The Other Side of the Fall

The Other Side of the Fall: The Recovery That Taught Me More Than the Fall

If the fall was the shock, recovery was the marathon.

Over the past month, my days became a revolving door of doctors’ appointments, acupuncture needles, massage tables, and Pilates reformers. I cycled through three different prescriptions, each promising relief, but together delivering the kind of constipation no one warns you about. Add to that a nightly ritual of no sleep, and you start to wonder which is harder: the injury itself or the “healing” process.

And yet…each day brought its own lessons. Recovery was less about rushing back to my “normal” life and more about learning to meet my body, mind, and spirit exactly where they were.

1) Healing isn’t linear

I thought recovery would look like a steady climb…better each day, one smooth curve upward. In reality, it was a dance: two steps forward, one step sideways, sometimes a slide back. There were mornings I felt strong and evenings I felt fragile. Some days I could move freely; other days I could barely sit without wincing.

Leadership cue: Progress is rarely a straight line. In teams, as in life, success comes from recognizing and honoring the dips, knowing they’re part of the climb.

2) The metaphor of getting back up

Physically, recovery meant learning to trust my body again. Finding simple movements like bending, sitting, or lifting without bracing for pain. Mentally, it meant facing the truth that resilience isn’t just about getting up; it’s about how you get up. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is rise slowly, deliberately, letting your body catch up to your spirit.

Leadership cue: After a setback, don’t sprint back into the fray. Walk back in with awareness. A slow rise is still a rise.

3) Healing is multi-layered

• Body: The medical experts worked on muscles, joints, and inflammation. Acupuncturists rebalanced energy, reduced inflammation, and circulation. Massage therapists released tension stored deep in the tissue. Pilates instructors used gentle stretching and movement to ease into flexibility. My wonderful team who are part of my healing wheel.
• Mind: I learned to quiet the “why isn’t this faster?” voice. I reframed recovery as an investment rather than an interruption.
• Spirit: I found gratitude in the care I received, in the hands that worked to help me stand straighter, move freer, and sleep (eventually) better.

Leadership cue: True recovery, whether personal or organizational, addresses all three: physical resources, mental mindset, and spiritual health.

4) Consistency beats intensity

Some days I wanted to do everything…more exercises, more stretches, more work. But I learned quickly that pushing too hard only set me back. What worked was showing up consistently for each appointment, committing to the process even when results were slow.

Leadership cue: In times of repair or rebuilding, small consistent actions matter more than big heroic pushes. Steadiness is its own form of strength.

5) Humor is medicine

There’s nothing like explaining to your Pilates instructor that you’re more afraid of a sneeze than a squat. Or laughing with friends about how “three prescriptions” became the most constipating combination known to humankind. Boulders were involved. Humor didn’t make the pain vanish, but it made the weight of it lighter.

Leadership cue: Humor builds resilience. A shared laugh creates space for trust, even in hard times.

6) The real win is returning as someone new

When I think about “getting back to where I was,” I realize that’s not the goal. The goal is to move forward as someone wiser, more aware, and better equipped to listen to the signals my body gives me. The fall didn’t just knock me down…it pushed me into a more sustainable pace, a more grounded way of leading and living.

Leadership cue: Don’t aim to restore the old normal after a setback. Use the disruption to design a better one.

A recovery framework I lived by

• Notice: How is my body, mind, and spirit responding today?
• Name: Where am I forcing instead of flowing?
• Normalize: Healing takes time. Time is part of it.
• Narrow: What’s the next smallest right step? Can you take baby steps?
• Nurture: Who and what supports my recovery?

The invitation

If you’re in your own season of recovery whether it be physical, emotional, or professional, give yourself permission to heal in all three dimensions. Let go of the timeline you wish you had. Trust the process you do have. And remember: the speed of your comeback doesn’t define the strength of your resilience.

And in true Tom LeNoble style…I didn’t miss a beat…all appointments met and more. Cervical collar in tow.