Recently I fell off a cliff. Not metaphorically, but literally.
I’ll save that story for another day. Today I want to talk about what I’ve learned about my attitude since the accident and how adaptability is key to excelling in life.
So lets fast forward to my friends and I hiking out after the fall…
I was with my roommate (Kyle) and his friend (Grant) who I had only met one time before.
Grant, having watched the extent of my fall, was shocked when I stood up, climbed back up the cliff, looked at my wound and saw my shin bone, took off my shirt and tied it off to stop the bleeding. And then we walked 3 miles back to the car, during that walk, I didn’t complain once.
This was his second time hanging out with me and he couldn’t believe how well I was handling a terrible situation. He was right, I was surprised myself and learned a lot about myself that day. Very rarely do we ever get tested by situations like that, so it is interesting to see how people handle them.
I’ve always liked seeing people in stressful situations. It’s so easy to put on an act around people you don’t know. Once shit hits the fan and people no longer have the energy to maintain the self they want you to see, that’s when you see who they really are.
I was proud of who I was on that day. I did what needed to be done in a less than ideal situation. I didn’t complain, I didn’t blame anyone; I just got through the situation until I got out of the hospital.
But since then…
It’s been six weeks since the fall and I’ve been limited in my activities as I recover from the injury. I haven’t been able to do the things I would normally do to keep myself in top shape. My body is stiff from not doing yoga and my mind has been more neurotic as my physical energy stagnates without an outlet.
I’m frustrated that I can’t do the physical things I want to do.
But I realized in meditation this morning, where is the badass who walked out of the mountains without a complaint after falling off a cliff?
At the time of my fall, when shit had hit the fan, I accepted the reality of the situation. In the following weeks, as the situation started to interfere with my habits and how I live my life, I started to resent the reality of the situation instead of accept it, modify my approach and keep moving forward.
Life is going to test you.
Being able to accept those challenges, reevaluate and keep moving forward is how you will succeed and overcome those challenges. Don’t let your mind fool you into thinking it’s over when adversity hits. Expect it, welcome it, and come out the other side stronger than you were before!