IS IT TIME TO JUMP?

Have you ever wanted to change your career?  Have you ever been so tired of more of the same that you just wanted to stop and do something, anything, different than just repeat the same old behavior?  Sheri Barnes was gainfully employed in an incredible career, which allowed her to live the life of her dreams until the walls came tumbling down and she grew tired of rebuilding her glass castle. That’s when Sheri stopped allowing “more of the same” to run her life, and decided she needed to control where, how and why she would “jump” out of a different plane!

In the fall of 2011, after just returning from an incredible two week European tour with her partner, Sheri  was on Cloud 9. She had also just purchased her dream sports car. Everything seemed to be coming together for Sheri who worked in the fields of Advertising and Marketing, but three days after she purchased her sports car, Sheri’s job was slashed.

Sheri was no stranger to lay-offs. Having been laid off three times in nine years, she well knew in a poor economy, Marketing and Advertising positions are among the most expendable. She recognized the processes she would have to undertake to look for another job. She was no stranger to the emotions she would feel and was well aware of needing to take care of her mental health and so much more, but this time it was different. This layoff was the turning point. the defining moment, the final straw.

After meeting with HR the day of her layoff, Sheri went home and sat on her bedroom floor and told herself the words, many of us say at one point or another, “ I don’t want to do this anymore.” Only, this time Sheri meant what she was feeling. In the middle of that floor Sheri decided to finally end the cycle of “more of the same” and begin a new career. It was bold. It was unpredictable and it was a bit scary. But it was also necessary and invigorating.

Sheri’s other passion in life had always been being fit and healthy. She had been a personal trainer for the previous four years “on the side” and was respected as someone people came to for fitness advice. The one question she heard more than anything else was “How do I find time to work out?” So she decided she wanted to provide public presentations to corporations, business and schools, speaking about how important it is to be healthy and fit and how to find the time to do that.

Just deciding was not a piece of cake. Sheri likens her journey to being a bit like skydiving for the first time.She was ready to take the plunge, but scared, cautious, excited as all kinds of “what if’s” went through her mind. She was about to jump when that one question most entrepreneurs face loomed large, “Am I crazy for even trying this?”

Sheri knew she had to either decide to move ahead or leave her dreams behind but being a risktaker, Sheri, “jumped” out of her proverbial plane. Yes, it was a bit scary falling through the clouds but she felt determined and exhilarated as well.

Sheri knew in order to be a trusted speaker about health and fitness, she had to establish her credibility to build trust. One way she knew how to demonstrate her expertise to others was to write a book about health and fitness.

But, just writing the book was not the key that opened every door. Sheri often wondered if anyone would care about what she had to say. She continued her free fall, recognizing much like a true sky diver, she might end up somewhere she hadn’t exactly planned. Like a sudden unexpected wind that veers a skydiver off course, the obstacles appeared, but Sheri, determined to reach her destination, trusted she would pull her ripcord at just the right time, so she pushed through the roadblocks and gradually the fear started to subside and she could sense the progress she was making.

She had to take a leap of faith and not only complete her book but seek endorsements. Likening waiting for a response to seeing the ground coming at her and hoping a positive response would rise up and be her safety net, she was figuratively wondering if she would land on her feet.

There is no more an uncomfortable feeling than wondering what impact hitting the ground will have, but Sheri not only landed well but hit the ground running as she received an absolutely amazing endorsement from the President of the American Council on Exercise.

The parachute opened, she landed well and she is off on another amazing mission.

Sheri Barnes is now a fitness expert and the published author of MAMA KNOW FITNESS: Bells, Balance & Your Body. 

Her advice to others who find themselves like she did that day, sitting on the floor, sure they no longer can go through the experience they have faced time and time again, longing for a different direction and destination is simple: Take That Jump! Get out of your comfort zone and try something new. Believe in yourself, because surviving freefall is the most amazing and rewarding experience you will ever know.


What do you need to do to take the “jump” and leave your comfort zone?
Have you taken a free fall and discovered you have what it takes to land on your feet?

©2012 by Sheri Barnes
MAMA KNOWS FITNESS: Bells, Balance & Your Body
RELEASED December 12,2012
www.mamaknowsfitness.com / mama@mamaknowsfitness.com