The one of the biggest lessons I can take away from 2018 is: "YOU WILL LEARN MORE FROM BEING ROCK-BOTTOM, THAN YOU WILL EVER LEARN FROM BEING AT THE TOP."
Life is precious and can change in an instant...when I was in my second car accident at the beginning of this year - my whole life changed in an instant!
I was BROKEN.
Financially - I just totaled my brand new car I saved up for years (I didn't have proper insurance yet either, only liability!) The financial burden dealing with all the debt, bills and having to buy a new car was too much.
Emotionally - Going through my second car accident in 3 years, alone in a foreign county, was very tough. I became very isolated and lonely.
Physically - Just recovered from my back injury and suddenly I was out again, unable to run due to concussion and whiplash.
Mentally - I had enough struggling and pain. I no longer wanted to live or run. I felt overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and resentment.
But...
Somehow I came back.
Somehow I managed to get back up.
Somehow every setback this year made me more motivated and determined to come back stronger.
I think the setbacks just make me realize that I want it more - it made me hungrier than before and pushed me to work harder for what I want! It helped me appreciate running even more than before. You realize how much it really means to you - it is so much more than just a sport to me. It's my sanity, my escape, my freedom, and my way of being me! Running connects me to other runners and people that share my passion for this sport.
It's never been easy managing my illnesses while running, but running has always given me a reason to fight for something and keep on going, even during times when my health wasn't good or when I had setbacks like injuries due to accidents. I really believe that I became stronger both physically and mentally as a result of all my obstacles.
Everyone has their own obstacles and things they go through - try to use those SETBACKS AND STRUGGLES TO SET YOU UP FOR SUCCESS.
Please comment below, what did you learn in 2018?
- Annie