Setback to a New Direction

In life, setbacks are as common as breathing.  Therefore, we can divide ourselves into two categories: those who have experienced setbacks and those who are about to experience them.  Sometimes a setback can be a single event, and other times a setback arrives in waves resembling tough looking, leather clad, biker dudes who are ready to rumble.  No matter its appearance, a setback is never greeted with a smile and a hand shake.  In fact, there are few events that provoke the voice box to deliver a multitude of curse words like setbacks.    I must admit, my past dealings with setbacks have not gone well, but today was very different. 

The year 2011 held high hopes for me to run the Portland Marathon, yet I've experienced a setback in trying to stay healthy.  It's a known fact that runners suffer both leg and foot injuries at a higher rate than people that play other sports.  To prevent injury, I decided to have my knees adjusted...it was a mistake.  The adjustment was done properly; however, my body didn't properly respond, and running since then has been uncomfortable.  My discomfort has led to lay-offs in my normal running schedule.  Now, I could dwell on the negative experience of this setback, but there's no need.  As I make my way back to the drawing board, I do so with the knowledge that Success is somewhere wearing a bright red dress, holding a glass of blue champagne, and ready to toast to my arrival.  A setback is an obstacle, not a stop sign.  The question that we must ask after a setback back isn't 'what for,' it's 'what's next?'  See a setback as an obstacle against which you must change your stance: hit it, push it, bend it and break it. (Four Point Stance).

During ancient times, those brave people who set out to sail the open seas possessed great courage and skill.  Getting lost at sea most often meant death.  Therefore, navigation was the most coveted skill for a sailor.  The navigator used his knowledge of the stars, an understanding of the sun's path over its eclectic, and his ability to properly mark time to find the ship's approximate position.  The navigator was never alone in determining the ships path.  He would always have eager deck hands who wanted to make sure that the plotted course was correct, because they too were in the ship.  The same applies as you mark time through the ocean of life.  You must surround yourself with hands that are on your ship and eager to help you stay on course, regardless of the disappointments.  Don't fool yourself into believing that you're alone in experiencing any setback.  Loneliness is a myth given tremendous power by your belief that no one else understands your plight.  There are 6 billion people on this planet that share many of your anxieties, strengths, and weaknesses, regardless of ethnicity, culture or language.  Remember that God applies the proper spin to the forward motion of your steps.  Step back and reevaluate your position.  Fix your vision upon the distant horizon, then start moving again.

I've lived in Portland for many years, and as often as I driven around the city with Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens in view, I've never considered hiking to their summits.  It wasn't until some co-workers, who hike to the summit of Mount St. Helens each year, invited me to join the adventure that a new sense of focus came into view.  This year I will hike to the summit of Mount St. Helens.  The running setback has become an opportunity to change my stance and set a new course.  There's a new aim to my ambitions, and I access my purposeful direction every time I look to the hill as I drive by.

Finally, don't forget to dream.  Dreams speak of possibilities and give birth to visions.  Visions will speak of strategies and bring forth focus, and focus will link arms with determination leading to achievement...even if a setback arrives.

Cheers, and keep on running!