Last week, I went on a hike with a friend and on a sloped, dusty spot, I fell smack on my butt. SPLAT! Ugh. It was one of those surprisingly fast, jarring falls where you don’t even realize you slipped until you smack into the ground with a thud and the adrenaline shoots through your body, trying to buffer you from that initial pain shock wave.
Unpleasant, to say the least.
Besides the butt-bruising and the ego-bruising, I was fine. It wasn’t until the next day, when I went for my usual morning jog, that I encountered the remaining impact…I was sore as hell and I could feel the internal bruising with just about every step.
But I knew that if I didn’t move my body, the soreness would take over and make it even harder to work out.
So onward I went, at a slower pace than normal, taking smaller steps, focusing on making lighter impact on the ground as I jogged along.
And something funny happened. I noticed that I actually jogged a little further than I normally do. That in slowing down and going more gently, I was moving at a pace that was allowing me to go further than usual.
Injuries always feel like annoyances (whether minor or major), and yet it’s only when they come around that I realize how much is actually possible when I CHOOSE to slow down. That slowing down doesn’t necessarily mean quitting or underperforming. That sometimes, it can actually mean doing more or doing better.
While my butt and ego are still a little bruised, my spirit is holding onto this surprise gift of resilience and strength even in the face of setbacks…
