I told everyone, “I’m taking the summer off!” And boy was I excited! I was planning a summer of fun and adventure like I had not had since I started working at 15.
It was going to be epic: two weeks at the family cottage, a gals road trip, a few weeks in town, and two-weeks in Nova Scotia and Saint Pierre/Miquelon. Hotels were booked, places of interest flagged, routes and menus prepared. There would be lobster!
Enter Disaster Number One.
I twisted my left foot on my second week off. I’m a lucky person who hasn’t had many injuries in her life, so I was unprepared for the pain, swelling and doctor’s orders to rest for a few weeks. A few weeks!?!
I doubled down on my Mental Fitness practices and I adjusted my plans. This wasn’t the end of the summer. I would be healed before the trip East in four weeks. I’m resilient! The morning of departure for Nova Scotia, I woke up with an odd scratchy throat.
Enter Disaster Number Two: COVID.
This time I didn’t bounce back with ease. The combination of deep disappointment after several years without travel and social isolation to keep everyone else safe was tough. Along with residual effects of COVID, I was hijacked by my Judge and Victim saboteurs. Thoughts like, “why me?” and “it’s not fair!” would not stop. I also felt embarrassed. I had been so public with my desire to have a perfect summer and then I had failed.
I strongly believe we don’t always know which events are good and which are bad in the moment. I know that there is often a silver lining to disappointments and failures. But I could not find the positive outcome for myself or regain my positive mindset until months later.
I now realize I had under-estimated how physically and mentally weary I was. I was distracted, didn’t take time to rest, and I had not been looking after my fitness. So, my body intervened. If I wouldn’t rest, it would literally force me to.
As for my negative state of mind, I was eventually able to let go of embarrassment, resentment, and disappointment. They were just feelings that I didn’t need to hold on to indefinitely. Although I was hijacked by my saboteurs, the hijacking was over far more quickly than it would have been in the past. I attribute this resilience to help from family and friends, and my Mental Fitness practices.
The silver lining? I’ve got a more substantial self-care plan now which include mental, physical, and emotional strategies. I’m in the gym twice a week and back on the meditation mat every morning. I’m even more committed to Mental Fitness and I’m now enrolled in the Positive Intelligence Coach Mastery program to continue my exploration of what Mental Fitness has to offer.
And, I’ll get that lobster dinner next summer!