Setbacks, Breakthroughs and a Dog Who Just Wants a Walk

Today I had setbacks and breakthroughs. In the same day. Some good news, a stressful development, meetings, reassuring texts—and then an aha moment about something I had been trying to untangle for months. Suddenly, I could see a solution. I was practically giddy. The bigger situation hadn’t disappeared, but something inside me had shifted. When I looked at the situation from a higher, wider view and got out of my feelings, the solution was right there!

Something I have been afraid of is happening in my life. I can’t share the details, but I can share this: the old feelings showed up pretty quickly. Hello, fear. Hello, self-doubt. For a minute, I wondered how I could have done so much work on myself and still feel like an earlier version of me. Then I realized that feeling afraid doesn’t erase years of growth. I have become sober, changed my health, built a life I love, built a business, serve my community and become a woman who voluntarily rides a bike ridiculous distances. Surely that girl can pause, ask for help and gather some facts before declaring a state of emergency.

I recently watched a series about post-traumatic growth, and what stayed with me was the possibility of discovering more strength, connection and appreciation for life after difficult experiences. I’m certainly not asking for more adversity. But I am curious about who I am becoming as I work through this. When I look at a challenge as proof that I’m powerless, I shrink. When I ask, “What do I need, who can help, and what can I do today?” I find room to move. The facts still need dealing with, but I can meet them with more courage – and that feels great.

This is where the daily habits in the Lifeswerve Method have been my lasting foundation. Meditation, awareness, movement, remembering what I want to create and choosing how I want to show up—all those small practices give me somewhere to return when my mind gets loud. Sometimes I catch my thoughts only after they’ve sounded too many alarm bells. But I catch them. I can separate what actually happened from what I’m predicting. I can take one useful step. And I can take Jimmy (the doggie) outside, because he has absolutely no idea in my rabbit hole of doom 😉.  He is just happy to walk and there is something fantastic about being that present.

So today, I’m letting the whole story count: I had a setback, I felt afraid, I asked for help, and I had a breakthrough. I also felt happy. Happiness is allowed to arrive while there are still unanswered emails and unresolved problems. If you’re working through something too, ask yourself: What am I handling differently than I would have a few years ago? Maybe you spoke up, made the call or were a little nicer to yourself. You have worked hard to become this version of yourself – let that small and big wins count!

- Kim