Tricky Life Lesson Learned from a Trick Ankle

LESSON LEARNED FROM A TRICK ANKLE

I have a trick ankle that acts up when I least expect it. I can be walking along the hiking trail feeling great and in a blink of an eye, my ankle suddenly twists and I'm down for the count.

Life is sometimes tricky like my ankle--taking you down when you least expect it.

But I've learned a very important lesson from my trick ankle I apply to life. The proper response to being taken down is to get back up, brush yourself off, and keep on walking. The injury you endure from your fall will be lessened when you just keep going.

SNAP OUT OF IT! GET UP AND TAKE THE NEXT STEP!

As I sat on the couch treating my most recent twisted ankle using the R.I.C.E. protocol, I considered how similar the treatment of an acute soft tissue injury is to the treatment of an acute injury to the spirit.

Just as the R.I.C.E. principle of Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation is prescribed for the early treatment of acute soft tissue injuries, such as an ankle sprain or strain, the four R.I.C.E. steps can be used to guide you in the treatment of an acute injury to your spirit.

R.I.C.E. FOR ACUTE INJURY TO THE SPIRIT

Rest your spirit. Give yourself down time to calm rather than inflame the situation. An Epson salts soak can help remove the aches and pains, and calm you after a fall from grace or a twisted ankle.

Ice--Apply a 20 minute period of 'chilling out' every hour as needed for the first 48 hours after injury to your spirit. Do something else to take your mind off your problem.

Compression--Contain the injury to your spirit by pulling in and creating a safe place to just be. Compress the time you dwell on the problem.

Elevation--Look up from your problems to find the the solution for moving on out there. The recommendation for healing an injured ankle is to elevate it at or above the level of the heart. It is the same for healing your tender spirit--elevate your view above the level of your heart. 

Keep it simple...and keep on going.

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For more than 30 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes changing easier than ever before.


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