It was a weekday night at the 7v7 soccer pitch, playing with my friends in a tournament. I was a defender. We were winning 5-0, and the game was almost over. There was no need to score more goals. Then I received the ball, but my first touch wasn't the best. The ball bounced a little bit, triggering a series of events that would change my life forever.
That first touch caused the ball to bounce a few feet in front of me, forcing me to sprint and dribble past three players. I got excited and decided to take it all the way to the opposite goal and shoot. As the last two defenders approached to tackle me, I planted my right foot to pivot quickly and pass between them. And then, crunch!
I heard and felt a loud pop in my knee, like tearing apart a piece of clothing. I immediately fell down, screaming in acute pain. The referee had to end the game. Later, I would find out that my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) had completely torn, the most essential ligament for knee stability.
Since then, my knee has been a mess. The first surgeon didn't do a good job, and my ligament tore again. The second surgery worked. But because my bone had already been perforated several times, the ligament moves around inside it, making it unstable and impossible to play soccer at a high level. It was emotionally painful at first. I had played soccer since the day I started walking.
But now, I feel grateful things happened the way they did. If my first surgery had been successful, I might have continued playing soccer and never developed an interest in yoga. My injury led me to practice yoga, which made me more interested on the Yogi philosophy I was already studying. And this is why I write these daily reflections now.
It's fascinating how life works, isn't it? Events that seem like misfortune, bad luck or feel like they're ruining your life, are often the catalysts for growth, leading you to amazing things.
Painful moments, tragedies, sudden and unexpected changes—these are the experiences that make us grow and develop.
When you move to a new city reluctantly and you wish to go back to your hometown. Or perhaps you've been laid off and are struggling to find a new job. Or someone broke up with you, and you fear not finding someone as wonderful.
Remember everything is happening as it is supposed to happen. Embrace it as it comes. Allow yourself to be moved through the ebb and flow of life. Don't resist. In time, you'll look back and realize that those unexpected changes were precisely what you needed to grow. You'll feel gratitude for them, even if they're causing you pain right now.
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