October is already here and I feel like time has just rushed by, when in all honesty, it’s me who has been doing all the rushing.

I rush from class to class, one meeting after another and from cross country practice on to another meeting.

My body was screaming at me to slow down. Well being the stubborn and obstinate person I am, I didn’t listen, I guess I really didn’t know how to.

Instead, I kept on trucking, not listening to any of the advice my friends and teammates offered.

The result ended up being two fun-filled weeks on crutches. And let me tell ya, that really slows ya down.

It’s amazing how one can go from full speed to almost no speed at all. These past two weeks I have had to rely on people for more things than ever before.

I couldn’t even put my own socks on. Now that is depressing! Not to mention I’ve had to take the elevator every time I had to go further than the first floor in a building, now that really demeans an athlete.

All of this was my fault. If I would have listened to the wiser, I would not have gotten stuck in the position to have to take an elevator or have someone hold my tray in the cafeteria.

My point is we,as students and student-athletes, take on too much sometimes.

Our poor shoulders are weighed down constantly with the load we put on ourselves.

I see student-athletes going to classes and practice all the time.

Some manage their time and activities well, some don’t.
My advice to those who don’t is maybe you’ve taken on a little more than your time or body will allow.

Slow down and take some time out, I promise the world will not pass you by if you stop to take a quick breather.

You never know, it could keep you from a future mistake like a serious injury.

You could be forced to take a break, and no one enjoys that. As athletes we have obligations to our sports and our bodies.

If we don’t take care of ourselves, how are we going to help out our teams? Answer: we can’t.

You may be reading this and saying to yourselves, “Cathy, I am not an idiot, I know how to take care of myself.”

I am not saying you don’t, I am just saying that I said the same thing two weeks ago. Where did that get me besides stuck being immobile?

I challenge you all to use this next week to reflect on what’s really important in your lives. Take time out of your busy schedules to reflect on your day, and if you think you are too busy to do so, then that should tell you that there is a problem.