102 | How I Re-framed My Skiing Injury

This year has started off with a bang. On a recent skiing trip, I injured my MCL and was put in a brace for two months! I’m still in that brace, but instead of feeling sorry for myself and letting my injury get me down, I’ve decided to re-frame this event into something positive. Today I’ll be talking about the three questions I asked myself to help me look at my injury as an opportunity, rather than a setback.

1. What can I be thankful for?

The times when you’re most bummed about your circumstances are also the most important times to focus on gratitude. Ask yourself, “What am I thankful for?”. When I asked myself this question, I found I was thankful for a lot. 1) I got injured day three, instead of day one, 2) The injury forced me to just sit and hang out with my friends, and so on. When you find yourself feeling down, ask yourself what there is to be thankful for, it’s a really powerful way to change your attitude.

2. What did I gain from this?

Stop and ask yourself how you can grow from your experience and what you can take away from it. For me, I gained an appreciation for my friends, who helped me through it, and for my way of life. The fact that an office wasn’t waiting for me at 9 a.m. the next day was wonderful. Also, taking the time I needed wasn’t going to affect me that much. It was really liberating, and it caused me to view my employment situation a little differently.

3. What did I learn from this?

This question is important because it helps you contextualize the event. One of the more obvious things I learned was always wear a helmet. But more than that, I learned I have amazing friends, and that sometimes it’s ok to need help.

All three of these questions are really important for me to consider as I move forward in life, and I’m grateful I got an opportunity to learn from this experience!

When you find yourself feeling down, ask yourself what there is to be thankful for—it’s a really powerful way to change your attitude.

Main Takeaways Practice gratitude and be thankful for the things that went well. Don’t let one negative event overshadow all of the positive. There’s always something to be learned from any event, positive or negative. Don’t let the opportunity to learn and grow pass you by.