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Dave Lukas - Lessons for Hannah345: Lessons For Hannah - Battling Through Setbacks
Hello Misfit Nation! Welcome to another edition of "Lessons for Hannah!" Many years ago, I introduced a new format that alongside our regular episodes called “Lessons for Hannah.” Hannah is my daughter and one of the main inspirations for the Misfit Entrepreneur. I wanted to have a place where she could go and learn from her daddy and his Misfit friends throughout her life….even after I am gone. If you haven’t listened to the first episode of "Lessons for Hannah," I urge you to as it gives some more background and tells the amazing story of how Hannah came to be in our lives. Lessons for Hannah are short, very useful, and sometimes comical lessons, that I want to share with you and give to Hannah to help in your lives. Because I want Hannah to have these for her life, I’m going to speak as though I am talking directly to her. These episodes are a lot of fun and if you think there is a lesson that we should include in these episodes, please don’t hesitate to send it over to us at [email protected]. We’d love to share it. This week’s Lesson for Hannah Hannah, life has a way of testing us when we least expect it. Two weeks ago, I was in peak condition, training hard for my next Ironman. Everything was going well. I had been building strength, endurance, and speed, preparing to push my limits. But then, something happened—something I never saw coming. It started with a dull ache in my lower back and legs during my run training. At first, I brushed it off as normal training fatigue, just another part of the process. But then, it happened. I was sleeping and was woken up at around 3am in the morning with the most excruciating pain I have ever felt. It was like I was shot with gun. It me so hard, I literally fell out of bed. You probably remember this, because after I crawled back into bed that night and every move I made was sending shooting stabbing, electric pains down my leg, I woke up the next morning and couldn’t even walk. I had to crawl down the stairs and it took everything just to make it to the couch. And for the last two weeks, I have been on the sidelines trying to get back to normal. I went from preparing for an Ironman to struggling just to move normally in literally a day. After meeting with Doctors and starting to work on getting back to normal movement, it looks like I have a nerve issue in my lower back. And it has been incredible frustrating to deal with. I am much better today than I was two weeks ago, but every step still hurts and I still cannot stand full upright. I have hit a boiling point several times with frustration, but I know that no matter how this goes forward (I could be healed soon or deal with it the rest of my life), I have a choice to make—I can let this setback take control, or take control of my response to it. I have take control of my response to it. Hannah, you will face moments like this in life. Moments where something you’ve worked for, something you’ve given your all to, suddenly gets ripped away. Maybe it’s an injury, a failure, or a disappointment that blindsides you. In those moments, you’ll feel frustration, maybe even fear. But what matters most is what you do next. And that’s what I want to talk about today. Lesson 1: Control Your Emotions and Your Mindset When setbacks happen, the first and biggest battle isn’t physical—it’s mental and emotional. It would be easy for me to feel sorry for myself, to get angry, to dwell on the unfairness of the situation. It would be easy to let frustration take over. But none of that helps. The only thing I can control is my attitude. Hannah, whenever you face setbacks in life, I want you to remember this: You always have a choice in how you respond. No matter how bad things seem, you can choose to stay positive, to keep your emotions in check, and to focus on what you *can* do instead of what you can’t. I could sit here, miserable, wishing things were different. But that wouldn’t heal me any faster. Instead, I choose to focus on the things that will move me forward—working with my physical therapist, strengthening the areas I still can, and maintaining a determined mindset. There’s a saying I love: *Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.* Setbacks are going to happen. That’s life. But how much you suffer because of them is up to you. Lesson 2: Keep Moving Forward, Even If It’s Painful One of the hardest things about setbacks is that they slow you down. Right now, I can’t run. But I *can* bike. I *can* swim, even if it comes with some pain. I *can* do some lifting. So I keep going. I push myself as hard as my body allows. Some days, progress feels good. Other days, it feels like I’m getting nowhere. But no matter what, I don’t stop. Because movement—even small movement—is progress. Hannah, when life knocks you down, you don’t have to come back all at once. You just have to keep moving forward, little by little. Maybe you won’t be able to run full speed right away, but if you can take a step, take it. If you can crawl, crawl. If you can only take deep breaths and keep your head in the right place, do that. Progress isn’t always fast, and it’s rarely easy. But the only way to truly fail is to stop trying. Lesson 3: Embrace the Process and the Unknown One of the toughest parts of this whole experience is *not knowing* when or if I’ll fully recover. Right now, I have no guarantees. I don’t know if I’ll be back to running in a few weeks, a few months, or ever. But here’s what I do know: If I give up now, I guarantee I *won’t* recover. So instead, I trust the process. I put in the work, I listen to my body, and I keep going, one step at a time. Hannah, life is full of unknowns. There will be times when you don’t have all the answers, when you don’t know how things will turn out. But uncertainty is not an excuse to quit. It’s a reason to push forward. Keep doing what you can, and trust that the results will come. Lesson 4: Never Give Up—Adapt and Overcome If one path is blocked, find another. If one method doesn’t work, try a different one. If a door closes, look for a window. Right now, my body won’t let me do certain things—but that doesn’t mean I stop. I adapt. I focus on what I *can* do, and I work within those limits until I can push past them. Life works the same way. Hannah, when you face obstacles, don’t just sit there wishing things were different. Find another way forward. If your first attempt doesn’t work, try again. And if that doesn’t work, try something else. There is *always* a way forward, but you have to be willing to look for it. I don’t know what the future holds for me physically, but I *do* know that no matter what, I will find a way to compete again. It may take weeks, months, or even longer, but I *will* get back. And I want you to remember this lesson when life throws its challenges at you. Hannah, setbacks are inevitable. You *will* face struggles. You *will* experience disappointments. But these moments don’t define you. What defines you is how you respond. I want you to remember these four things: 1. **Control your emotions and mindset.** You can’t always control what happens, but you can always control how you react. 2. **Keep moving forward.** Even slow progress is progress. Don’t stop. 3. **Embrace the process and the unknown.** You don’t need all the answers to keep going. 4. **Never give up.** If one way doesn’t work, find another. Adapt and overcome. This injury is just another test for me, and I will pass it. And when you face your own challenges, I know you will too. I love you, and I hope this lesson stays with you. Dad 
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