“Nothing in life is worthwhile, unless it’s kind of hard to get there.” - Carli Lloyd
I recently got to go watch Carli Lloyd’s second to last match before her retirement from the US Women’s National Team with my oldest two daughters last month in Cincinnati. To say, I’m a Carli Lloyd fan, is an understatement…she is my spirit animal.
As fate would have it, our tickets just happened to be right behind Carli’s dad and husband. I even got to watch her hubby chug a fireball shot right after his wife came off the bench and scored a fantastic goal against Paraguay. Clearly these are my people and I was in Heaven! 🙌
Carli’s work ethic, passion, perseverance, and dedication to the sport of soccer is second to none. Nothing has ever been handed to her. She has worked, battled, and earned every medal, award, and accolade she achieved. Her results clearly speak for themselves…
She is probably most remembered for her hat trick, all in the space of 16 minutes, to lead the United States to a 5-2 victory over Japan in the 2015 World Cup final.
But, I absolutely love that at the age of 39 she scored a pair of goals in the United States’ 4-3 victory over Australia in the bronze medal game in Japan this past summer.
Carli Lloyd became the first American to score in four different Olympics, and her 10 total goals in the event set a new record among U.S. players.
Yes, Carli has always been a hero of mine, but the thing I admire most, beyond her work ethic, is her ability to stay true to herself…she states:
“Through all the goals, the trophies, the medals and the championships won, what I am most proud of is that I’ve been able to stay unapologetically me,” said Lloyd, whose international career has spanned some 16 years. “My journey has been hard, but I can honestly say I’ve stayed true to myself, to my teammates, my coaches, the media and the fans throughout my entire career and that is what I am most proud of. Everyone sees the moments of glory, but I have cherished the work behind the scenes and the adversity that I’ve had to overcome to get to those glorious moments.”
To me, this is what I absolutely love about Carli Lloyd …staying true to who you are, finding your inner strength and voice from within when faced with life’s challenges.
Our journey and the climb is never easy; it’s a constant flow of peaks and valleys. However, I know God puts people in our lives exactly when we need them most and inspires us to keep on going even when we want to give up.
For me, my journey thus far, has taught me to fully embrace who I am and do my absolute best to continue to shine God’s light in this world, unapologetically.
I have learned to own my flaws, mistakes, and insecurities…
Yes, I am the auntie, sister, daughter and friend that completely misses my loved ones birthdays.
Yes, I am the person who forgets to respond to texts.
Yes, I am the social media account that is super active one week then completely stops liking or commenting on even my closest family and friends’ posts.
Yes, I am the late mom.
Yes, I have the filthy van.
Yes, I fly by the seat of my pants.
Yes, I am touch and go.
Yes, I am hit or miss.
Yes, I wake up every morning asking myself “What am I missing today?” And most days, I am missing something.
And, yes I am by far the absolute worst when it comes to making commitments as my “plans” always seem to be ever changing.
But like Carli Lloyd, I have learned to stay true to who I am. And thankfully, God has sent some unbelievable, amazing angels into my life, to embrace my flaws, accept who I am, and love me for me, unconditionally.
These guardian angels of mine protect and guide me so that I am able to shine God’s light in this world, even when life becomes very dim.
And yes, it can get very dark. However, I truly believe that if we strive to love, support, and embrace one another, regardless of our flaws and imperfections, together we can inspire each other live out our passions, and help discover who we are truly meant to be…unapologetically.
In my heart, I believe this to be true because once again this past week God sent me His angels to re-energize my spirit and ignite my soul to shine His light, through The Celebrate Company.
These angels fueled my passion to co-host a Pink Ribbon Girls Pumpkin Painting Mother Daughter & Son Party to support a friend’s charity event that helps women battling breast and gynecological cancers.
The Celebrate Company was also contacted by the Love Like JJ organization to collaborate on a Halloween box coming out this month too.
I truly believe God puts people in our life exactly when we need them most. I am forever grateful and blessed that He connected me to these amazing organizations and wonderful people to support.
Life is a journey, and I realize that there will always be peaks and valleys. However, I choose embrace who I am unapologetically, accept the battles I must face, and always strive to shine God’s light in this world.
I know for certain that is life NOT in our control; it is truly in God’s hands, and we must surrender our trust in Him. He will guide us and send His angels to not only support us in our times of struggles, but also inspire our hearts so that His light never stops shining.
So, cheers to the guardian angels in our lives, sent directly from the good Lord above, to help us stay true to who we are, pick us up when we are down, ignite our souls to live out our passions, and carry us through all the peaks and valleys of this crazy thing we called life! 👊
