I fell down and broke a rib. It was embarrassing, stupid and bloody painful.
But this was more than a stupid accident. It was a wake-up call.
It happened just a few days ago, early in the morning. I was focussed on the very indelicate task, colloquially called “picking up shit” that domestic duty all dog owners learn to tolerate in order to be, well, a dog owner.
I had bent down to do the dirty work – left hand properly slipped into the little green doggie-poo bag (nicely scented, I might add), reaching for the “gift”. At the same time, I was looking up the river bank (you, clever reader, can see where this is going) to see where my, now-freed, pooch was wandering.
In the past, at this very location, I’ve had run-ins with other dog owners (clearly their fault) – I wanted to keep an eye out to avoid ruining an otherwise sublime morning walk.
With “gift” in hand (so to speak) I stood up and swung around to see where my 80lb poop-producer had gone when I accidentally hooked my right foot under the only rock (I went back to confirm this unfortunate fact) on the entire beach.
And that, my friend, was that.
Down I went like the sack of excrement I felt like.
At the time I blamed myself for not paying attention: “There’s a rock you bloody fool!”
But, this was more than a mere simple misstep.
I was not present.

My head was in worry-land, thinking about the day to come – feeling slightly overwhelmed and insecure. Sure, I looked confident (dog shit in hand), but I’ve been more than a little distracted by home life and new projects at work.
It’s been an emotional month—I’m not fully here. I know it.
It’s comforting to know I’m not alone. The furniture manufacturer, Steelcase did a study of 10,000 workers in 17 countries and discovered the majority found it difficult to concentrate and were distracted every 3 minutes.
We are distracted every 3 minutes. - Steelcase study Click To TweetIt also gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling to know at least one author concludes the most intelligent – those brimming with new and exciting ideas – have the most difficulty focusing.
Maybe you’ve had a similar experience – forgetful, wondering why you walked into a room, or having so many thoughts you can’t focus on any of them.
When you break a rib (not sure I actually broke it, but “bruised rib” sounds lame) it’s patently obvious. In fact, it’s even more obvious when you choose to, oh I don’t know, breath.
It feak’n hurts.
If this sounds like you (without the rib part), I’ve got a few thoughts that can help.
1. Stop thinking
We live in a thinking world – we even reward people who think more than others. It’s hard to imagine out-selling your competition or becoming CEO by not thinking. The problem is our thinking can keep us trapped in self-doubt, the past, or indecision.
The problem is our thinking can keep us trapped in self-doubt, the past, or indecision. Click To TweetPsychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi (author of Flow-The Psychology of Optimal Experience) calls our natural state of thought-chatter ‘psychic entropy’ – a lack of control over our own minds.
Stop thinking could look like turning work off on your commute home or not going on Facebook for just one evening. Stop thinking means turning off the 13 thoughts running like around in your head and just focussing on boiling the water and making tea.
When you do take a breath to stop thinking, it’s time to look up.
2. Look up
There’s a bigger picture waiting for us when we take a moment to look up at the big picture. “Few things and events in our world” says Psychologist, Ron Breazeale Ph.D. “have a pervasive impact on our lives and are permanent.”
If you’re frustrated by work, look up at how your work serves your clients and supports your family. If your partner is driving you crazy with his/her demands, look up at all the great things that come with being together and let go of petty differences.
And if you’re feeling hopeless about starving children, elections, pipelines, or the guy in front of you texting while driving, look up and remind yourself it’s a big world and there’s room for all of us – even idiots.
It’s a big world and there’s room for all of us - even idiots. Click To TweetFinally, do yourself a big favour and complete something.
3. Complete something
Some clever scientist should do a study about the effect of unfinished business on our mental state—there has to be a direct correlation between half-done projects and depression.
There has to be a direct correlation between half-done projects and depression. Click To TweetIt doesn’t help to know nearly one quarter of adults around the world are chronic procrastinators. My To-Do list still says “fix the ceiling.”
The trick, I’ve found, is to either remove unfinished work permanently from my list, or get the frigg’n bugger done. Sometimes all it takes is a quick phone call to book a plumber or 20 minutes to declutter a room.
A small investment of time, money or effort to enjoy the freedom of not worrying always pays off.
Final thought
A well-known online blogger recently visited my site and then sent this message “I don’t know what you do.” He did add a smiley face to soften the blow.
Maybe you feel the same way. Ooops, and sorry.
Some days I don’t know what I “do” either. But when life screams out “Pay Attention!” I want to share whatever little lessons come along.
PS. When picking up dog poop, watch where you step.
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Wish you a full and speedy recovery to run on a rock-free beach with your pooch once again.
Thanks Shel. I have images of blasting it off the beach like the famous Ripple Rock explosion (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W9PV_s_zF4), but I think my neighbours would frown on that.
Have you read INSANITY OF WARS ?
My connection to Shakespeare,Dickens and Harvard in London?
Even Lawrence of Arabia!
A biography can be stranger than fiction!!
🙂
David
I am celebrating my 80th birthday next year with my 20th marathon….not nursing a bruised rib!
David
insanityofwars.com
David you are inspiring me!
wish you fast recovery, and your story totally truth, when I walk with my elbow walker crutches (i am disabled – paralyzed from hip and down) some times I push myself to walk with my crutches. Then if I loose focus – easily fallen down and even when I do shopping in wheelchair I have to continue conscious between pushing my wheel, people surrounding and basket shops.
Hi Hugh,
I am the Fall Prevention lead for Interior Health and your story is a familiar one for me. As we get older, our bodies change but we don’t feel any different. Our risk for falling increases significantly so that 1 in 3 Canadians over the age of 65 falls every year – this includes those running marathons, downhill skiing and so forth. Strength and balance training are essential to reduce the risk of falling, but one other thing I tell people is to “Be present in your body, especially when you are on stairs or moving through space.” I have experienced a number of falls in my 30’s and 40’s and in all instances, it was when I was multi-tasking, not paying attention to my surroundings, and distracted with the superhighway of information that is my brain (I work full time and have three teenagers – nuff said). Learning to quiet our minds and be present in our bodies is definitely good advice to prevent falls and improve our quality of life, overall. Thanks for all your good advice – you have helped me in both my personal and professional life. Hope you are on the mend and feeling better soon.
Thanks Kelly. It’s funny how so much of what used to be easy and unconscious now requires attention and energy! Thanks for you comment, I am on the mend and already doing clumsy things again 🙂
Thanks Hugh,
Great laugh, very needed indeed.
Thanks Tania 🙂
Oh no! Sending warms wishes for a speedy recovery! XO
Thanks Monique!
I hope you are much recovered now! I think we all do things like that. I literally broke my toe on the foot of a chair two years ago just going (stumbling) through the morning routine with my kids one school morning. It’s like you don’t know what’s worse, the injury or how you did it. But yes, I had too much on my mind and wasn’t being present. Thanks for reminding us!
Happy to offer a reminder and save those toes!