Why do bad things happen?
There’s the book, “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” by Harold S. Kushner. Full disclosure, even though I haven’t read this insightful bestseller, I know the title has always given me pause to ponder the question.
Here’s what’s going on in my life.
My girl, Cali, a few months ago, had a severe medical emergency that could have been life-threatening. We went through lots of vet
appointments and more different types of medication than I can count, not to mention acupuncture and all of the supplemental care I gave her.
It paid off. After two months, my 15-year-old girl was feeling better than ever. She was more energetic and alert than she had been in a long time. I joked around that she was acting like a 10-year-old. I even told her vet that he had my permission to write a case study on her if he liked. Both of us were feeling so proud of her visit this past week. It had been a long and scary haul, and our efforts of keeping Cali happy and healthy had more than paid off.
Then, the next morning, she was feeling so good, she decided to leap off the couch where I was giving her medication. She must have thought she was a superhero with a cape that allowed her to fly. Unfortunately, she landed funny and started to limp. After a call to MSCPA-Angell, I decided to bring her in to get checked out. I was hoping that they would say that it was nothing serious and to keep her off her feet for a few days. But, no. Instead, they said she had, in human terms, a “torn ACL” and needed surgery or rehab. At 15 years old, it is preferable to avoid surgery whenever possible So we’re going through rehab which will be at least ___ weeks. All her wellness gone in the space of time it took her to jump from the couch to the floor.
Life felt unfair.
So, I cried and I cried. I was so sad that after all of our hard work, Cali had this setback. It didn’t seem fair at all. My heart was broken. I was angry, sad, disappointed, frustrated, upset and beside myself that this had happened.
I wished I could turn back the clock.
What would I have done differently? Stopped her in mid-air as she jumped? Stopped her from jumping? The truth is I can’t protect her 24 hours a day (as much as I would like to think I’m her superhero and can do so).
I had to dig deep to ground myself. If I’m not grounded, I’m no good to Cali or me.
I pulled out my tool kit of resources.
I scheduled a call with my coach to help me put the situation in perspective. I knew I couldn’t do this by myself because the circumstances were too fresh and close to my heart.
And then I remembered my mantra: “Today is a really good day.”
At first, it seemed like the craziest thought to even remotely consider the same day as her injury.
But even though my mantra was practically impossible for me to believe in between the tears, I stuck with it and realized:
- Cali’s injury could have been worse.
- We were only in the ER for 2 hours.
- It was a holiday and I had the day free to take Cali to the hospital.
- We have lots of great resources to help with recovery.
- I’m not alone. Other people also have emergencies in their lives.
These new thoughts of awareness started to ground and comfort me. I can’t help Cali if I’m a mess. This mindset shift was so critical.
How often do things happen in our lives that throw us off course? These things can affect how we show up in our business and our personal lives. How we choose to react allows us to survive or to fail.
My power statement was created.
I kept reminding Cali that “We’re strong women and we’ll get through this. We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again.”. It was being said as much for her as it was for me. (Side note: Did you know that our dogs pick up on our energy?)
I needed this mindset of strength, power, confidence, trust, and belief to move forward; otherwise, both Cali and I would suffer.
A valuable life lesson I was reminded of today. I can’t control everything that happens to me and those I love. But I can control how I 
respond.
Today, I decided to take care of me. Tai Chi was the answer of the day. It slowed me down, allowed me to center, ground, and focus on my breathing and movements. I chose to take care of me so I can take care of her.
Choose you,
Kate Beeders
The Breakthrough Success Expert
P.S. Having phenomenal coaches has made all of the difference for me on my journey. If you’re looking for that type of support and 
ready to hire a coach, let’s talk. Contact my team today.
P.P.S. Side note: Cali was moving pretty slowly due to her injury. I made chicken soup (for me!) and for the heck of it, gave her a
little bit. The homemade soup with chicken and vegetables perked her up faster than the medication. Love how chicken soup helps heal everything.
