Danielle Cote

This was originally posted on January 15, 2015.

Photo Credit: Deeana Kourtney Photography

Three months ago, I posted a note on Facebook entitled “It Gets Better” sharing my story about how I was introduced to Pure Barre and what that journey has looked like over the past four years. I often think about how inspiring the clients, teachers and owners that make up this amazing community are and how grateful I am to interact with these individuals each day. Day to day words are left unsaid, calls are left unmade, emails are left unsent, appointments canceled, lunch dates rescheduled…and yet, it’s so important to let those that impact our lives know that they are appreciated and that all that they do does not go unnoticed.

How many times a day do you ask someone else or get asked “How are you?” And how many times does the answer actually give an authentic answer as to how that person REALLY is doing? We can wear many different masks, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Often times, there’s much more going on with the people that we interact with every day than we could ever imagine. Whether they are our closest friends, a long lost relative or a complete stranger each of us has the power to control what we share and who we share it with.

I read this quote earlier today and found it quite appropriate…

“If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting of another person.” – Mr. (Fred) Rogers

…

looking back on my life, there’s so many people that I have encountered, sometimes complete strangers, that I will most likely never see again. Lots of them are faded faces and just a quick snapshot in time. Some of them shared stories that I’ll never forget or words of advice that influenced future decisions. Needless to say, we don’t always know who we are influencing. For those people that aren’t complete strangers and have made a positive influence on your life be sure to let them know. Let them know because of them you ______…. Didn’t give up. Were inspired. Started over. Forgave. Said goodbye. Took a risk. Followed your dream. Achieved the unthinkable.

So thank you…
… to the one who stepped out of her comfort zone to try it for the first time
… to the one who set her goals and not only met them but exceeded them
… to the one who came back after losing a loved one when all they wanted to do was stay home and cry
… to the one who came back after falling in a rut and wasn’t afraid to start over
… to the one who had an injury or disability that would make coming that much more challenging
… to the one who brings their friend along … and then brings their daughter, mother, sister, husband, neighbor…anyone who they can lure into the fun … because they just love it so much
… to the one who was petrified of public speaking and was able to become a rockstar teacher
… to the one who tucked her way into labor and gave birth to a beautiful baby boy or girl
… to the one who came back after baby ready to get back to tucking
… to the one who doesn’t know how they survived their first class and just joined the 250 Club
… to the one who sacrificed so much to open her own studio and lead a group of women to inspire even more women
… to the one who finds a new sense of confidence, security, joy or any positive emotion or feeling
… to the one who no matter what is going on at home, at work or anywhere still has a smile on their face
… to the one who made a choice to change their life for the better and gets a little closer to being the best version of themselves each day

All of these represent all of the people that I have encountered in the Pure Barre community. It’s because each and every one of you that I stay inspired to take risks, try new things and do whatever I need to do to make this adventure just a little more memorable each and every day.