Hey there...

So, I reaalllllllly did it this time.

I'll spare you the details because I don't know how squeamish you are. But last Thursday morning went like this:

• I was hiking.
• Then I was dialing 911.
• Then I was scheduling an orthopedic consult for ankle surgery.

The moment my body smacked the dirt, I yelped "no! no! no!" even before I sobbed "ow! ow! ow!"

There's certainly no good time to break an ankle.

But five weeks before a long-planned Grand Canyon rim-to-rim backpacking adventure has to be among the worst.

My first question to Josh, the paramedic who finally heard my emergency whistle after he'd been wandering the woods looking for me for 45 minutes, was this: "I'm training for a Grand Canyon hike next month. What are the chances I can still...?"

I didn't even finish my question before Josh slowly shook his head. And then he requested permission to cut off my boot and administer fentanyl.

F*ck.

From the side of the trail, as the gaggle of medics determined their extraction strategy, I ping-ponged between wincing in pain and wailing from disappointment.

I practiced resonance breathing when I felt my lips and fingers tingle with shock.

I sent vague emails cancelling the day's appointments.

I cracked self-deprecating jokes with the rescue squad.

I fired off brave, growth mindset-y messages to my virtual trainer and breathwork coach.

I accepted tearful hugs from Prince Jack who, as much as he wanted to, could not fix this.

I reminded myself over and over of this Truth...

Pep Talk #026: The Grand Canyon isn't going anywhere.

I don't know what speed bump you've hit on the way to your "Grand Canyon." But I do know how tempting it is to shrug your shoulders and sour grapes the hell out of setbacks.

But don't you dare give up. Instead:

#1 Feel your FEELINGS. Especially the icky ones: anger, frustration, disappointment, grief, bitterness, envy, whatever. Stuffing that sh*t down won't get you back on the proverbial trail any faster. And the truth is, emotions won't tolerate repression forever anyway. They will find their way forward, one way or another. So just go ahead and feel 'em now. And again tomorrow. And again the next day. For as long as it takes to move them out.

#2 Audit your THINKING. When you're facing an unexpected obstacle, be on high alert for cognitive distortions: catastrophizing, over-generalizing, fortune-telling, and more. Simply put, don't believe everything you think. Hold every thought up to the light, evaluate the evidence supporting it (or lack thereof), and change your mind.

Finally, it may be helpful to remember that thoughts trigger emotions, and feeling fuels thinking. So when you're sitting on the side of the trail, intentionally travel between your head and your heart, and trust that each knows what the other—and you—need.

And with that, I'm on my way to wash my hair in the kitchen sink (one-handed because I broke my wrist, too), test out another brand of "bathing cloths" (showers are a no-go for now), and knee-scooter my way to my surgery consult.

With love,
Kelley

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