My true nature is one of unlimited potential. I see that in all of the creative options I bring to my work and the challenges that life brings to me. I also know that processing change always takes commitment to being strong, trusting the process and following through. Little did I know that a decision of mine might take more courage than I thought it would.
Healing has been the focus of my last few weeks, but even when I was laid low – Juicy Life Lessons popped up! One lesson I want to share in this post has to do with pulling up courage when needed. Another lesson I learned going through this process, I’ll share in a follow-up post.
Since I chose to have my knee replaced after many years of living with an injury, I felt confident that all was in order and I would use my determination to move through the required healing process. I had worked out with a trainer in preparation, cooked many meals, let my clients know I needed to focus on my recovery for a few weeks, had my patient advocate in place and loaded up with good books to read. Instead after many days of unrelenting pain, little sleep and several embarrassing events, I found myself wondering whatever was I thinking in making this decision?! There were a couple of instances of my feeling like a victim – a rare event for me. It brought up memories of beginning my employment in Manhattan which required getting up at five am in New Jersey, embracing three forms of travel including walking several long city blocks in all kinds of weather, putting in a full day and then doing the reverse travel home where children, their homework and getting ready to do it all again awaited me. I loved my new role and had been extremely excited about landing the job, but boy was I exhausted that first week. I remember so wanting to just lay down on the sidewalk to rest, but knew I’d be arrested for being a “bag lady” if I did so.
Now, many years later, I had to remember that this surgery was my choice and that I just had to live through everything that went along with it so I could benefit when I got to the other side of this healing. I remembered how it took a different kind of courage when I was building my independent business and watching my savings dwindle. I needed to increase my new brand as a consultant and had to just “show up” confident and strong when networking potential customers. Some days that took a lot of strength and having courage to continue on my chosen path, especially when headhunters were tempting me to look at lucrative employment some place else.
Juicy Morsels: In all these examples,
- I found ways to remind myself that I am created from a divine pattern of perfect life and wholeness. I read positive daily meditations, devoured anything by Wayne Dyer, signed up for all the free Oprah/Depak emails and went to spiritual groups that believed as I did even when the evidence was not to be seen. How can you find things like that to pull into your world and buoy your spirits when you’re down?
- I constantly reminded myself that I was strong and capable even if no one else seemed to recognized that. Donating my expertise and finding ways to give back that called for some courage (think acting as if) helped me through some low points. Where can you live your truth even if you might need to pull up some courage to get out there? Remember:
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear. ” – Ambrose Redmoon