It is very common in our society these days to align our self-worth with the things we achieve or do. While this can be a fantastic way to help yourself feel happy and great with yourself, these things do not solely encompass you as a whole person. I am an avid long-distance runner, but I have been suffering from a gnawing injury for the last year and a half and still have not healed.
I used to align my happiness with running throughout all of high school and it worked out excellent for me. I LOVE running with all that I am, and so partaking in this activity each day was the highlight of every day for me. However, once I developed this stubborn injury, I had to learn who I am WITHOUT the one thing that I aligned with my personality. Though this was immensely difficult and defeating, it was something I am grateful I have had and continue to endure because I had to realize that I am more than the hobbies I enjoy performing.
These outlets that a lot of us engage in are numerous and there are many examples that come to mind when I think of them. It could be singing, playing an instrument, partaking in any sport or recreational activity/club, acting, photography, drawing/painting, baking, and so on. There can be many obstacles that can get in the way of these that unfortunately occur in life for many people.
For example, if someone develops vocal cord nodules, then they have to refrain from singing for some time. If someone LOVES to sing, and it brings them joy, it can be a very defeating feeling to not be able to actively engage in it for some time. This was how it was for me with running.
All of a sudden, I had to find other things in my life that made me happy that were not related to exercise or running due to my condition. It felt like I had lost a crucial piece of my personality. Everyone who knows me knows that I have a profound love for running that is such that I used to become sad after my runs because I would then have to wait an entire day until I could go on another run! Now, I couldn’t even run on a weekly basis because my body was not in the proper form to be able to handle that stress on the body.
One of the things I began to focus on instead of running was forming this “challenge” for myself to do at least two random acts of kindness each day whether that was sending a nice text to a person I care about letting them know I am thinking of them, writing a positive sticky note and attaching it to someone’s door or backpack, or even just holding the door open and smiling (though this is a regular occurrence at University of Scranton as many students do this 4+ times each day!).
This became something that I would do because helping others makes me happy. I have always loved doing sweet things for others because everyone deserves to be reminded that they are loved each day even if it’s by doing a small act of kindness. Sometimes the littlest things are the things that matter most to someone and can brighten that person’s entire day.
Another thing I centered my focus on was having meaningful conversations with my friends. I love talking about the deep parts of life and hearing other people’s perspectives on different areas. It is also so comforting to bond with someone over shared experiences and lift each other up.
Another area I focused on was my academics. Because my major is Kinesiology, which is largely involved with muscles of the body working together coupled with my injury, it was a great outlet for me to lean toward. I loved learning about muscles along with their origins and insertions because I could begin to understand what has been happening in my own body through my injury! I find it so fascinating.
The last thing I centered my focus on was beginning to make myself aware of how I feel mentally, emotionally, and physically each day. I began tracking my sleep, incorporating more whole foods into my diet, engaging in physical therapy strengthening tactics, and taking breaks when I began to feel overwhelmed or stressed out. Taking care of these little health aspects of my life actually brought me happiness because I was doing what I could to help my body feel the best that it could!
All throughout this experience, I also deepened my religion and relationship with God. I trust that this is a part of His plan and that I am going through this experience for a reason!
If you are reading this and struggling with something similar, I hope you can be inspired to look to other areas of your life to find joy. It’s vital to remember that you are SO MUCH MORE than the summation of your hobbies or achievements. It does not matter as much what you do, but who you ARE as a person and how you treat others. While something that you are passionate about is a huge factor in your life, it is not all that encompasses YOU as a whole!
Even if you are not experiencing something like this where you are unable to do what you love more than anything in this world, it is a great practice to search for the inner pieces of your own self that are completely isolated from your passion or interest. While your passion makes you very happy, there are SO MANY amazing things one can partake in that do not involve that passion and still bring so much joy into your life!
I am not sure I would have come to this understanding if I was not forced to look into other areas of my life that were unrelated to exercise and running. If you are struggling with something like this, then please try your best to not become discouraged and see the good aspects of undergoing this experience. I firmly belief in the phrase, “everything happens for a reason,” and every experience can have a hidden silver lining that might be hard to see at first, but is present!