Making my Comeback, a Reflection by Dawn Stevens

In the fall of 2010 everything seemed to be right. I had a professional hairstyling career. My “baby” was getting ready to head to kindergarten. I was thinner than I had been in a while and was running consistently with mini marathon PR’s in sight. You know how it is when you have all of these dreams, all of these visions, all of these things that you feel are so important to your success to finally be happening? And then it happened. I found out I was pregnant with little man #4. I thought my life was over. My life. That was my focus. That was my concern. How is this pregnancy going to affect MY dreams? I felt like my life was over… again.

Through my life I have had so many highs and so many valleys. I found myself rolling toward the bottom of a pit. I fell into depression. I could barely get out of bed and care for my other children that were in front of me. I struggled with the idea of being medicated for my depression. I am a Christian. I have things others won’t ever have. I should be happy. What is wrong with me? It finally got to the point where medication just had to happen.

I stayed on an anti-depressant throughout my pregnancy and up until Christopher was 3. Between the time I found out I was pregnant and his 3^rd birthday so many things had changed. When Christopher was around a year we found out that he had some physical and developmental delays. Because of different therapies he was involved in, I decided that I needed to step away from my Cosmetology career. Then there was a class at church called Perspectives that was an intensive discipleship course. Although I would be willing to go to the ends of the earth, I actually felt God calling me to the mission field of my living room. We brought the boys home and started homeschooling them. Isn’t it funny how when your focus is self-centered and not reliant on God, he flips the script?

Even though everything seemed back on course, I was still having to take those stupid pills to function. And I hated it.

Enter Beachbody. I remembered how much I enjoyed working out. I remembered how strong and empowered to face the day I felt when I worked out. I posted on Facebook that I was looking for a change. That I needed a workout partner for accountability. This skinny fit girl named Brittany answered my post. I was intimidated. We met 3 times a week. We started doing Insanity together and I could feel my old self starting to surface.

6 months after we started working out I was 20 pounds lighter and decided that I wanted to help others the way Brittany helped me. I signed up as a coach in February 2014 and took off like a shot! I wanted to help everyone. I started feeling successful again in something and could feel that climb back to the top of that mountain. But passion can only take you so far. My coaches started dropping off. I was stripped of my Ruby title and felt like a failure. Why does this always happen to me? Why am I always so close… but not quite there?

A year after I started coaching I was right back where I started. I was ready to quit. Ask Jenny… I said I was done. I didn’t know why this business wasn’t working for me. All I want to do is help people! Something that Julie Voris, an amazing leader in the company says over and over is CONSISTENCY is key! Was I consistent in working out? Yes. Was I still inviting people? Sometimes. Was I working on me? NO. There it was. Me. Isn’t this how the whole thing started? Focusing on me? Wait. This is different. I realized that I needed to really search and develop myself.

I realized that although I had enough passion for a room of people… I lacked leadership, I lacked organization, and I lacked consistency. The best part of being a Coach now is learning something new every day. Not just about me but about nutrition, fitness, or people. I have started rebuilding my team. Do I have all the answers now? No. But I am constantly learning. And when I learn, I pass it on. My Team has been renamed the “Comeback Kingdom.” It is devoted to all those who are so thirsty for a change but have been knocked down so many times they don’t know how to get up.

What makes my story unique is the fact that I got up. I am consistently getting back up. I make a comeback each and every day. I have now been off of my depression medication for 8 months. It’s not easy. Every day I have to decide that I am not a failure. That there are people, both big or my littles, counting on me to help them with their own Comebacks! THAT is why I continue to push forward.

Dawn Stevens is an Emerald Coach on our Body Electric Team, and a true inspiration in coming back better and stronger. We’re excited for the big dreams she has that she is pursuing and achieving daily!