Don't let the challenge break you

Hey there,

Welcome back to the Dowur Post.

Ideas and inspirations to encourage you to do more of what matters in your life.

Weekly Reflection

Challenges will only ever break you, if you let them.

I am just shy of two weeks out from my shoulder surgery and the recovery has begun

The first week was brutal. From the sleepless nights, to extreme pain, and a completely swollen arm…it was not fun.

But, now that I’m approaching the two week mark, I am starting to feel remarkably better.

I’ve stopped taking all of the pain medication and I’ve even started on some light physical therapy stretches, which has helped ease the swelling in my arm.

As the pain has let up, I’ve begun to realize how much of a mental challenge this recovery will be.

I have this constant feeling that I am trapped inside my own body, knowing I can do so much, but unable to freely get up and move around like I used to.

My arm is a dead weight at my side and no matter what position I sit in, I am uncomfortable.

And the thought of…”how the heck am I going to get through this”…runs through my head constantly.

In times like these, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by how far away you are from the end goal, whether that’s being healthy again or a business goal.

But the important thing to remember is that if you are capable of doing the little things every day, like your PT stretches, eating the right things, or making forward progress in work.

You will incrementally improve on a daily basis.

It won’t feel like much in the moment, but when you look back 1 week, 1 month, or 1 year from now - you will see how all those little actions added up.

Action Step

Talk to someone this week.

Make a new connection or rekindle a past friendship.

Going through this surgery has reminded me how important it is that we connect with others in real life and have face-to-face conversations.

Whether it’s grabbing coffee, going for a run or catching up on walk…

Find a way to connect.

Until next time,

-Grant