A Walk, a Construction Zone and a Patchy Fence

Do you ever beat yourself up for feeling as though you’ve fallen short on your goals? 

I certainly do. In fact, my mind was in a constant state of war with itself this past week, as I struggled with feelings that I wasn’t living up to my own expectations. 

This isn’t a comfortable place to be. In fact, not only is it not comfortable, it’s not productive and can oftentimes become destructive if we allow ourselves to dwell in this type of mental war for too long. 

That’s when I made up my mind to practice what I teach and train … elements of resiliency. 

Resiliency is your ability to come back after experiencing challenges and setbacks. Or, as I like to say (with a slinky in hand), the ability to bounce back. Resilience plays a strong role in an individual’s outcomes, and fortunately, can be developed. 

Here are a few elements of resilience I leaned into in order to break free of my most recent mental battle. 

Get Moving

I wish I could see how many people cringed when they read that. I know … there are so many tasks and obligations that can get in the way of putting this element of resilience into action … not to mention you may just not like it. But, my friend, it’s super important. 

My BEST morning routine involves getting out of the house first thing in the morning and getting in a 5K walk. When I stick to this routine, I find I start the day with more clarity, energy, and mental sharpness. 

Unfortunately, I’ve allowed my busy schedule to knock me out of this routine for some time now, and boy do I notice it. So, the first thing I did this beautiful Monday morning was hold myself accountable for getting in at least one mile. 

Give Yourself Grace

While on my one-mile walk, my mind started battling itself again. I started beating myself up for not walking as far as I usually walk.

As this intrusive thought was mulling around in my head, my eyes caught a glimpse of a fresh construction sight. It was A MESS. It certainly didn’t look like an easy task for those who have to deal with it. 

“It’s just under construction,” I thought to myself. “I bet once it’s done, it’s going to be gorgeous.” 

DING! DING! DING! 

My mental alarms started buzzing and a realization came to mind. 

I realized that I am also under construction, and even though I might be “a mess” right now, the mess is all a part of the process. And, once the process has been allowed to play out, there will be a beautiful result. 

Friend, just because you aren’t where you feel you should be, just remember, you are under construction. Give yourself grace.

Celebrate Imperfect Accomplishments

If any statement sounds like an oxymoron, it would be this one.

On this same walk, with the Florida sun blazing down and sweat beginning to pour, my eyes caught a glimpse of something else. 

I saw a patch-work fence. 

My first thought when seeing this fence, pieced together with obvious scraps, was how unseemly it looked. (I know … judgy). But, my mental alarms started sounding once again. 

The truth is, the house where I saw the fence showed obvious signs of wear and tear … most likely a combination of time and our last hurricane. So, the fact the owners of the home took the time and found the resources to put together a complete fence, was a victory in itself. They simply used what they had access to … and it served its purpose. 

You and I will find ourselves in situations throughout life when time and storms have worn down our proverbial fences. When that happens, we have a decision to make. 

Either stay paralyzed with inaction because we don’t have “all the right” pieces. 

Or use what we have to rebuild and celebrate our imperfect accomplishments. 

The Power of Perspective

I was almost finished with my walk when something else stood out to me. 

I saw an overgrown set of bushes and weeds, and springing forth in the middle of this tangly mess was the beautiful bloom of a pink flower. 

I smiled to myself as my mental alarms buzzed once again. 

I realized that when I passed by this area in the beginning of my journey, I didn’t see the beautiful bloom. I only saw the tangly mess. As I passed it by once again, my perspective had changed and I could see the beauty within the mess. 

I can’t emphasize enough just how important perspective is.

It would be an ugly world if all we ever saw were overgrown weeds. Think of how ugly our world would be if we applied that same vision to our lives. 

Perspective doesn’t take the weeds and tangles away … it simply allows you to see the beauty blooming within the mess. 

And yes, I got all of this from a simple walk. See, I told you that getting moving was important. 

Friend, if you are beating yourself up and feeling like you’ve fallen short, I encourage you to apply these elements of resilience. Everything you need to bounce back is within you … and you can start right now.