I am always impressed by people who experience a setback yet refuse to let it define the moment. They continue with their plans, adapt to what has changed, and, perhaps most importantly, they do not allow their disappointment to become everyone else’s burden.

Recently, my sister planned a weeklong trip to Colorado with friends visiting from South Louisiana. The itinerary was everything you would expect from an active Colorado vacation…hiking, tennis, pickleball, long walks, and plenty of time outdoors while escaping the summer heat and humidity back home.

Just a few weeks before the trip, she learned she had a stress fracture in her foot. Instead of hiking boots, she would be wearing a medical boot. Instead of competing on the pickleball court, she would be cheering from the sidelines. It would have been easy to cancel the trip or spend the week focused on everything she could not do.

She chose a different path.

She welcomed the adventure with her friends anyway. She hobbled around. She navigated hills, stairs, and uneven paths at her own pace. She laughed. She lingered over meals with friends. She embraced the beauty of Colorado and treasured every conversation with people she loves.

She became a participant in a different way…not by doing everything, but by fully being present.

What struck me most was not just her resilience. It was her perspective.

She never seemed interested in asking, Why me? Instead, she quietly adjusted and kept moving forward. She did not expect everyone else to slow down because she had to. She found joy in what was still possible instead of dwelling on what was not. 

Leadership often looks like this.

Every one of us will experience setbacks. Some will be minor. Others will change the course of our lives. While we do not always choose our circumstances, we do choose how we show up in them. We can allow disappointment to shape the experience for everyone around us, or we can adapt with grace, gratitude, and generosity.

There’s one more critical lesson this week reminded me of…

Surround yourself with friends who are willing to slow down with you. The ones who do not measure the day by how much you accomplish together, but by the conversations you have, the laughter you share, and the extra cup of coffee that was not on the original itinerary. Those are the people who remind you that your value was never tied to your pace.

Thank you, sister, for showing what it looks like to move forward through a setback without letting it steal the moment for yourself or others. Your boot may have slowed your steps, but it never diminished your joy.

A setback may change how we experience the moment, but it does not have to take the moment away.

How would you respond?