I've almost died twice. Literally, woken up in the ER.
So this quote is deeply meaning for me, "We all have two lives. The second one starts when we realize that we only have one." (or maybe 3 in my case)
Near Death #1 - Life Lesson (at age 29):
👉 Vulnerability is the key to deep, meaningful relationships.
Up until the bike crash, I proudly identified as a stoic, independent, can-do anything woman. Sure, I had friends and romantic relationships, but quite honestly, I held back from expressing my emotions. There are too many reasons to detail right now, but lack of modeling, my own insecurities, and zero personal reflection were all big contributors.
After the accident, I made a decision. I chose to let my guard down. To tell people how much I loved them without worrying if that was "weird". To hug more, cry more, and to be more real! It was a life-changer.
Near Death #2 (broken neck) - Life Lesson (age 41):
👉 There's a difference pushing your limits & limiting your potential.
We all need to take on progressively harder challenges. If you're not challenging yourself to do bigger & better things on a regular basis, you're only working within the confines of what you already can do. And that is a sure-fire way to stay stuck & unfulfilled.
But here's the caveat, when you focus on your checklist but you don't check-in with your mental wellbeing, your quality of life is stunted. We can all "get shit done" but is that shit making you happy or is it just checking a box? Maybe it's even preventing you from getting the real shit done - like developing deeper sense of self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-love.
12 weeks in a neck brace forced me to take a real look at my quality of life. The truth was, my athletic and career accomplishments had overshadowed the fact I was emotionally destitute from a marriage that was literally destroying me. I was limiting my potential for happiness, for the rest of my life, by not living my truth. And that realization, was a turning point.
👉 Know this... it is NEVER TOO LATE to start living your best life.
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