A few months ago I injured my knee on a hiking trip in Tennessee/North Carolina. We were along the state line and I’m not really sure which side of it we were on. We took some time to get away and planned four days of hiking in the Smokey Mountains and along parts of the Appalachian Trail. We did manage to get some hiking in, even though I fell on the first day of the trip. After roughly three months on crutches, surgery, and around eight weeks and counting of physical therapy, I have a whole new appreciation for athletes with knee injuries.
I owe a huge thank you to my physical therapist, Emily. Having that leadership and guidance through the recovery has been great. She has pushed me when I needed pushing and encouraged me when I needed encouraging. A good physical therapist knows what you need and are capable of doing, and pushes you to do just a little bit more, sometimes by a little trickery, like adding weights while I am not looking.
I like to do things on my own. Most of my hobbies are things that I can do by myself and I can get away from people. I enjoy figuring things out and working on my own. But I can’t help but wonder how much better my life would be if I would have a “physical therapist” for the other parts of my life. Someone to guide me, coach me, and push me further than I thought I could go. Someone to correct me when I do things wrong and encourage me when I do things well. I have had mentors in the past, and credit them for much of my accomplishments so far. Over the years, our paths separated and my goals have changed. I find myself looking for another mentor. I need an “Emily” in a couple other areas of my life.
Sometimes, I don’t want a mentor because I know I will have to change some things and I get comfortable with where I am. But, life isn’t necessarily supposed to be comfortable. I am not going to reach my goals and become the person God has called me to be by being comfortable. We are called to build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11). To help each other become the best that we can be. Even though I like working by myself, I know it is best for me to have that mentor or coach. I get comfortable with the weight on my exercises, but I will never get where I can and need to be without Emily slipping an extra 10 pounds on while I am not looking.
As you work through your goals for the coming year, think about setting a goal to find a mentor for each of the important areas of your life. Find that “physical therapist” to help you achieve your goals and maybe push you just a little bit more than you thought you could do. Someone to help keep you on track with your goals, especially after February when we have already gotten off track and given up on most of our goals for the year.
I am looking forward to this next year. 2020 has had it’s challenges and it’s victories. It has been a year of growth for me and I look forward to working through 2021 with a new mentor or two to push me further than I think I can go.
