They are not kidding when they say everything can change in an instant.

One moment, I was in the best shape of my life, getting ready to cross a country on my bicycle. The next, I was in the worst shape of my life, unable to shower or even walk for more than five minutes.

Having to adjust your view of yourself in an instant is not easy. I had to remind myself that although I used to be able to do things easily, at this moment, it was impossible, and I needed someone to do it for me.

On June 9th, I had an accident. I broke my right arm, and injured my left arm and right knee.

(I know… if you’re going to injure yourself, might as well go all in, right?)

This meant I basically couldn’t do anything for weeks except lie on the bed or couch for hours at a time.

Simple things I once did without thinking were suddenly out of reach.

Make myself breakfast? Nope, I can’t do that.

Shower? Nope, I can’t do that either.

Go for a walk since the weather is nice? Nope.

Sleep in, since I have nothing else to do? Nope. The pain and discomfort were too much, they’d wake me up or keep me from falling asleep.

Work during the downtime? Also no. I couldn’t use a computer, and the lack of movement and sleep made my brain feel like it was in a constant fog.

Basically, I was useless.

My wife had to do everything for me (luckily, I could still go to the bathroom on my own…). At first, I felt bad for so many reasons:

Leaving all the housework to my wife.

Not being able to play with my kid or take him to daycare.

Not being able to work.

Having to sit all day doing nothing, while watching and feeling my body get weaker and weaker.

Not being able to enjoy the nice summer weather.

Not being able to read or do anything productive.

Having to cancel the bike ride and tell my brother we’d have to reschedule, even though he already had his flight and all the gear ready.

Etc., etc. You get the point, the list was long.

After some days of this, I realized I wasn’t doing myself any favors with this kind of thinking.

On the one hand, I had to rest. That was the only way for my body to heal. (Thankfully, I recovered well enough to avoid surgery, which was amazing news.)

But on the other hand, feeling guilty for doing what I had to do was only making the healing harder.

So in the end, I allowed myself to not be productive.

To be lazy.

To pause everything, plans, hobbies, obligations.

It wasn’t easy. I’m not used to being a couch potato.

But I realized I had been so conditioned to “be productive” all the time that it was hard to rewire my brain to do the opposite.

Once I took that step, gave myself permission, it made everything easier.

I was finally able to lie in bed all day without guilt, watching mindless YouTube videos to distract myself from the discomfort, while my wife took care of everything.

I know that might sound like a dream, and maybe for a day or two, it is. But not for weeks on end.

This experience changed the way I see life, and people.

It was humbling.

Now I know how it feels to be disabled, to have zero strength, to need help with basic tasks.

It’s not easy. And I have a new appreciation and respect for people who live that reality.

It also made me appreciate the simple things in life. I remember celebrating:

The first time I was able to shower on my own again.

The day I could cut my nails.

The day I could walk without pain.

The moment I could carry my child again, even for a bit.

The day I could type on my computer.

Simple things I once took for granted. Now, I cherish them.

I also realized which things really matter to me:

Going for a bike ride with my wife.

Carrying my kid on my shoulders to the playground.

Going to the gym in the morning.

Sitting in a café to write in my journal (I still can’t do this one).

Taking solo 5-hour bike rides through the forest (man, I miss those).

My recovery isn’t finished, I still have months to go before I’m fully back. But I am making progress. Little by little, I can see and feel improvements.

And there’s so much to be grateful for.

I feel grateful for the country I live in. All my medical expenses have been covered. I haven’t had to worry about anything: hospital visits, X-rays, doctor’s appointments, therapy, everything has been taken care of. My wife and I were also able to take two months off from work, which I know is a huge privilege. It was also heartwarming to see my family step in and help me as much as they could, even my 4-year-old son.

So, after stopping everything in my life, what am I bringing back?

One of the first things is working toward a tangible, specific goal. Not having one made me realize how important that is for me.

For all of this year, my goal had been to train and prepare for a bike ride from Berlin to Austria.

Now, after the accident, my new goal is to regain full mobility and be able to bike 100 km in one go, like I used to.

This experience reminded me:

Being able to sleep.

Being able to exercise.

Having a family that loves you.

It’s the little things that matter most.

So what about you?

Have you gone through a difficult experience that made you appreciate things you once took for granted? I’d love to hear about it, just send me a message and let me know.

Until next time,

Angel