Ever have one of those days when you think—no, you don’t think … you KNOW, that although you’re pretty sure you’re awake, you could swear that you’re not. Because THIS cannot be real. Just the other day everything was fine …
Sometimes time passes without so much as an acknowledgement
The other day, as it turns out, was actually five years ago. So, for the past five years I’ve been living in a fog because like I said, THIS cannot be real. Just the other day everything was fine …
If you stop by here often then you probably know these two things: I have a tendency to be a tad bit sarcastic; and two, I used to be (glory days) a competitive runner and fell (literally) off the wagon (or the road) due to a few injuries and subsequent surgeries and I’m really REALLY pissed off. (Oh, and yes, I use metaphors. A lot.)
Five years ago, I felt good. I looked good. I was good. I had the fucking world by its horns, but then I fell … stumbled (metaphorically) across a rabbit hole, peered in, and eventually slid headfirst down, down, down … and here I sit. The good news, there’s still a little light peering in from above so, I know I can climb out … caveat … I have crawled out a few times (hence the first part of the title of my blog and podcast “Finally Thriving”), but I keep a pillow and a blanket down there just in case I need to go back. The bad news … unless the good witch waves her wand and a pair of ruby slippers miraculously show up on my feet, it can take some time and a lot of dirt under my fingernails to climb backup.
I know, I know, it could be worse. Yes, yes … things can always be worse. Always. But what I have learned, is that “this” is all in my control. My physical limitations cannot dictate my mental well-being, and it’s taken me five plus years to figure it out.
- Instead of seeing the atrophy … watch and appreciate the rebuild
- Instead of berating myself for limitations … celebrate the advancements
- Instead of loathing my body for not being able to run a 7-minute mile … thank it for walking a 14-minute mile
The power of positive thinking … it might be powerful, but it’s hard. Hard as shit. But today I climb … there’s a little shelf a few feet up and maybe, if I dig my fingers into the muddy walls of this rabbit hole, maybe I can get to the shelf in a few days. Maybe then I’ll go get a manicure and instead of focusing on how far I still have to climb, I’ll be happy for how far I’ve come. Maybe then I’ll refocus on the “Finally Thriving” part. Maybe. And no, I’m not entirely ready to discuss the underlying reasons why I fell down the damn rabbit hole in the first place let alone why I stayed … but … perhaps that will be the topic for this Wednesday’s podcast episode. Stay tuned.
How about you? You ever find yourself down a rabbit hole and wonder just how the hell you got there?
“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.”
Quote credit Harvey Mackay, syndicated columnist and NYT best-selling author of Dig Your Well Before Your Thirsty, among others.
Today’s post inspired by The Daily Prompt: What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings? The strategies, in case you couldn’t tell, are the bullet points. Literally, and metaphorically. Cover image created with Google AI.
If this spoke to you, be sure to “like” and share it over social with someone who’d appreciate the flavor …
DISCLAIMER: These are my personal experiences and opinions. Nothing here is medical, nutritional, or therapeutic advice. Also, I’m a writer and an editor. And I try my best to make sure every post is articulate and free from errors. However, being that I edit my own work—and it’s next to impossible to properly edit your own work—I admit, occasionally there may be an error or two I miss. But doing so doesn’t make me an idiot so don’t be mean. Just smile, pat yourself on the back for finding an error and be glad you’re not the only one who makes mistakes sometimes … xoxox
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