The last track season of my college career I was diagnosed with a calcaneus stress fracture in my heel bone and I have not run from May 6th until July 20th! This was the longest I have ever been away from running and let me tell you, I feel like Bambi learning to walk again. Even though this break from running was hard on my heart, I am so glad that it happened because I grew in so many ways. I will share many of the ways I grew throughout preceding posts but the main one I want to share today is Resilience.
Resilience is the ability to recover from set backs stronger than you were before-rather than letting the curve balls of life (the unknown, failures, or set backs) drain you and take your spirit and fight away, resilience allows you to rise above negativity. It also provides the ability to press forward.
At first, I took the easy route. I felt sorry for myself for about 3 weeks. Laying around, thinking that I should have been at Regionals and Nationals- that I deserved to be there and that it was not fair. Then, I even convinced myself that running was completely off the table- I would never run again because I would not recover or ever be able to get back into the shape that I was in. WOW! what I crybaby right?
I was able to overcome this stage of my life by reading a passage from a book called Do Hard Things (You should read it, its good). It basically said that its easy to be negative, to feel sorry for yourself, and to give up. But it is HARD to keep going and to have a positive attitude despite the storm in your life; however, this harder road lends itself to a brighter present and future. Negative people cause the present to be miserable for not only themselves but for those around them. Also, negative people cannot even see the light at the end of the tunnel because they choose to reside in a dark pool of self pity. Rising above negativity and self pity allows a person to see setbacks or failures as a form of helpful feedback- something to help them grow and change their course of direction.
Look back on your life- do you remember an event that you thought would ruin your life? Like braces? Or breaking up with a boyfriend? but then came to realize after time that the set back or failure actually guided you onto a better path? Sometimes life hurts but wounds and scars are reminders of what to do and what not to do again. Plus, wounds and scars are just marks- we are still alive after all. And, here I am again, after an injury ready to run again. It will be a long journey back but it is one that I am willing to take on because running makes me happy and I want it back in my life. Sometimes life causes a little bit of trauma to re-direct you and show you that sometimes it is necessary in order to discover true happiness.
Resilience is the ability to recover from set backs stronger than you were before-rather than letting the curve balls of life (the unknown, failures, or set backs) drain you and take your spirit and fight away, resilience allows you to rise above negativity. It also provides the ability to press forward.
At first, I took the easy route. I felt sorry for myself for about 3 weeks. Laying around, thinking that I should have been at Regionals and Nationals- that I deserved to be there and that it was not fair. Then, I even convinced myself that running was completely off the table- I would never run again because I would not recover or ever be able to get back into the shape that I was in. WOW! what I crybaby right?
I was able to overcome this stage of my life by reading a passage from a book called Do Hard Things (You should read it, its good). It basically said that its easy to be negative, to feel sorry for yourself, and to give up. But it is HARD to keep going and to have a positive attitude despite the storm in your life; however, this harder road lends itself to a brighter present and future. Negative people cause the present to be miserable for not only themselves but for those around them. Also, negative people cannot even see the light at the end of the tunnel because they choose to reside in a dark pool of self pity. Rising above negativity and self pity allows a person to see setbacks or failures as a form of helpful feedback- something to help them grow and change their course of direction.
Look back on your life- do you remember an event that you thought would ruin your life? Like braces? Or breaking up with a boyfriend? but then came to realize after time that the set back or failure actually guided you onto a better path? Sometimes life hurts but wounds and scars are reminders of what to do and what not to do again. Plus, wounds and scars are just marks- we are still alive after all. And, here I am again, after an injury ready to run again. It will be a long journey back but it is one that I am willing to take on because running makes me happy and I want it back in my life. Sometimes life causes a little bit of trauma to re-direct you and show you that sometimes it is necessary in order to discover true happiness.
2 comments:
Love it!
amazing advice from someone with a lot of experience in being an elite athlete as well as a wonderful person. this blog defines the phrase "words to live by." Her ability to eliminate doubt in herself and others is astounding, mainly because she lives through love and love has no doubt. Her love for running, others, and herself can provide so much for everyone who reads this blog.
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