Is Your Perspective Your Power Or Your Prison?

It's time for a check-in.

The last year has been difficult for most everyone. How many times back in March, April, and May of 2020 did you or someone you know say “2020 was supposed to be my year.” I felt that way, for sure. At the beginning of the pandemic, so many of us were mourning things that hadn’t happened yet. Things we had been plotting and planning. Things that we were looking forward to or hopeful for. 

Of course, this isn’t the first time I’ve felt this way. Cue the ending of my last relationship. I was shook. I felt as though the rug had been pulled out from under me. There were points during the time that him and I were together when I wondered if he was my person. I thought about what our life could look like. Where we could live. If we’d have children.

If you’re sensing a theme here, I’ll keep going. The same feelings occurred the last time I was really injured. Some intense discomfort in my hip caused me to dramatically shift my fitness routine (I wrote about this change for Runner’s World). I pressed “pause” on some big run-related plans. Just like with the pandemic and my personal life, I was so focused on what I wouldn’t be able to do. 

It’s not that it’s not understandable, thinking about what was “supposed” to happen. However, I encourage you to ask yourself something: Can you flip your perspective? Instead of thinking about the negative things that will happen as a result of an unfortunate, unexpected predicament, focus on doors two and three.

Arguably, my inability to run at the beginning of the pandemic helped me within my business, freeing up time to create new ways to communicate with the Hurdle community (Hurdle Sessions and this newsletter) and finally sign up to take an Italian class. I certainly didn’t see all of this as opportunity back then. I wanted to punch something. (Well, many things.) But in retrospect, now I understand this concept more: There’s opportunity in the chaos — if you’re open to it.

I encourage you to ask yourself: What if you thought about how to make the most of the not-so-stellar? What if you let go of what you thought would happen and instead took reality into your own two hands. Perhaps, things could be better than you imagine down the line. Instead of being upset about the idea of what’s changing, focus on how to embrace the #hurdlemoment and zero in on the positive. 

It’s not easy, sure. 
But as Trent Shelton would say,
your perspective can either be your power or your prison.

Shout out to Hurdler Jen, who is dealing with a potential stress-fracture-and-subsequent-boot situation. She tagged me in #thelaceup yesterday, saying that she’s looking at this as an “opportunity.” That’s the spirit, Jen! 

PROMPT: What’s one difficult #hurdlemoment you’ve approached with a positive perspective? How did that help you come out stronger on the other side?