Rhi Reynolds
“Instruction does much, but encouragement does everything.” – Johann von Goethe
For the past two years, I’ve struggled through quite a few circumstances. The reality is, however, that they haven’t even brushed the surface of the nightmares that I faced throughout my childhood. Why? I have surrounded myself with positive and supportive people.
There is much truth to the quote I have listed above. Without encouragement, we are left to our own devices. When we are dealing with less than optimal situations, sometimes our mind gets cloudy and we make hasty or poor decisions. It’s hard to get that fire going inside when you are suffocated and overwhelmed. When you’re the only person on your own team, it’s time to make a change and build yourself a network of people who will do nothing but bring you up.
I made the change two years ago. I went to college in East Stroudsburg, PA. After I ran myself ragged working 2 jobs, working a full-time internship without pay, and 18 credits a semester, I graduated 4 years later. After I struggled through school, without anyone there to support me, I decided it was time to leave. I was tired of being stuck in a negative environment. I randomly applied to the job I have now. I got a call within 10 minutes after I submitted my application and scheduled an interview. This decision changed my life.
Although I have no regrets about the decision I made, I wish I had planned it out a little better. I had the interview and was hired…but I had no money to move to NY. The manager of the gym offered me a guaranteed salary for three months so I could afford to travel the 4 hour round trip on a daily basis. I guess he really wanted me to be part of his team! If it wasn’t for that encouragement, I wouldn’t have fought as much as I did to stay at this job. I had never had encouragement like that before. The fire was lit.
The whole first year I was at this job was full of ups and downs. My lease ran out in PA, and it was impossible for me to find anything in my budget in NY. I never realized how much more expensive it is to move to a different state. Again, I was putting myself in debt. But I loved (and still love) my job. I stayed with an Aunt in NJ who I hadn’t seen in years and took two trains and a cab to work for months. I bought a cheap car, and then found an apartment. I moved out of that apartment and moved back to my Aunt’s in NJ. I rented a room with strangers in Queens, and then had to sell my car to pay my rent. I took the bus to work from Queens. But why was I able to go through all of this? Why did I fight so much to keep a job? I was building myself a family of supportive, uplifting people. They kept me going through this mess.
The second year, a coworker friend of mine offered me a place to live in her house because, unfortunately, her mother passed away. She had a car I could use and was going to charge me less than what I was paying to rent the crappy room in Queens. Everything truly does happen for a reason. My mother passed away when I was 15, so she and I could be each other’s support system. She was giving me a deal and I was helping her to keep the house that she lived in with her mother for her entire life. It’s amazing how things work out.
Shortly after I settled, things began to blossom. I started my weightlifting journey. I started dating an amazing guy. The encouragement was pouring in, and the fire continued to grow. Work began to pick up, and so did my confidence. Since I lacked a support system throughout my short life, once I was provided with one I realized how much easier things turned out to be. Your mind becomes clear because you have people to help you through situations. The constant worrying because all the weight is placed on you slowly starts to dissipate once you can talk to positive people. Through all of the things I went through to get to where I am today, it was totally worth it.
So, here I am. I’m a weightlifter. I’m a weightlifter who started with just the bar just like everyone else. A year and a half later, I’m slowly climbing the ladder. The reason I wrote about my struggles is not for sympathy. I am proud being resilient enough and not giving up when hardship is present. I am beyond thankful for the people I have in my life who have kept me motivated the whole way. If it wasn’t for all of these things, I wouldn’t have the amazing opportunity to try out for Team MDUSA at their Spring Open on May 3rd! I have 17 days before I compete. 17 grueling days of thoughts and visualization: I’m in the session with some strong girls and the big weights. The warm-up room is going to be me and girls I’ve been following since I started weightlifting. This opportunity is a dream to me. Words can’t even express how happy I am to even have a shot.
Encouragement goes a long way. I am deeply thankful for the people I’m surrounded with, and the happiest I’ve been in my life. I know I can get through anything. It just takes time. I was buried underneath a heap of self-doubt from not having anyone there. Now, I have people who believe in me. They’re showing me how to shake off the self-doubt and let the confidence shine through. Having all of these great people in my life makes the weight of the stress not as heavy. Now, I just lift heavy things.
Editors note: Knowing Rhi’s story, I couldn’t help but think of how real this Video feels right now, more than ever.