recalibrate
re·cal·i·brate
: change in the way you do or think about something
Every trip to the top of our twice-weekly hike has been a little bit faster, my geologist feeling stronger every time as he continues to fully recover from his open-heart surgery. We get to the top, stop our watches, and high-five each other for the progress made. That is, up until the last couple of hikes when it was noticeably harder. He had to go slower. His legs were tired and his breathing much more labored. We slowed our pace and kept at it, but were a bit discouraged, and probably worried, truth-be-told, that he had taken some kind of setback. That something wasn’t right. Those are feeling with which we are both familiar given the twists, turns, and complications he experienced post-surgery, and we weren’t excited at the possibility that this might be another one of those.
And then this morning, as we slowly made our way up, it dawned on him.
A week ago he donated blood at our little, rural school’s annual blood drive. But it wasn’t just any donation. It was what is called a Power Red . According to the Red Cross, it means the donor gives a concentrated dose of red blood cells. This type of donation is used for those needing a blood transfusion due to surgery, childbirth, and any trauma that includes severe blood loss. It is a relatively painless process, takes a little bit longer, and is used to help fellow humans in need. (Like me, back in the day when I needed a serious transfusion after the birth of one of my daughters. Many thanks to the donor who made that possible.)
Apparently, this type of blood donation also comes with the caveat that it can take 2-3 weeks to fully recover in terms of strength and stamina, which can be quite noticeable during vigorous exercise. Like, say, climbing almost 1000’ over less than 2 miles.
Phew!
Rather than thinking in terms of setbacks and other scary shit, it was time to recalibrate our expectations. It was indeed a setback, in the most literal sense of the word. But it was a temporary one that we hadn’t known to factor into our thinking. After a little research, we realized the cause of his fatigue, and it all made sense. We could leave our worry behind, slow our pace, and keep on keeping on.
All of this got me thinking about the importance of recalibrating. Of checking in to see if we are using the right “metrics” to measure and make adjustments in our lives. Not just in the more obvious ways, like adjusting our spending when financial circumstances change, reconciling ourselves to becoming empty nesters, or life after retirement. But also, being aware of our inner and outer surroundings and experiences. Of our reactions and responses. Of our actions and choices. Of our outlooks and moods on a given day. If we simply keep using the same metrics for whatever it is we are trying to gauge, it can really throw us (or me at least) into some sort of tizzy. Like, why am I so sad/grumpy/melancholy/tired today, when I was so joyful/good-humored/happy/energized yesterday? Oh, that’s right. I’m a human, not a robot. So maybe it’s that there was some unexpected difficult news that came my way, and I’m struggling to process it all. Or, yesterday was filled with good connections with people I care about, and my emotional tank is a little low today. Or, friends and family came to visit, now they are gone, and the house feels too quiet. Or, I let the news of the day drown everything else out. Time to recalibrate. To take a moment to check in on what I expected it to feel/look/be like, and consider the rest of the equation. To look at the bigger picture to help it all make a little more sense.
When life isn’t measuring up in some way, maybe it’s time to recalibrate.
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