I’ve been rather introspective lately, thinking about a recent medical diagnosis I received. I’ve had the symptoms for nearly twenty years, but always managed to explain them away. Until this summer, when I could no longer ignore what was going on. It took a few months of tests, but I finally know what’s going on. To borrow a phrase from cheesy 80’s cartoons, “knowing is half the battle”.

It really is.

It’s nothing life threatening, but it does affect me on a daily basis. Knowing why I need to constantly adjust my expectations and why I can’t always do what I’d like has been… liberating. Instead of being frustrated by perceived failings, I can accept and work around my current limitations.

So why am I sharing this?

Physical ailments can stress us out and push us out of our comfort zones. But so can many adventures that we want to undertake. Hiking, backpacking, even road tripping, can be stressful when we’re first venturing out (and even when we’re more experienced), especially when we hit the inevitable bumps in the road.

Regardless of what we’re going through, mental strength and flexibility can help us come out the other side a better, stronger person. Focusing on the positive aspects makes it easier to weather the situation. Find a silver lining, no matter how thin that lining may be, and keep that front and center, especially when you feel low or depressed or worried it will never end.

But how to find that silver lining?

First, acknowledge the situation.

Yes, the situation isn’t one you wanted and it’s not great, but it is what it is. Accept the affect it has on your life and acknowledge the resulting changes that you’ve had to make, or will have to make.

Second, search for something positive in the situation.

You may have to put a lot of thought into it, but you can do it. Even if it’s only a seemingly tiny thing that you’re able to identify, find a positive note to hold onto.

Illness can bring a much-needed slower-paced schedule or more time with your family. Job loss can allow you more time with your family, as well as the opportunity to evaluate your job skills, the direction your career is going, and whether now is a good time for a change. A broken-down RV or tow vehicle can allow you a breather from a rapid travel schedule or the chance to explore an area more in-depth than you’d planned.

In the case of my recent medical diagnosis, my positive is that I finally know why. Because I have my why, I have a better understanding of what’s going on in my body and I’ve already been able to make some changes and feel better than I have in some time.

Here’s another example: Not too long ago I broke my foot while hiking (I talked a bit about it in this post), which was definitely not in the plan. Pretty sure no one plans to break a bone, but I digress…

It hurt and wasn’t something I wanted to happen, and it certainly put a crimp in some of our plans. It made life difficult (it’s really hard to drive a car with a broken right foot), but there are so many things about the situation that I am grateful for. You heard me right. I was able to find a number of things to be grateful for when I broke my foot.

Finding the silver lining in a broken foot.

1. & 2. Jeremy was with us and able to drive us to the hospital and keep the kids corralled. 

He isn’t often able to hike with us, so if this had occurred while he wasn’t around, I’d have had to wrangle the kiddos back to the parking lot and drive to the hospital myself, all with a broken foot.

And then try to keep the kids entertained at the hospital while getting x-rays and what not. Oh, and they hadn’t eaten dinner and it was 9pm by the time we got to the hospital and we didn’t get back to our campsite till 1am. A recipe for disaster if I ever heard one.

3. The kiddos handled the super late night much better than I thought they would.

Yes, they had their moments, but it was not all-out mayhem the whole time. Jeremy found them some food and kept them entertained and they were quite well behaved, all things considered.

4. The trail was all down hill.

Yes, I had to hobble down the trail for three quarters of a mile to get to the parking lot after I fell, but it was all downhill, which was much easier on my poor foot than an uphill trail would have been.

5. My accident happened after my half marathon.

It would have been so frustrating to break my foot the day before my half marathon rather than the day after. All that training and prep down the drain.

6. Ocean didn’t get hurt.

I’d just strapped Ocean to my back (as I usually did) because he was done hiking, when I tripped and fell. Thankfully I fell straight down and only landed on my knees before quickly rolling off them to my bum. My foot twisted awkwardly as I fell to my knees, but no other part of my body touched the ground- not even my hands. Ocean also never touched the ground. If I’d fallen head over heels, that would not have been the case.

7. My pants.

Despite deeply gouging my left knee on the edge of the broken asphalt of the trail as I fell (five months later, I still have scars), my REI Screeline Hybrid pants escaped unscathed. No holes, tears, or thinning. If you’re in need of good hiking pants, I wholeheartedly recommend them!

8. All the people I came in contact with at the hospital.

The triage nurse, my nurse, the PA, the radiology tech, and the discharge lady. They were all so nice, took good care of me, and the discharge lady found stickers for the boys to keep them occupied while we waited for my discharge papers. It was one of the better ER experiences we’ve had.

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Do you look for the silver lining when life throws you a curveball? How has this impacted your life?