Knock Out

I kid you not, Tres is having a hard week.

Yesterday she got whopped in the eye by her golf club-wielding older sister and just a few minutes ago she made the unfortunate choice of standing in the doorway as the Great Dane was being let into the house.

Yep. She was plowed.

It doesn’t matter that the dog wasn’t trying to run her down, it’s just the dog is ridiculously stupid. Best-natured family dog ever, and I’d HIGHLY recommend the Great Dane as a pet, but oh, my, that dog has rocks in her skull.

So there Tres was, sprawled flat on her back in the middle of the doorway with her legs waggling in the air, howling at the top of her lungs while the dog rummaged around in her crate, trying to get the pillow in just the perfect composition, clueless she was the cause of all the noise.

Of course I ran to get Tres and she was fine after lots of snuggles, kisses and the bribe of a nibble of chocolate, but the whole episode made me think about how I react when I get bowled over.

Let’s face it, all of us get the wind knocked out of our sails every once in a while.

Our grand hopes, dreams and ambitions don’t work out quite like we planned.

Our families aren’t picture perfect like we planned.

That job didn’t work out like we planned.

Our financial situation isn’t turning out like we planned.

When I find myself sitting in the middle of the floor on my behind from an intentional or unintentional knock out, there are a few things I’m training myself to do:

1. Re-evaluate why I had the plan in the first place. What was my motivation for setting the goal in the first place? Maybe it’s not working out because I’ve changed or the goal isn’t relevant anymore. Taking stock of what’s brought you to this place is the first step of deciding which direction to walk as soon as you stand up again.

2. Stand Up and Start Walking. I choose to move. I resolve to go confidently in the direction of my dreams. There are statistics all over the place of people who fail but don’t give up. Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison… people whose names are embedded in history could have stopped earlier in their careers and be seen as failures. But they got back up and started moving. I want to be like that.

3. Smile. Life throws curveballs. Lots of them. I’m doing my best to keep smiling and seeing the quirky, funny and lighthearted aspects of our day-to-day. And you know what? Because I’m role modeling for those little girls, sometimes I smile even when I want to cry. I want them to see a mom who had a fighting spirit and refused to be defeated. So I’m going to smile. (and sometimes my teeth will be gritted, too.)

4. Treats Help, Too. There are times when I think a solid dose of sugar therapy is quite alright. Usually I choose Fruit Gushers but right now I’m craving Milk Duds. It doesn’t really matter what the treat is, but when I’m a little insecure and a $1 bag of candy can help, I think that’s a good investment. Now, if only I could still find a pina colada Eegees. Then life would be seriously sweet!

What are some of the tips you give yourself when you get knocked down?

Facebook Comments

One thought on “Knock Out

  • October 7, 2011 at 7:40 am
    Permalink

    I find that when I get knocked out and life just isn’t going my way I just have to stop whatever I am doing, take a deep breathe, and relax. I go for a walk and spend some time with God in prayer while enjoying nature. Sometimes all it takes is some time away from the usual craziness and stress to clear your head and realize that its really not worth stressing over. Otherwise I will just stay at a stand still.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this: