Last week, I found myself silently questioning every life choice that brought me to that moment.
Let me back up.
I recently joined a daily personal development program – something for me, not something I’m leading. It includes two workouts a week, and I was all in. Day one, I pushed hard. Too hard! I spent the next day walking around shaped like an S, nursing lower back pain and regret.
When it came time to show up for the next workout, I had a choice to make.
I could look through the lens of: “I’m injured. I can’t do this. Poor me.”
Or I could ask myself, “What choice do I have right now that moves me forward?”
I chose to show up. I modified the movements, I focused on form, and I listened to my body.
Here’s the part that surprised me: By the end of the warm-up, the pain started to fade. I was able to keep going for 35 minutes into the 40-minute class. Not perfect, but powerful. I wrapped up thinking “yay me!” rather than “woe is me” that day.
And that, right there, is what I want you to recognize – the power of the lens you choose.
You don’t get to pick your circumstances. But you absolutely get to pick how you see them.
You can see yourself as the victim of your situation, or you can decide to show up as the hero of your story.
I’m not talking about being performative or pushing through when it’s unsafe. I’m talking about the small, meaningful choice to say, “Even if I can’t do everything today, what can I do?”
That’s what makes the difference between spiraling and rising. As Brené Brown says:
“You either walk into your story and own your truth, or you live outside of your story, hustling for worthiness.”
The lens you choose doesn’t erase reality. But it changes your relationship to it by reflecting a different view. It changes your next step. And over time, it changes everything.
If you’re not sure how to switch your lens, here’s what I suggest…
This weekend, I challenge you to take one situation you’ve been struggling with – something that makes you want to hide, shut down, or feel defeated – and ask:
What lens am I using to view this right now?
If I were the hero in this story, what would I do next?
Even a small brave action, like showing up for a warm-up when you’re not sure you can handle the whole class, has the power to change how you see yourself. And that shifts the entire experience.
I’ll leave you with this question:
What lens are you looking through today?
Choose the one that moves you forward. Step into the hero story.
Read this quote again, and really let it sink in this time:
“You either walk into your story and own your truth, or you live outside of your story, hustling for worthiness.“
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