Today was the big day. I had my audition to become an instructor this morning. Of course, the weather was awful (storming insanely), I was feeling pretty awful (due to a certain timing of the month… if you get my drift), and my kids were acting like nothing was different about today. What?!?! Didn’t they know how important today was?

From the first sip of my morning coffee, I was receiving text messages from friends, uplifting me, letting me know that they were praying for me, sending me encouragement.

Y’all. This is all from people I’ve met out on the dance floor. All from exercising together. That is the beauty of Jazzercise (or Zumba, Crossfit, or an other type of group exercise). If you allow yourself to be open, friendly, accepting, and encouraging, you’re going to meet some great people while working out, getting fit, and sweating it out.

Today, I had the privilege of auditioning in front of my trainer specialist and four other women. These women were from all over the south (two in Georgia, one from Virginia, and another from Tennessee). We were in different stages in life and different ages. One had only been doing Jazzercise for months while the rest of us had been doing it for years.

And though in the beginning we were strangers meeting for the first time, by the time we were performing our audition songs, we were cheering each other, making inside jokes, and ended the day with a group hug. That’s what exercise does. It brings you together, uplifts your mood, and you become one big sweaty family.

This. This is why I have been pushing myself for the past several months. Because the camaraderie is infectious. The support is unshakable. We are investing in each other’s lives, whether we intended to or not, because we’re sharing an hour–a workout set, a goal, a desire to have fun, a desire to get fit–all these wrapped into coordinated movements synced to popular music in order to get your body moving and using muscles you never knew existed before.

So even though now my legs are dying, I’m exhausted and a little cranky, and probably pretty stinky from the audition, I can honestly say that it was all worth it. It was worth it to push myself beyond where I thought I could go before. It was worth trying something new, feeling uncomfortable, but finding the process extremely satisfying. It was worth it because in the end, I can say, “I persevered, and I succeeded.”

Yep folks. I did it. You’re reading a blog written by the newest Jazzercise instructor in Tyrone, GA! So, if you’ve ever thought about trying a class or stopped coming for some reason or just want to see what all this fuss is about, come visit me! I’ll be co-teaching for a couple of weeks until I learn more routines. The next goal is to be able to teach by myself by July. My audition chapter is finally closed, and now I begin the new chapter of instructor. I can’t wait!

Below is a picture of the other ladies who auditioned with me. I have no idea what their status are, but I can’t wait to find out!