Roadblock or Road Less Traveled?

Jun 14, 2021

We will all face obstacles in life. This is a fact. So what do we do when we hit a roadblock on our path to achieve our goals. Do we stop? Do we turn back? Do we say "to hell with that goal" and give up. 

Roadblocks Are Everywhere.....

....they are not just physical but often can be. Injuries are a big one. Once we have an injury we have to deal with more than just the physical innjury. There's a mental aspect to the injury that must be accounted for. Your body may go into a flight or flight repsonse depending on the moevmenet. Basically, your subconcious may not trust you to move that way safely again. This can completely inhibit you from reaching physical goals. You are now afraid to move and that fear can be literally paralyzing. 

What about an emotional roadblock. Personally this is the worst one for me. I remember tearing a calf muscle, still went to the gym, still worked out on one leg. But to me, an emotional roadblock......WOAH BABY!

This is exactly how I feel when the emotions are too high. Mental health carries so much weight that it can be crippling. Through my life, I have had so many ups and downs. So how do we break the chain. How do we get past the things that hold us down. For me, serious introspection was needed. I had to find out the "why" of what was keeping me down. Once I learned my why and identified the issue, it was time to make a plan of attack. 

I read this book by  a campfire the first time I trekked into the woods by myself (this was the beginning of my love for hiking) There by the fire, I read this book cover to cover. It just resonated with me in a way no other book has. It was the simple nature and strategy to dealing with a complex internal struggle. I am not saying run out and grab a copy of this book. What I'm saying is create a plan and use tools to help your mental health. For example, the first agreement is "Don't take things personally". Recently, I had someone share their opinion of me which wasnt a very good one. In the past, I may have let this "emotional roadblock" paralyze me for the day. No work would get done, no exercising for me. I would spend the rest of the day wondering why. The negativity was less about me and more about what that person was going through. This is just an example of how to get past an emotional roadblock. I use those tools to make sure I don't become derailed. 

-Kevin