This is the time of the year when many people drop their goals or New Year's resolutions.
If you're one of them, don't beat yourself up...read on.
Maybe your plans and outlook on life was exciting when you made your goals at the beginning of this year. However, life got in the way. It may be your enthusiasm faded, or maybe some setback threw you off track.
I know that happened to me. At the end of 2013, I had a lot of goals set for 2014. I had a new book coming out for teen girls, "My Song Lyrics Journal" to help them get in touch with their feelings. I was volunteering with incarcerated girls, teaching them creative writing, and I saw that the girls really lit up, when they started singing lyrics to their favorite songs. The journal helps them make up their own lyrics to empower themselves.
Anyway, on New Year's Eve of 2014, I was coming out of an office after dropping off the journal to a book agent. I was over the moon having finished the journal.
I knew 2014 was going to be an exciting year...and it was...just not the way I expected.
I was rushing out of the office, and made a misstep on the stairs I didn't just fall down, I did what they call a banana peel slip. I fell upwards and crashed down on my left side, breaking my femur bone, the largest in our bodies. I had broke the bone in two places. Not to be crude, but I actually heard it break. I couldn't get up, let alone walk. I never knew you could feel such pain.
So, there I was, on New Year's eve going into surgery. My goals were shattered.
I woke up on New Year's day in drugged-out pain, needing assistance not only to get out of bed, but to turn over to get comfortable. The next few months I went from a walker, to crutches, to a cane. I hated depending on people just to put my shoes on.
At first, it was devastated. All the goals I set up for myself had to be set aside. In fact, I couldn't even think about goals I made. I had to focus on learning how to walk again. When I did, this is what I realized:
The Lesson of Letting Go
Being immobile, helped me to not only to slow down, but to look at my life. I had taken on too much. Besides our trainings I was facilitating, I was volunteering with several organizations handling multiple duties. I was constantly in motion.
It turned out that leg break was the break I needed.
I looked at what I was going to release when I was back to full health, especially some goals.
