I thought I needed to push harder.

My body couldn’t regulate my heart rate, blood pressure, pulse...

At the end of January, I had a total knee replacement.
What I didn’t expect… was that it would challenge how I think about performance, discipline, and leadership.

I went in anchored in a belief I’ve lived by: Commit to the action. Let go of the outcome.

I prepared. I had a plan. I was ready to execute. And then, everything changed.

What I thought were medication reactions turned into nine weeks of uncertainty. During that time, I couldn’t fully engage in physical therapy. Some days, I showed up… and couldn’t even begin. My blood pressure would drop as low as 82/58.

And still, my internal dialogue said:
 

Intellectually, I knew that wasn’t true. Emotionally, I felt the pressure of the healing clock.

Internally, I was in a constant tension:
 

That internal conflict brought me to clearly see the impact of bringing an old story onto a new path.

I was applying outdated beliefs of push through, prove yourself, don’t fall short, do better to a situation that required something entirely different.

At nine weeks, I still do not have a diagnosis, but I have learned how to manage things when my body is having difficulty regulating.

My big learning:
 

Or said another way:
 

That changed everything and has guided me to deeper questions that have helped me find my way through all that has happened.

So I have a question for you:

Where are you leading (In your business, on your team, with yourself) from old stories instead of responding to what is actually happening now?

As leaders, we often push for performance based on outdated definitions of strength, speed, endurance, and output at all costs.

But what if real leadership looks like this:

Today, in physical therapy, I reached 122 degrees range of movement. Something I was expected to be able to do at five weeks, and I was beginning to doubt I would ever achieve it.

Old Story: I have to do things perfectly and on the timeline laid out for me.

Truth: Listen to and honor your body; you will get there when your body is ready.

The real shift?

Understanding that alignment, not force, is what creates sustainable results.

That’s true in recovery.

That's true in leadership.

And that's true in life.

P.S. (My goal is 133 degrees, so feel free to send me some flexibility energy to help me reach it.)