The unthinkable has happened – after months of working out, I have injured my back…by standing up crooked. Yes, standing up crooked. Insult to my injury was that once the pain subsided, I re-injured it by pushing a rug aside with my foot. Yes, for real. Nothing glorious, no heroic story to tell. Just a common everyday occurrence that has me down – for now.
Soul searching is in order. I refuse to go down without a fight, and when I come back up I want to bring something with me and emerge stronger. Sometimes there is no answer for why. There is no rhyme or reason. There’s just an “okay so this is what you have, what are you going to do with it?”
Soul searching is in order. I refuse to go down without a fight, and when I come back up I want to bring something with me and emerge stronger. Sometimes there is no answer for why. There is no rhyme or reason. There’s just an “okay so this is what you have, what are you going to do with it?”
I know for one that this has made me more empathetic towards people with chronic pain. Everyday tasks are difficult and the sense of a nagging, constant pain has left me growling on more than one occasion. But although growling and whining may make me feel better, it pushes away those that I love.
~ I can choose to be a victim or a victor. I choose victory! ~
It’s been easier to focus more on what I can’t do than on what I can do. It’s mind over matter some days. When my body is not on my side, I want to give up and give in. Food choices slip, anxiety creeps in, focus gets lost – so that’s why it’s mind over matter.
~ I can choose to succumb or I can choose to overcome. I choose to overcome! ~
Now that my pain is subsiding, I find myself afraid to press on. What if it happens again? What if I have a bad day? What if I do that something that brings me pain and sets me back again? To that, I must tell myself: “Blah, blah”.
~ I can choose to live in fear and never know what I can accomplish, or I can choose to live courageously and reach far beyond my wildest dreams. I choose courage! ~
It would be foolish to press on without care, but it would be even more foolish to lie in wait. If one part of my body becomes weak, I need to strengthen it while I continue to take care of the rest of it. Just like it doesn’t make sense to pray only when I have trouble, it makes no sense to only eat well when I have perfect attendance at the gym. Eating well feeds my mind and my soul, as well as my body. It provides the foundation for my body to pick up and get going. Candidly, these past few weeks I haven’t made some of the best choices. I’ve allowed myself to slip back into old habits and patterns – for example, increased caffeine intake, decreased water intake, sugar binges, lack of protein - and I feel it. I feel tired, sluggish, sometimes even a little down, and I don’t want it. I have no doubt it’s because I’m not fueling my body properly. Even if I can’t exercise at full speed yet, I can still take care of myself from the inside out, so I’ll be ready to go when it’s time.
~ I’m committed to getting back on track. ~
We always need to remember that there is no magic pill for health. It is care and consistency. This is a journey. It’s not a sprint, it’s not even a marathon. It’s a lifelong journey - becoming strong and healthy in body, mind, and soul, one day a time, until the days are no more. So the choice is ours – it’s mine but it’s also yours – be afraid and give in or step out in courage and overcome with victory.
~ What’s your choice? ~
