Is it a setback?

Or is it a setup?

It's 2022. I think by now it's safe to say: Things don't always work out how we may want them to. 

Just when we thought we were over yet another hump, another one showed up. Now here we are. A setback. 

It's easy in the moment to find the challenges in a setback - "I'm so done, if this wasn't happening I'd… I'd rather be…or I wish…etc."

What I've noticed in my own experience, and perhaps you might agree, is that with hindsight, a "setback" is often what becomes the setup. A "stepping stone" of sorts.  It's usually not obvious in the moment, that's why the hindsight seems to be key. When we're in the thick of the forest it's hard to see actual trees.

I'm thinking that we've all had setbacks before.  It's a part of life.  My guess is that there's usually some wisdom to be gained from looking at how we have managed setbacks in the past.  Looking back can be useful because... you made it through. You can see how the setback paved the way for something else.
 

Let's get to it...

Are you willing to try this out?

Your challenge for the next week...


Think of a setback you had in the past that you now believe was actually a setup for something that would not have been possible otherwise.

  • As you do, notice what things looked like through your eyes at the time.

  • If someone else was in this situation, how would they describe it?

  • If you back up a bit more, what might an onlooker have said about this situation?

  • If it was a story or someone was writing a blog about it, what would it say?

Get up and go for a walk or just stretch and move for a couple of minutes or so.


Now think about where you are now and perhaps somethingsmallthat you are thinking is a setback.

  • Think about the situation from your perspective.

  • What might someone else, not involved in the situation, perhaps someone who loves you, or respects you, say about this situation?

  • Back it up further and maybe notice what someone back in the bleachers might notice about it?

  • If you look ahead a few years, how would you describe this situation to someone else?

Sometimes, a setback is an opportunity to progress and grow elsewhere. The opening for the next thing you're meant to be doing, having or being.


One thing that has become increasingly clear to me? Going it alone is not ideal.  Contact me Maybe reaching out in 2022 is a good idea?

Stay safe and well.

Cheers,

Ann