Setbacks/Comebacks

“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway” John Wayne

Fatigue, Footing, and Form Factored in. We Fell. Hard. Jubilee jumped up, mad at losing to her archrival and nemesis, the little black steer. But I didn’t. An ambulance carried me away, and after months of recovery and rehabilitation I was scared to death to get back in the saddle.

The comeback took time, patience, grace. Grace says, “work through it”, “here’s how” “take your time.” Grace came from trainers, family, friends, my horse, but not so much from me. When we have a setback, we can be mad at ourselves about progress, fear, anxiety. Or blame ourselves.

As a fitness instructor I hear a lot about injuries and various physical setbacks. People are surprised to learn that, since muscle memory is cumulative, comebacks are faster the longer we live.

Can this cumulative muscle memory work for emotional, mental, spiritual, setbacks as well? Can comebacks be quicker and stronger the longer we live? I sure hope so, and thought of it inspires me, because setbacks will keep coming.

Setbacks to comebacks. That’s the story of our lives.

We may be scared to death. Saddle up anyway. Just like John Wayne.