Most of you know over the past several weeks I have been going through physical therapy for my knee, which has now turned into strengthening exercises for my calf muscles, quadricep, and hip muscles. At times, this has been a very daunting task and physically draining. The day after therapy is typically a day of rest, because my body just doesn't want to do much else. This process has taught me a lot more than just the exercises I need to do to make my knee better.
During my physical therapy sessions, I have come to know my physical therapists very well. We joke around, laugh and have a great time while other patients look at us like we are crazy. The other day one of the other patients mentioned how much fun we were having during therapy and I responded with "If we have to do this to get better, we might as well have fun doing it. Sure there is pain that comes, but a little bit of laughter never hurt anyone." The other patient agreed and as our hour of therapy progressed, she joined in and began joking with us. This has helped me to realize that a positive attitude and outlook not only helps the person being positive, but it affects everyone around the person as well. On the other hand, when I was in therapy yesterday, one of the other patients was complaining about each of the exercises as she did them. I watched as she became more and more frustrated throughout the session, but I also noticed that her mood was affecting the mood of her physical therapist. This helped me to see that it is not just a positive attitude that affects others. When we are negative, the people around us are affected by that too. There are times in life that we are faced with things that we would rather not deal with, but we must push through. During those times, we are faced with a choice. We must choose how we will respond. Will we be positive or negative? Remember, your decision doesn't just affect you, but also those around you.
This time in physical therapy has also helped to remind me that there are times when we need to rest. Our bodies can only take so much physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We must practice good self-care in order to better serve others. If we are not doing what we need to do to take care of ourselves, it will become very difficult to be fully present with others better yet serve and minister to them. My question to you is what are you doing to take care of yourself? When was the last time you did something for you? How can you make self-care a part of your regular routine?
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