To the average human, pain can be completely debilitating. In fact, headaches, cramps, back pain, knee pain…you name it, I’ve dealt with it. But to this alleged superwoman, pain is merely a speed bump. It’s in those moments, I accept that I must merely put my big girl panties on.
Although I tolerate pain on a different level than the average person, it still hurts. It hurts enough to knock me off the path that I “thought” I was supposed to be on. Which brings me to my first point. Your path is not always the one YOU choose. A redirection is sometimes inevitable. For instance, you can look at it like a course correction of sorts. Over the last year, my course seems to have been completely decimated and seeing through the smoke and debris had gotten difficult. But those glimmers of light that made it through the gloom were the most illuminating.
Allowing the light to illuminate your next move takes a bit of courage. This is especially true when you are responsible for the health and well-being of other humans and you have no idea what to do next. Putting on those big girl panties means being present enough to understand what needs to happen while setting aside the fear long enough to get it done. Life is about the curves, the highs, and the lows. That’s where we superheroes learn the most about our abilities. The important part of this journey we call life, is that we discover more about ourselves when we make mistakes. The key is getting through it all unscathed.
For me, physical pain was at times, my Kryptonite. But for others, the uncharted or unrecognizable territory they face can be what weakens them. I too have dealt with doubt and I found that documenting things helped me to make sense of each particular situation. Despite the completed picture not being clear for you right now, put the pieces together the best way possible.
Technology has made note-taking a no-brainer. On the other hand, you can be completely old-school. With this in mind, use everything at your disposal. Create a note on your phone, carry a small journal or notebook…it helps. I have used all of thee above and it helped to sort through the chaos of puzzle pieces that my life shifted into.
As puzzling as change can be, these big girl panties strengthen our ability to tolerate the turbulence that change brings. Accept change…as hard as it may be. Acceptance is the first step.
Dedicated to those in my life that have specifically reminded me on numerous occasions to “Put my big girl panties on!” I hope you know who you are.
Photo by Patrick Kool on Unsplash
