wasn’t perfect. I think quite a few members whispered phrases amongst each other, like “she’s getting old” or “that’s so unlike Mirna”, or, in Lady B and Annecke’s words: “ageing gracefully”. Haha.

Maybe. Maybe not.  If you ask me, I would say I think I was simply being human. Real. And in being real, I was more connected – to myself and those around me.

Sometimes being human looks like tripping over a step, showing up in the wrong colour, sulking about saying goodbye, and letting yourself feel everything. Sometimes being human means having coffee for dinner, hugging your people tighter, breathing deeply, whispering a prayer, and knowing that it’s okay not to have it all together. And it’s in these raw, unfiltered moments that our humanity becomes our strength.

It doesn’t matter how much we rise on our journey, “we are only human after all”, as the song says. It doesn’t matter how visible we are, how much we inspire others, or how we live our lives, each, and every single one of us, is a human being, and with this gift of life, come emotions.

My members have not only all gained an extra workout this week with me showing up in bright pink instead of purple on Wednesday, and in taking a break from step Friday morning to rest my ankle. I think they have all experienced my vulnerable side, and it’s a good thing. I think it makes me real, too. We all make mistakes, have off days, and feel things deeply, and it’s okay.

We need reminders that we’re only human, because we so easily forget. We forget that we’re not machines – we’re not built to go 24/7 without slipping, stumbling, or needing a break. Sometimes we give others grace, but we forget to offer that same kindness to ourselves. A slip-up is a gentle reminder that says: “You’re doing your best, and that’s enough for today.”

…As long as we don’t use the “I’m only human” phrase as an excuse to let ouselves off the hook. Being human should never be an excuse not to reach our goals or to not accept new challenges. Yes, we are human. Yes, we make mistakes. But let’s not use “being only human” as an excuse not to take charge of our lives…

So, this is what I have learned this week: You don’t have to be perfect to be powerful. You don’t have to have it all figured out to make adifference. And you don’t have to hide your struggles – because they are part of your journey.

Elizabeth Edwards once said: “She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her away, she adjusted her sails.” This week, my sails got soaked. But I’m still here. Adjusting. Smiling. Writing. Fully human…

And so are you!

Yours in fitness

Mirna
082 779 0507

PS: If you are a Challenge member, simply send a WhatsApp to Mirna before Sunday 20.00 explaining in a short sentence why an “E” was added to your class total this week…