This weekend the weather is gorgeous. When I say gorgeous, I mean it is sunny and relatively cool! Definitely cool enough to roll the windows down and let the wind blow my worries away– work, life, health etc. Normal everyday worries. And then this heartbreak song came on while I was driving. I am pretty sentimental and the song was about how people change after their relationships are over. “The thing about people is they change when they walk away”. Yes, people change, but fortunately, my husband and I have been married for almost 32 years and we have been able to embrace that change instead of walking away.
Anyways, back to my thoughts. The song is called, People Change, and it is true. People change. That is a good thing. You do not want to be the same person you were five years ago or even 5 months ago. You want to learn from your experiences and mistakes. You want to have the tools and skills to leave a negative time in your life and move to a hopeful place.
You cannot be stagnant! Think of that stinky, green mosquito infested water as compared to the babbling brook that is cleansing itself as it moves. It is cool and clear water that can quench your thirst for healing. Stagnant water breeds hopelessness, depression and a fixed mindset. What do I mean by fixed mindset? “This is my life. My hips hurt, I am always going to have painful hips, I will never be active again. Woe is me!” It is incredibly easy to get into that rut. You have got to fight to not get there. And if your big toe does hit the stagnant water of that fixed mindset, pull it out as soon as you can! Sometimes, just a day can make the difference.
Last night, I had a lot of hip pain. I slightly may have overdone it earlier in the day. What do you mean may? Okay, okay. I will acknowledge that I DID overdo it. That, my friends, is because I am so afraid of becoming stagnant. I do not want to have my identity be that “hip patient” so I fight it and sometimes, I over do. Balance is something I work on every day! Sometimes, I wobble and that’s okay.
But today was a new day. I woke up with the sun shining. Today, I promptly put my “growth mindset” gear on. I am feeling hopeful. I am a babbling brook today. I am washing over the stones of self-doubt, worry, anxiety and fear. I will not be stagnant! I will grow into hopefulness.
I will look at my experiences this last year as lessons about humanity, patience, optimism and kindness. I will not look at them as lessons about pain, depression or despair. Look at your hip journey as part of your life’s journey, but don’t make it the only stop on your travels. It’s a detour. Don’t get stuck stagnating – keep moving!