Reflective Essay: Fracturing My Lower Back

According to a Safe Kids Worldwide study based on hospital emergency room reports from 2012; there are an estimated 1.35 million students in the United States that seriously injure themselves each year. For two out of my three years of high school, I have been piece of this grim statistic. My sophomore year I fractured the left side of my fifth lumbar vertebra located in my lower back. This was caused by running too hard. Then the next year, the right side of the fifth lumbar vertebra was fractured too. Both of these injuries brought an abrupt halt to my cross country season. Fracturing my lower back was an extremely difficult experience that has taught me how to deal with adversity. When dealing with adversity one, must have the correct mindset. Developing the right mindset is the most foundational step in traversing adversity. When I first learned that I was not able to finish my cross country season, I was devastated. That is because my
mentality was flawed and I was focused only on myself. How I interpreted both my successes and catastrophes was totally dependent on my improper mindset. I expected to have success at every race and every event and took it for granted. When catastrophes came about I developed the false impression that everyone and everything had turned against me and that there was no way to recover. This attitude was in all ways wrong and could even be considered dangerous. Once my eyes had been opened to my own mentality, I knew I had been wrong. The correct mindset incorporates knowing that no matter how bad it is you can pull through it with the help of others. The proper mindset also embodies knowing that each success and day is a gift. Although one’s mindset is the most basic step in dealing with adversity having faith is the most important. Having faith can prove to be your most valuable ally when fighting adversity. After the initial shock of learning about my fracture I knew that I faced a long road to recovery. To pass through this time of hardships, I choose to have faith in those around me. I choose to have faith in my doctors that they would prepare the best plan of recovery for me. I choose to have faith in my coach that he would properly cross train me so I could quickly pick up running again and I choose to have faith in my God that he had a plan for me and that my fracture played a role in that plan. On my road to recovery faith played a key role. Faith granted me the knowledge that I was not alone in my battle and during that battle each of my successes energized me. Setting goals is indispensable when conquering adversity.
During my recovery process I was advised to set small manageable goals along with major goals. Cross training, preforming core workouts, and wearing my back brace were all small goals that I could accomplish on a daily basis. Celebrating these small, but crucial goals was pivotal to keeping up my moral during the long months of recovery. The major goal that I was working toward was healing my back completely. This major goal gave me the drive to work tirelessly and accomplish the small goals each day. Achieving goals on a daily basis helped me to never lose hope while working toward recovery.
When my lower back was injured I embarked on an epic journey that would teach me how to deal with adversity. To overcome adversity one must first come with the base of a strong mindset so they stay focused. They must have faith in those who are aiding them and they must celebrate feasible goals every day. We should all try to avoid adversity, but strive to conquer it when it
comes.