A serving of humble pie

I got served some humble pie today.

I am guilty of having done some armchair quarterbacking this weekend while watching a UFC on TV. 

The fighter was signaling his punches and I commented that if you are at his level you shouldn’t be making a mistake like that. 

Bill reminded me that when your body is that exhausted mistakes aren’t always in your control. 

I sighed, admitted he had a point, but also still mumbled that the fighter should be able to still avoid that mistake and exhaustion isn’t an excuse. 

I’ve been a runner for a long, long time and still push myself be it with distance, speed, hills…

Today, while on my run, I experienced something I hadn’t in a long time. 

I hit a level of muscle exhaustion and thirst that was stronger than any mindset/higher thinking part of my brain could overcome. 

 I knew I hit it when while crossing this very dirty creek and the water looked much too appealing to drink. 

I felt my form go to crap the final few miles. My core gave up and made my hip flexors do the work, I couldn’t convince my eyes to look ahead- they only could find the ground. I wasn’t in the drivers seat anymore. 

And while I know the fighter from Saturday night had nothing to do with this very well timed, “ahem…you were saying…” lesson from the universe, I couldn’t help but crack a chapped smile and think “well played” during my final mile home. I appreciated the humbling moment, although water also would have been nice.

At some point you will get exhausted enough that you will start making mistakes. And won’t show up as you know you can.

Sometimes we are aware of it. But often we aren’t, until the mistakes and consequences get to big to ignore. 

And just as importantly, you will see others do the same. 

Instead of judging and seeing it as evidence of failure to train/work/care enough about being a good parent, employee, boss, athlete…. see it as evidence of being human. 

To reach for compassion and connection. 

Remind yourself that you don’t know their story. 

But you can choose to share yours. 

To see those small mistakes as opportunities to prevent bigger ones, simply by pausing, resting and resetting. 

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About Becky

Becky Schmooke (pronounced “Smoke”) is a Mindful Leadership Consultant and Speaker, focused on providing action based mindfulness and leadership training to organizations and businesses who are ready to do things differently.

Becky’s Mindful Kitchen, is located outside of Iowa City, and provides truly unique team building and leadership retreats, strategic planning workshops, private parties and classes and weekly summer camps for kids. The commercial teaching kitchen, treehouse, archery range, bush craft skills, first aid training, wood fired pizza oven, chickens, baby goats and timber adventure playground provides endless opportunities for hands on activities.

As a mom to three girls, 60 chickens, 4 goats, 2 dogs and a fire fighter’s wife- life is never boring and provides Becky with endless stories which she uses to illustrate her approach to mindfulness in daily posts on social media.

In all that she does, Becky has one goal, to build confidence in others to take action to live their best life, not just pass time.