Yep, that’s not the finest photo to ever appear on this blog. But that’s what my foot looks like right now.

Three weeks ago, I took part in a workshop called “First Being, Then Doing,” led by friends at the Academy for the Love of Learning, one of my favorite organizations here in Santa Fe.

We had done all kinds of wild stuff over the previous day, including intensive bio-energetic exercises, and each of us declaring that we were releasing our limiting beliefs as we fell off a table (backwards!) into the arms of our friends. One of the other participants, Michelle Otero, did a wonderful job of writing about “The Fall” on her blog, Vessel.

But no — none of those things resulted in a broken foot.

All it took was one round of ecstatic dancing to the Black Eyed Peas “I Gotta Feeling” on the last afternoon. After having sloughed off a good deal of emotional baggage over the previous day, I was happily bouncing around with everyone else. Then, somehow, the bottom of my long black flowing pants caught my ankle in a weird way. As my foot came down to the ground, something popped.

At first I thought I just sprained a muscle. But after limping off the dance floor and icing it for an hour I knew it was more than that. An x-ray confirmed it: a fractured metatarsal in my left foot.

I’ve been recuperating for the past three weeks. One promise I’ve made to myself is to try to mine the gold in any situation, especially the unpleasant ones. So here’s what I’ve been learning:

1. Accept the kindness of others.

I’m not great at asking for help and I’m even worse at accepting it. But this broken bone has clipped my wings, so to speak. I can’t walk very far and I’m not mobile with this big clunky walking boot. (The orthopedic doctor made it very clear that I shouldn’t try to drive: “That would be deadly!”)

So I’ve had to rely on friends to take me out to the store, or take me out anywhere, really. And I’ve invited them to come visit me. It’s been fun to watch how much this means to them. (It means a lot to me too, but I think it means even more to them!)

People really want to give, to help each other out. It’s amazing what a primal need this is for most of us. I’m starting to understand that it’s actually selfish to deny someone else that opportunity. So now I figure I’m doing folks a favor by being available as a recipient of their kindness. And that makes it easier for me to say “yes.”

2. Healing is not a linear process. And that is okay.

Each morning, I wake up thinking, “Today’s going to be better than yesterday.” And sometimes it is. But sometimes it isn’t.

Last week, my foot was feeling pretty good and I walked next door to see my neighbors at Upaya Zen Center. I was so happy to get out and get some exercise. But the next day my injured foot felt even more sore. This was very frustrating and felt like a step backwards. Now I can see this is really the process of building back strength in my body.

And life is like this too. We don’t always move in a clear, unobstructed forward path. Often we go backwards. But something inside us gets strengthened in spite of—and maybe even because—of the pain.

3. Our body is meant to heal itself.

This is quite amazing when you think about it. Our physical body, when given the right conditions—nutritious food, balanced exercise, and lots of love—excels in self-healing. That’s not to say things don’t break down, but there is also incredible resilience.

I’ve been sitting here imagining the process whereby my metatarsal is knitting itself back together where the break occurred. It’s a miracle, really.

What if we could remember that this is also the nature of life – yes, to pass away, but also to re-generate. Looking out my window where spring is blooming all over northern New Mexico, that miracle of life returning is very evident.

4. Sometimes rest is what is most needed.

The process of healing a broken bone takes a long time, certainly longer than a sprained muscle. I’ve never experienced anything like this, so I keep having to readjust my expectations, and simply practice patience.

I think I’m doing all the right things—taking extra calcium supplements, keeping the walking boot on so the bones are immobilized—but there is really nothing other than rest and time that will allow this healing process to unfold. That’s a challenge for me, as I’m accustomed to believing that it’s my own efforts that make things happen. That’s partially true, I suppose, but the really great thing is that sometimes I don’t need to do anything other than simply “be” and allow life to do its own magic.

5. Don’t over-identify with the situation

As I move into week three of having this injury, I’m starting to notice a disturbing trend. I’m beginning to think of myself as an injured, damaged person first, before anything else. A friend calls to ask me out and my first instinct is to say, “I can’t, I’ve got this broken foot.” I focus on the occasional physical pain rather than everything else that’s around me.

Maybe that’s a natural tendency. We are, after all, mammals wired for self-protection. But when I start to think in terms of limitations rather than possibilities, I know it’s time to do a Self-Liberation Maneuver. (Like that term? I just coined it!)

That’s where writing this blog is a gift. I can say to all of you but most importantly myself: I am more than this broken foot. I am a whole human being, one filled with joy, love, struggle, fear, redemption, and, most importantly, potential.

So, in the spirit of a Self-Liberation Maneuver, I want to re-visit the scene of the crime and finish this post with the song where all this began. Pure potential!

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