Physical Fitness

A number of years ago, I invested in my health by signing up for a boot camp fitness program at a local gym.  When I started the boot camp my physical fitness was at an all time low point for me.  Despite my history of sports and athletics, during the first few months I felt terribly awkward when performing some of the various calisthenics.  As the months progressed, not only did I regain muscle coordination, but I noticed that my recovery rate was increasing.  In other words the amount of time was decreasing that it took my body to recover and return to a state of rest after an intense workout.  Your physical bounce-back-ability is essentially your recovery rate which measures your heart rate and the time it takes your body to go from peak performance to a resting state.

Emotional Fitness

Around the same time, I faced an interesting situation at a company where I was working.  Out of the blue, my superior gave me a final written warning, despite the fact I was never given an initial warning.  I discovered that a client I worked with had made accusations against me which were completely unfounded and outright lies which would have been revealed with minimal investigation had my superior taken the time to weigh the so-called evidence against me.  Later that evening, after shedding a few tears of embarrassment and fear that I might lose my job, I felt myself returning to my normal state and found my equilibrium.  In the weeks that followed I found myself experiencing “bounce-back-ability” and pondering the fact that I was able to recover emotionally within hours from something that in the past would have taken me days or weeks to recover from.

Six months later I experienced Déjà vu.  Once again my trial was over before it began.  At 8am on a Monday morning after a grueling week consulting with clients in Florida I was handed my final check and termination letter.

A client accused me.  My manager presented their case.  The HR Department endorsed it.  My director sat silently as my judge.  I was tried, convicted, and sentenced.  To add insult to injury, I was never allowed to give my testimony or defense.  And sadly, I was truly innocent of all charges.

I walked away and I held my head high.  I had nothing to be ashamed of.  But then the battle began.  A thousand insidious voices filled my mind.  “What will people think?  What will people say?”  Often as people, our first reaction is to sentence ourselves behind bars of failure in the prisons of our own minds.  If we are not careful we will let what other say about us become the truth we believe about ourselves.  The court case in my mind would be the setting of the true trial I needed to face. I was the defendant and the lawyer, the judge and the jury.  The verdict would be what I believed about myself and my future.

Did I really care what others thought?  The thing that mattered most was what I thought about myself and my future.  I already believed “Your Biggest Problem is Your Greatest Opportunity.”  Now, I just had to live it.  So to start, I reinterpreted the crisis by reframing it.  As I drove away I told myself “They didn’t fire me.  They freed my future.”  A new future meant a new beginning.  A new beginning deserved a celebration.  And, what better way to celebrate than by going skiing.

Despite it being the second week of January it was one of the warmest spring skiing days I had experienced in a long time.  Riding the chair lift up the mountain I had plenty of time for reflection.  I spent almost 50 hours a week working in a cubicle facing two computer monitors, the last place on earth I ever said I would work.  The highlight of the job was traveling about one week each month all over the United States to consult with clients and train their teams.  But, the truth was that I had not been very happy with the company.  Although I had been very thankful for the income and the professional challenge of my work I also found that I was withering inside.  I had told a few close friends in recent weeks that I could not imagine myself with this company for more than another year.

Bounce-back-ability

I was surprised and embarassed by the way the situation ended and as I rode the chair lift up the mountain I pondered what I needed to do to keep myself from being locked in a prison of failure.  It seemed to me the key to transforming my situation was honor.  It has been said that When you honor those who dishonor you – you will be rewarded.  Doing this goes against the natural inclinations of human nature but like a plane breaking free from the power of gravity there is a whole new world to see.   The spiritual principle of honor may be invisible but it is no less real.  And surprisingly, can be the key to freedom.  So to honor my managers I sent them each a gift along with a card thanking them for all I had learned from them.

Months later, instead of prison bars I found many doors of opportunity.  I started building another business and in a whirlwind romance, I met and married my husband.

In what ways have you been sentenced by others or locked yourself in the prison of your own mind?  Use the key of honor to escape your prison.  Free your future!  Celebrate a new beginning!  Go skiing!  And while you’re riding the chair lift up the mountain, remember the words of Dr. Seuss.

You’re off to great places! Today is your Day!  You’re mountain is waiting so get on your way!

Photo: Used with permission Creative Commons CC0