Embracing Flexible Thinking
See Beyond Illusions
No one’s life is “perfect,” despite the image(s) they portray. We all experience challenges and struggles, perhaps, the obstacles we face are different, but emotionally, only you know the truth for yourself. Our children may see our struggle, they may feel the struggle, the shift and internalize their observations; as they recalibrate how they feel about a situation or how a situation makes them feel at a given time. We can teach them resilience.
Facing a Challenge
Challenges will always exist, but how we face these challenges is where we find our strength. Just when things seemed “good,” I fell on my a$$, literally. It was like a rug being pulled right out from underneath, I swear. And, there I was, wearing a winter coat and boots, laying on my back and staring at the sky, and screaming in excruciating pain. I felt the hood from my sweatshirt behind my head, thankfully, and I felt the ice cold on my back and bum, I didn’t dare move. I laid there, trying not to cry hysterically, the pain was sharp, ya’ll. I fractured my spine…ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?
I didn’t have time for this craziness. You see, towards the end of February, I slipped and fell on some ice...it took a good 4-6 weeks to feel just “semi-ok”…and MONTHS thereafter to feel “normal-ish.” All the while, nothing was comfortable-not standing, not sitting, and most definitely not sleeping. Special pillows, postural tank tops, heat, ice, anti-inflammatories, more pillows, and sleeping upright were my jam; however, they were all bandaids, as my body did the “real work” of healing.
Flexible Thinking
I tried so hard not to feel disappointed in myself, my reduced mobility and potential loss of strength that I worked so hard to establish, and of course trying not to get down on how EVERYTHING else managed to be affected. Through it all, THIS was my secret: WHAT CAN YOU DO?? I focused on the answer to this question EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. It was like a lifeline. If I knew what I could do, then, I could focus on it and build on it, when possible. Instead of wallowing in pain and mourning all of the things that I couldn’t quite seem to do the way that I wanted. I didn’t allow my mind to spend too much time in the “can’t do” space. AND, it was a saving grace! The universe forced me to SLOW DOWN, the antithesis of my whole life. #flexiblethinking
When Life Knocks You Back Down
Fast forward about 6 months, I was happily back to training weekly (virtually with Sergio from the Rooted Parent Movement/Positive High Systems/Ohana community), stretching daily-ish, and then…POP. That day I was on a scooter ride with my toddler and the sudden pain in my leg was so sharp, I nearly fell over. I felt like the wind was knocked right outta me, but my toddler was with me, so, I carried on…doing the “mom thing,” despite the breathtaking pain. Silly, I know…
It was mid-September and little did I know, I tore my calf muscle and fear started to set in…would it derail EVERYTHING (again)?? On second thought, what if it didn’t!? Here, the universe strikes, again, forcing me to slow down, use crutches, a walking boot, ask for help, ice, elevate, and significantly modify or cancel training sessions. All the while, focusing on WHAT I CAN DO, that was THE secret.
Celebrating Progress
Then about 5 weeks out, I FINALLY felt “well-enough” and did 3 good stretches/moves: 3 sets of 10 squats, 20 knee push ups, 5 quarter get ups. Shoutout to Sergio, for the moral support boost! As I did these moves with my kiddos in the room, it felt pretty incredible to show both of my kids that recovery is possible and movement is still important, and despite how busy our days get, we all need time to focus on ourselves, even if only for a little while at a time. Emotionally, it felt so great to be able to do these moves that I wanted to commit to doing one set of these stretches every day that week, with a goal of doing so before lunch. An advantageous goal, BUT it’s something that I wanted to work towards, you know, do something FOR ME!
Here’s the thing, did I end up doing these stretches EVERY DAY that week? No. Did I mentally “beat myself up” about not doing it? No. I committed to recognizing progress, I did it twice! Then, perhaps, this next week, three times, then, who knows, maybe the following week, four! Whatever the number, I’m here for it! The progress is just that, it’s INCREMENTAL, it’s not overnight. It’s not like night and day, it’s a process AND IT’S WORTH IT! Better yet, YOU ARE WORTH IT! When we feel better about ourselves, we interact better with those around us, ever notice that!?
#celebratingprogress
Little Joys - Big Wins
Here I am, 6 weeks out, celebrating 2 shoes, ‘cause by the grace of G-d, they’re on my feet. And, I’ll just keep putting one foot in front of the other, as I heal, work my businesses, and provide for my kiddos and my family. The power of our thoughts are STRONG. Our kids feel it, too. Show up for yourself, show up for them, because YOU CAN DO IT! You can do HARD THINGS.
Me and Sergio, my personal trainer and mindset guru have teamed up to provide THE BEST membership program for adults with kiddos in their lives. Think movement games and challenges, craft and cooking projects, social and emotional development activities, and some music games, too! With the help of some other specialists, we present Home Day Kids, authentic ways to interact with the kiddos in your life through a variety of hands-on experiences.
Are you ready to join the journey? Create your own parenting journey with Home Day Hero!
Sending out all the good healing vibes for the strength to face whatever struggle you may be working through now.
In gratitude,
Stacey
P.S. YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
P.P.S. Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful…
Creating resilience: https://www.homedayhero.com/blog-1/2020/3/28/calling-for-resiliencenbsp-nbsp
Want more information about Power and children? Check out my full article, Power in Choice: https://www.homedayhero.com/blog-1/2019/5/3/power-in-choice
In addition to a few other articles on related topics, such as Consistent Language Rules: https://www.homedayhero.com/blog-1/2018/10/8/nbspnbspconsistent-language-rulesnbsp
And, Freedom Within Limits: https://www.homedayhero.com/blog-1/2019/9/27/freedom-within-limits
Ready for a consultation with Stacey? Send consultation package inquiries to: info@homedayhero.com