When Life Throws a Curve Ball: Reflections on Surrender, Courage and Healing

Greetings, lovely community,

Firstly, a gentle apology for the unexpected pause in my weekly notes. You may have noticed I’ve been a little MIA over the past few weeks. I took a full week completely off work to attend a yoga retreat in Thailand and then do a little adventuring before returning home. Switching off and taking the longest break I’ve had from work in about three years proved more challenging than expected.

I’m now back in the UK after a rather more adventurous journey than I would have chosen, but one that has led me to some new and interesting experiences and a whole lot of gratitude.

The day after leaving my friends to begin the solo part of my trip, I had a motorcycle accident. Just to say, I’m OK, safe, and healing well now. Before the accident, I had booked yoga classes, chosen hikes I wanted to do, and reserved accommodation at a kite surfing spot so I could try something new and be close to the ocean.

Then, due to a split-second of braking too hard on a steep hill, I came off the bike.

After the initial shock and adrenaline wore off, I realised to my horror that I couldn’t put weight on my right foot or raise my right arm. I also had some pretty nasty road burns, muscle damage, and open wounds down my right leg and ankle.

In the moments after the fall, a lovely couple stopped to help me pick up the scooter and get me back on it so I could ride home and get off the main road. In the days that followed, the Thai hospital I went to was incredible. They dressed my wounds, took X-rays, and ensured everything was healing as it should. Although I still have a way to go with physiotherapy and wound healing now that I’m back in the UK, I’m extremely grateful that things weren’t worse.

Anyway… I’m a big believer that sometimes the universe hands you things you need, even if they are not particularly what you want. Since I’ve had plenty of time to reflect, here are some of the things I’ve been thinking about.

Being slowed down and having my usual routines, strategies, outlets, and distractions taken away was confronting. At times it was frustrating, but ultimately it revealed a new level of self-trust in myself. It’s something I have been working on, but it hasn’t yet been truly tested. So, here’s to doing the work!

Long nights lying awake with whiplash and pain down my arm and leg, hours in hospital waiting rooms, and long taxi rides offered plenty of time to reflect on life, on choices, and on how every small decision quietly shapes the direction of our days and ultimately our lives.

As someone who lives by routine and fits my day around yoga, running, socialising, walking everywhere and getting outside as much as possible, I suddenly felt trapped. It felt as though my freedom had gone. The things I rely on to feel strong and well were suddenly unavailable due to my injuries. In moments, that was honestly a little scary.

One question I kept coming back to was this:

Who am I without…?

Without my daily practice.
Without running.
Without my support network.
Outside of my home and country.
Without being able to walk or carry my own luggage.
Without the independence and freedom I’m used to.

What I noticed over the days was actually affirming and unexpected.

My word of the year is courage. I thought courage would look like trying new, brave things, such as kite surfing, Thai boxing, challenging hikes, meeting new people, and diving headfirst into a different culture.

Instead, courage rose to the surface as surrender. Letting go. Taking time to heal.

It also looked like asking for help, which was actually harder than I expected. It looked like being OK with relying on other people. It looked like doing less and accepting that missing out sometimes creates space for other things to enter.

Courage does not remove fear. It walks alongside it and allows you to act, even when uncertainty remains.

Because this is life.

While recovering, I reflected on what made the biggest difference in the moments when the ground was shifting beneath me. Below are 12 ways to anchor and care for yourself when life doesn’t go to plan. I hope they help you as much as they helped me.