How to deal with life’s hurdles

Hurdling is the act of running and jumping over an obstacle and landing on both feet. Envision a runner sprinting around a track and jumping hurdle after hurdle with such ease.

Photo by Eduard Labár

A properly trained athletic hurdler can make it look so effortless. But, we all know that there must be a certain technique to it. Hurdling techniques come with a lot of practice. I am almost certain nobody gets it right immediately. After researching I found out that the focus is really not the hurdle itself, it’s the landing technique. The key for each runner is to be able to land in a way that will allow them to spring into motion for the next hurdle. A non-athletic person like myself would probably look at each of those hurdles on the field as insurmountable.

Life’s hurdles are inevitable but doable. We all can agree that we’ve had what we thought were insurmountable hurdles in our life journey. When we look back at the hurdles that we have had in our past, we see that we did make it over. The question is, how did we land? This is what I know for sure “The past is what you know, the future is what you believe."

Taking responsibility for our experiences and actions on a moment to moment basis, is training for the hurdles of life. Understanding that each decision in each moment of life counts.

Photo by GR Stocks

Every decision, setback, or victory is an opportunity to identify your truths. It’s a moment to separate what you’re not from who you are. I was my mother’s second child of four and the only girl. When my mother became ill that was what I thought was an insurmountable hurdle for me. When she died, that was my landing and it was not a good one.

During my childhood, many circumstances and happenstances caused me to become emotionally hard. I learned at an early age that it was best for me not to feel or care too much. Through my mother’s sickness, I refused to let compassion expose itself. Yes, I was at her bedside every day, I even moved back home to take care of her. I made it over the hurdle by being there and making sure she had everything she needed and that all her household business was taken care of. I jumped the hurdle of her sickness but after the sickness, both feet never landed I continued running. Never allowing myself to be in that moment that would let me see who I really was. I continued being what I was not. Still refusing to let compassion expose itself leaving my siblings to fend for themselves. After the funeral, I took care of business, then left. I was out of touch with my siblings for over 10 years. I Missed so much of their life Journey.

In the words of Maya Angelou “I don't know if I continue, even today, always liking myself. But what I learned to do many years ago was to forgive myself. It is very important for every human being to forgive herself or himself because if you live, you will make mistakes- it is inevitable. But once you do and you see the mistake, then you forgive yourself and say, 'Well, if I'd known better I'd have done better,' that's all.”

As I said in the beginning hurdling is the act of running and jumping over an obstacle and landing on both feet a technique that comes with practice.

As we go through life’s hurdles, use them as training tools to discover who we are, what we are capable of, our weaknesses, and our strengths. Remember, the focus is really not the hurdle itself, it’s the landing technique. The key is to be able to land in a way that will allow you to spring into motion for the next hurdle.

Photo by Interactive Sports