We All Fall Sometimes!

 

Wow, it has been a minute since I have been on here. Lots has changed over the years. The moments leading up to the Global Covid 19 pandemic, and then all the crazy moments during and after, did quite a number on a lot of people. Loved ones were lost, company’s shut down, jobs were suspended or eliminated, and more. I don’t think there was a single person not affected by this whole event. Myself included. When it really hit for me started in February 2020, and I have had a difficult time recovering. 

I was in a car accident on my way home from work on February 27, 2020. I was exhausted, the sun was in my eyes, and as I crossed the intersection of the highway, I did not see the jeep coming! I was t-boned on the passenger side of my car and sent into the ditch. Fortunately, the young teenage driver of the jeep  and myself were not seriously injured. We lived to see another day. But that was just the beginning. 

My 9-5 job started to become a toxic work environment. I was no longer happy there, was tired of the commute, and even though my department was a 24/7 operations unit, I was still told to work from home for the next 3 months, but my direct reports had to continue on. It didn’t feel right to me.  After returning back to the office, I made it maybe another 6-7 months before I threw in the towel and moved on. I had been there 12 years, 16 with the company. The next year wasn’t any easier as I took a job I was well overqualified for just to pay the bills and help keep the roof over our heads. Fortunately, that was short lived and I was finally able to find a job that I truly love, and have been there now for almost 2 years. But, the hard road ahead was not over yet. 

Last year, the universe decided to throw everything it could at me, just to see how much  more I could handle. Unfortunately, I finally broke, and hit the lowest part in my life I have ever been in. You can only take so many hits before you get completely knocked down. The hardest part sometimes though is getting back up. That’s where I am at right now. Slowly getting back up. Yeah, I have some bruises, I have some scars, and in time, they will heal. But, it will not happen overnight, and I have to put in the work. 

During that entire time, exercise was pretty much non-existent for me. Good nutrition wasn’t a part of the plan either. Slowly, everything I used to do to better myself kept being put on the back burner. My physical health was degrading, my mental health was degrading, and I was becoming the very thing I never wanted to be. I was shaving years off my life, and I didn’t care. However, like they say, once you hit rock bottom, there's only one direction you can go. Up! So, that’s what I am doing. 

I’m sharing this with you because I want you to know, I understand what you are going through. I know how hard it can be. We all fall sometimes. It’s making the choice to get back up that is the hardest and most rewarding. Sure, your life will not be the same, there will be things that have changed, but only you can control how you feel about it, and what your next steps will be. Surround yourself with people that will lift you up and keep you going. Actively focus on the better things in your life, and work on improving the areas that need a little extra push. Express gratitude for all the great moment in your life. It may not feel like much at times, but I’m willing to bet you have more than enough to be thankful for. Finally, don’t do it alone. Find someone to talk with. A close friend or family member, a therapist, a preacher, whomever works for you. They may hold the key that could be just what you need to fully get back up.