I absolutely ate 💩 less than 1 minute into an easy run two weeks ago. 

[Side note: there's only a few more days to save $500 on our group coaching program. The next opening will be after April 2023. Click here to reserve your spot for January.] 

As I tried to apply meaning to the experience, it stood out to me because I'd like to think that I'm not a clumsy person.

I can count on one hand the number of times I've experienced a physical injury, exercise-induced or not.

In fact, the last time I fell was over 5 years ago during a run (yep) while newly pregnant with my second son.

Cardio, I tell ya 😂 

I remember waking up that Saturday morning, placing 3 different Instacart orders for my son's last minute 6th birthday party planning for 40 people because the nutrition coach in me just couldn't do the pizza-and-cake-only thing, trying to recover after pulling five 14+ hour works days in a row that week, just feeling quasi-back to normal after 3 weeks of a nagging cold, and squeezing in a short 25-minute run knowing my entire day was going to be busy because daily movement is one of my non-negotiables.

My husband and I started off our easy paced neighborhood run as we normally do, with a little Kaskade playing from someone's phone and our two sons, ages 6 and 10, riding on their bikes right in front of us.

Now, we don't really live in a busy area in Buda, Texas, about 30 minutes south of Austin.

But on this day, it felt chaotic immediately.

There was a light rain falling, already slick roads, lots of extra cars driving faster than usual on our streets, and more parked cars on the side streets than I've ever seen.

About 30 seconds after we start, with multiple cars coming in both directions, I'm trying to herd my boys off the street and onto the side walk for safety.

I was already at peak stress and was looking forward to an easy, chill run to burn off some cortisol and increase those good-feeling neurotransmitters and endorphins.

Unfortunately, in my haste to protect my kids and after my nervous system had already been fried, I missed this GIANT edge protruding from a very specific area on the sidewalk that I happened to step on.

My foot got caught on the edge while the top half of my body hurled forward leaving my legs scrambling behind to find ground under me.

And as time slowed down in that weird moment, I thought, well if this isn't a metaphor for what this entire Fall and early Winter has felt like so far... trying to move forward but feeling the very foundation under me being ripped away.

I landed HARD on the concrete...

My right knee took the brunt of the fall, with my right elbow / hand and left knee absorbing the rest.

And then I skidded for what felt like an eternity.

I was in pain immediately and went right into triage mode to asses the damage: how bad was it? Was I going to be able to run? Or even walk? Was this a little road rash or was this going to take me out for a long time?

The blood started to gush while the stinging took over.

I just laid there face down for a minute, and all three of my guys rushed over to help.

Then, I sat up and just cried.

UGLY cry face. I let it rip.

The tears were from pain but also a release from holding so much in:

• I was frustrated that this was my ONLY chance to carve out a measly 30 minutes to do something for myself before a busy weekend. 
• I was frustrated that I had injured myself bad enough, knowing it would impact my regular strength training practice.
• I was frustrated that I was experiencing this setback on top of an already extremely stressful few weeks of my kids being sick, then me, etc.
• I was frustrated that I had let myself get to this point of extreme stress in so many areas of my life. I'm supposed to have my sh*t together, right?
• I was frustrated that I couldn't do it all: stay grounded so I could be a good mom, try to create meaningful rituals around the holidays without getting sucked into consumerism, set up last minute travel plans, attend school holiday events and sing-a-alongs, set boundaries for social engagements without being a curmudgeon, spend quality time with my husband who was also operating at max capacity, meal prep, cook, clean, the basics, get all the things done I wanted to for work, and somewhere in there take care of myself and my health.
• And most of all, I was frustrated that I likely couldn't just plow through it all. My normal response to chaos and stress is to push forward like a warrior. This time around, it wasn't working.

I finally got up from the sidewalk, blood dripping down all my limbs, and I could barely stand up on my right leg as the pain was so bad.

My husband was sweetly offering to walk me back home but he knew well enough to not push me into doing anything... in these rare moments when I'm in a max stress state, I imagine that for him... it's kinda like putting your hand out to feed a wild animal and hoping not to get bit 😂 

I hobbled along for a few steps trying to shake it off. 

I knew it was pretty bad though. Bad enough to go home and put my leg up.

But then I took one look up at my sons... watching their faces, there was no way I was going to let them see me give up. Not a chance!

I just started running. And they followed along after me in silence.

I was running, bleeding, and sobbing at the same time.

After 2.5 miles and scaring half the neighborhood with my bloody limbs, we made it home.

And that's when I REALLY let it fly.

Sobbing. Just ugly crying and sobbing and wailing like a toddler in the comfort of my soulmate's arms.

I felt safe to let go and let it all out. All my overwhelm. All the stress. All the feelings.

Sharing my emotions with and around others is still a very new practice for me. It's vulnerable and scary and uncomfortable, but I'm learning.

And my husband doesn't try to fix it. He just let me BE. And that's exactly what I needed.

I somehow dug deep enough to rally for my son's party and made it all the way until about 4pm when I sat down on the couch and then couldn't get up.

Oops. Might have pushed it too hard with running after the fall. 

Two days later after lots of Advil, rest and icing, I was able to walk again.

And then I started to train again, of course, modified completely.

If I've learned anything from physical injuries it's that NOT moving the impacted body part is often worse!

It took me two full weeks to feel about 95% back to normal. 

What a humbling transition to go from feeling crummy to injured... almost 2 months of training thwarted by ailments.

But you know what?

I stopped to appreciate how far I've come. 

Old me would have PANICKED and worried about skipping workouts, gaining weight, etc.

New me was in an odd state of calm and surrender, able to keep the long-term picture in mind and knowing that this supposed "setback" was a small blip in the overall scheme of my journey here on this planet and that it likely had a deeper meaning in getting me to slow down and reassess.

Strangely enough, after sharing my story with a few people, I learned that SO many others were dealing with similar, strange, seemingly out-of-the-blue situations that were so jarring it caused them to snap back into the present moment in so many ways.

... it's like those experiences that teach you real quick how to identify what is truly valuable to you.

It makes you appreciate the little things that you may take for granted. 

For me, the juxtaposition made me feel immense gratitude for my usual physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. 

I felt gratitude for knowing that I wasn't alone, and for having such a beautiful community at The Green Door Life, checking on me and sending me well wishes. 

And this right here is what I'm really getting at with this story: 

THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.

As a lone-wolf, independent, Sag moon and ascendant sign adventure-seeker, community is usually the last thing I rely on or look for...

And now, community is something that feels like the glue that is holding together all the bits and pieces of me that are healing and growing after years of "doing the work" and getting through some of the most challenging experiences of my entire 40 years of life.

Our community, albeit virtual, is bonded through the common thread of self-care.

It all starts within.

We did not come together to drink alcohol.

We did not come together out of obligation because we have a blood relation.

We did not come together because of gossip.

We did not come together by happenstance such as being the parents of our kids' sports team.

We came together by choice over a love and commitment to become our highest selves through nourishing our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

I have never, ever experienced the bonds of such an uplifting community in this way.

These are not people who will talk  poorly about you or tear you down, or compete with you, or peer pressure you into getting sloshed, or guilty trip you to eat a bunch of crappy food...

These are people who genuinely celebrate your wins with pure happiness.

These are people who are vocal about compliments and shower praise from a place of truly seeing you in your highest power.

These are people who see the beauty in you: your physical AND spiritual beauty.

These are people who are not just surface level, but who go deep.

These are people who would be there for you in a heartbeat, even if they only have known you through a small square on Zoom for the last 2 years.

These are people who are my rock of inspiration to show up day in and day out, even when I don't want to train or take care of myself... I do it as much for them as for me.

These are my people.

And this is why we opened up group coaching... so we can open the doorway to share the magic of what has been brewing at The Green Door Life for the past 4 years!! 🤯  

We won't be offering up this group program again until after April 2023.

If you are looking for a community to hold space for you even in your darkest hours, this is the place.

Click below to reserve your spot by December 31st using the $500 off discount codes before prices increase in the new year:

We can't think of any better gift to give yourself (or a loved one) this holiday season...

... a gift that won't end up in the trash after a few months but rather continues to pay you back in health for LIFE.

Any questions before signing up? Click reply to this email, and we'll get right back to you.

It's go time, and we're ready to lead this group into feeling the best ever in 2023 and beyond!

Shannon Morse & Lisa Kirby | Creators of Awaken Your Nutrition @thegreendoor.life  |  thegreendoorlife.com

P.S. Our in-person strength training workshop sold out! And, we expect the group coaching enrollment to fill up quickly, so the time to sign up is now.

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When you're done trying "all the things" and are tired of feeling tired, we'll be here waiting for you with open arms! Apply for our life-changing 12-week Awaken Your Nutrition program today and feel better at your next meal.

Book a discovery call today to get started.

You'll speak with a Green Door Life team member and learn more about flexible payments and the right type of program to support your goals and learning style.

Click the Discovery Call link below or forward this to a loved one who is ready for this support in their life (limited space available; serious inquiries only)👇

P.S. Looking for more nutrition, health, and training support? Here are 2 ways we can help you:  

  (1) WATCH OUR FREE MASTERCLASS → Discover the 3-step system in our that helps you activate your natural weight management code without restricting your favorite foods or exercising excessively! Click here to register and view at your convenience.

 (2) GET LEAN → If you’re ready to permanently lose at least 10 pounds in as little as 8 weeks or want to maximize your performance and muscle tone, then book a discovery call with us.

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