What Doesn’t Kill Us Makes Us Stronger

How I’m Slowing Down to Get Up

So, a couple of months ago, I got hit really hard in the head by a sofa. The doctor told me I was lucky I wasn’t paralyzed. While that couch might have hit me on my head, it centered my life. I was forced to slow down and prioritize things and relationships that matter most to me. I also had to make decisions that I’d put off for quite some time.

From that experience, I learned the truth behind the adage, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” Life has a funny (and sometimes very painful) way of showing us where those sayings come from.

It’s like that time you might have been embarrassed at school and didn’t want to go the next day because you knew the class bully would taunt you. Or when you tripped while walking up a stage and never wanted to wear heels in public again. Or, more painfully, that time you lost someone you loved and didn’t know how you could possibly celebrate another holiday without them.

Life doesn’t get easier with age but we can certainly get stronger, but only if we take time to reflect and do some soul searching.

After the sofa hit me, I had to stay home from work for quite some time. Though I totally hated it at first, I got used to that sofa by learning to rest, giving myself the grace to have a slower pace and not depleting all of my energy each day.

I’m taking time now to slow down. Instead of pushing myself to push out loads of online content, I’m taking some of that time to slow down and reflect, to reflect on a year that changed me. Thanks to that sofa, I’m finally okay with slowing down sometimes.

I had some great wins in 2019: book project completed, two trademarks awarded, more awards (that I dedicate to my tribe), 24 talks in 10 cities, as well as so much love and support from my family and friends. I also had some losses: friends that died to cancer, who lost critical business to “bigger names,” and missed opportunities because I wasn’t patient enough to wait.

You see, we can’t just think about the upside of life when we reflect, especially at the end of the year. We must think about the times that we got up after we were knocked down – in my case, quite literally. We must never forget the times that our friends and family had our backs or we just took a moment to love ourselves. That is what makes us stronger.

So let go of what isn’t serving you, and step into what is meant to be for you. What fuels the movement inside of your soul? That’s where you’ll find opportunities, possibilities, and hope.

May your 2020 allow you to find your fire! I’m rooting for YOU.