Injury

I injured my calf this week running on the treadmill at my gym. I tried really hard to work through it, pausing to walk it off, stretching it for a minute or two, walking again, and then up to slowly running on it. Once I felt a pop in the middle of my calf, I was done for the remainder of my workout.

I was disappointed because I didn’t get to finish, and I hoped that it was just a cramp that would go away in a couple of days so that I could resume my leg routines. I put heat on it, kept trying to stretch it out, yet being careful about how much weight and stress I would put on it. Each day got a little better, but what I noticed more than anything is that little injury set back my motivation to work out all together.

I could have easily gone to the gym to work out on my arms, chest, shoulders, and back. None of those areas were injured. However, I was completely unmotivated to go to the gym, just because of this little setback in my leg. How interesting that this parallels my life so much of the time.

I don’t know if this is typical of survivors or people in general, but for myself, I notice that a small setback in any area of my life can damage the progress I make in many other areas of my life. Work especially can really knock me out of whack since I place so much of my own value on what I can accomplish there. If I find that a lesson didn’t go well or students weren’t responding to me, then I personalize those events and think that in every area of my life I’m a failure and not respected. If I try something that doesn’t work out, then I’m inept at everything and should just give up trying at all.

Hopefully, I can apply more of what I know rather than what I feel at the time, using my strengths to help shore up my weaknesses. I could also give one area of my life a rest, yet still continue to be diligent in other areas until I’ve been able to repair that area. Also, I could go to others to get support for when I’m struggling all around. God has provided for me so many ways to make my life move forward. My battle is not with the physical aspects that keep me tied up, but the emotional and spiritual forces that try to keep me from progressing.