Slow Down…

Recent shoulder surgery has forced me to type with one hand. that doesn’t sound so bad…right? I mean…resting my arm should not be so difficult. Well…for me, this started as a nightmare come true. I am not a “slow” person. I live life at a busy, “do five things at once” tempo. I type fast, I work efficiently, I keep a busy schedule. None of those things are conducive to having only one arm functioning. Another difficulty factor is being dependent on help from others…even with basic functions, such as showering, cutting food, and dressing. I am an independent person…and needing help, much less asking for help, is not in my DNA.

But as I am typing this with one hand…I realize that slowing down is not necessarily as dramatic as it first seemed. I am thinking through thoughts and emotions before acting on them. I am considering the criticality of tasks before executing them. I ask myself “Is this something I absolutely need to do right now, and what other tasks will be delayed by my decision?” I can’t act on impulses right now…it simply takes too long. Going from 60 to 5 miles per hour has opened my eyes to my ability to prioritize…to figure out what is worth spending my time on and what is not. It has forced me to reach out to family and work by phone, rather than just typing a quick and impersonal text message.

Sure….I am frothing at the bit to get back to regular operating speed; but I cannot deny the fact that slowing down a bit has been a life lesson in and of itself. Asking for help is not weakness…it is recognizing that I am human. It has taught me that others are happy to help…not burdened by my momentary incapacitation.

With that said, I look forward to regaining use of my arm. But I will also not forget the lessons learned while recovering. I don’t wish medical incapacitation on anyone. But I do hope that my experience encourages others to live life “with one hand tied behind their back”…to slow down a little and realize how much growth can happen if we only allow it to.