The Question that Changes Everything

For several years, I have wrestled with a lower-back injury. It would recede a bit, I would think "finally," and then bend over to tie my shoe and aggravate it once again, setting me back days and sometimes weeks. Walking was pretty much the only thing that helped.

I remember one day vividly. I was feeling good and went into the gym excited to get back to my routine. I had one wrong move and my back said “heck no” to the specific workout I had planned. I was frustrated and angry and slammed out the door. But then I paused—literally paused mid-step—and asked myself “what can I do?”

I walked back in. Turns out, there were about a dozen different movements and exercises that I could do.

Was it the best workout of my life? Nope. Was I able to do what I had planned to do? Nope. But did I move my body, reduce my stress, fire up my happy hormones and improve my overall fitness? Absolutely.

But more importantly, I taught myself a lesson: the value of asking “what can I do?”

So next time a plan goes awry, next time the universe conspires to keep you from executing on the plan you had made rather than storming out in frustration, pause at the door and ask yourself “what can I do?”