Setbacks...what have YOU learned?

The key is to recognize setbacks for what they really are – entry points for learning not validation that you aren’t good enough. After a disappointment analyze your actions, get feedback from friends & take inventory of what you could do better next time. This type of self-reflection & improvement will ultimately make success inevitable.
Jillian Michaels

Happily on my way to my goal weight, training for the annual 10 mile Pear Blossom in Medford, studying to be a trainer...and BOOM! I got tripped. Tripped by a bag of rocks. Looking back I have shown symptoms since October but had NO idea what was transpiring inside my body; gall bladder disease. Finally, a trip to the doctor and an ultrasound confirmed why I was not feeling well. I went from running and lifting weights daily to sitting on my couch post surgery (to remove my gall bladder) unable to walk to the kitchen without help in just over a week. Can you say major set back?

But I agree with Jillian....setbacks are not "go back to the beginning" cards in my journey to achieving my goals, but rather they are entry points for learning. Whether a bad week on a diet or no exercise due to illness such as this, each set back has teaching potential if I look for it.

What have I learned from THIS setback?

• A gall bladder is small but can seriously alter your body and life when angry and full of stones.
• I don't need a gall bladder.
• The Chinese used to associate the gall bladder with anger.....and attacks can be anxiety induced.
• It is VERY common for people who lose a large amount of weight to need their gall bladder removed. (I would still have done this journey anyway)
• To listen to my body and not wait until I need to be in the emergency room to get help.
• Patience and trust in God and His timing
• How blessed I am with love and support near and far.
  
• That if I am off balance, life will slow me down so that I can re-evaluate and re-prioritize
  
• That it's okay NOT to be perfect all the time.
• Gratitude for good health and for a body that will repair itself and come back stronger.

What have you learned during a setback?