overcoming setbacks

An Arrow Can Only Be Shot by Pulling It Backwards

There’s a powerful lesson tucked inside one of life’s simplest metaphors: an arrow can only be launched by first being pulled backwards.

At first, that pull feels like resistance. Pressure. Setback. You’re yanked away from where you want to go, pulled into discomfort, frustration, and sometimes even pain. But the truth is this: without that tension, without that backward stretch, there is no forward release.

Life’s pullbacks are not punishments—they are preparation.

The key is to not get stuck staring at the ground when life pulls you back. Instead, steady yourself, take aim, and get ready. Because what feels like a setback now may be the very momentum that propels you toward something greater.

The Backward Pull Feels Personal

When life pulls us back, it rarely feels neutral. It feels personal.

The relationship ends. The job falls through. The opportunity disappears. Suddenly, it feels like life is conspiring against us, stripping away what we wanted most. And in the middle of that loss, it can feel impossible to see any kind of trajectory forward.

But here’s the truth: the arrow doesn’t know it’s being pulled back to soar further—it only feels the tension. And we’re the same way.

The backward pull of life is often the exact energy we need to realign, refocus, and prepare for a different kind of future.

Take Aim: Purpose in the Pause

An arrow doesn’t just fly aimlessly—it’s aimed. The backward pull isn’t random; it’s part of the process.

When life feels like it’s dragging you back, the invitation is to pause and take aim.

Ask yourself:

  • What am I being redirected toward?
  • What lessons am I meant to carry from this moment?
  • What strength am I building through this resistance?

Taking aim doesn’t mean you’ll have all the answers right away. It means you choose not to waste the pullback. You align yourself with purpose, even if the target feels blurry.

The Release: Trusting the Launch

When the arrow is finally released, it doesn’t hesitate. It doesn’t fight the momentum. It doesn’t question the trajectory. It simply flies.

That’s the moment you’ve been stretched for.

The release is the job that finally matches your calling, the relationship that respects your worth, the moment you realize your strength has carried you further than you thought possible. It’s not about erasing the pullback; it’s about realizing that every inch of that resistance fueled the flight.

The Power of Perspective

Pullbacks and setbacks will always come. But here’s the difference between staying stuck and soaring forward: perspective.

If you see the pullback as failure, you’ll stay grounded. If you see it as preparation, you’ll find the courage to aim higher.

Every backward tug is an opportunity to grow resilience, clarity, and faith. It’s proof that you’re still in motion—that life is stretching you for something greater.

Your Bow, Your Aim, Your Flight

Remember, you are both the archer and the arrow.

You get to choose:

  • Do you fight the pull and call it defeat?
  • Or do you trust the stretch, take aim, and let yourself fly?

The setbacks won’t define you. The release will.

So the next time life pulls you back, don’t panic. Don’t lose heart. Steady your grip. Breathe. Take aim. And get ready—because you are about to soar.

SLAY Reflection

  1. Where in your life right now do you feel like you’re being pulled backwards?
  2. How can you reframe that pullback as preparation instead of punishment?
  3. What’s one target you want to take aim at, even if it feels blurry today?
  4. How can you use resistance as fuel for your momentum?
  5. What would trusting the release look like for you?

S – See setbacks as setups, not endings
L – Let the pullback strengthen your aim
A – Align with purpose, not panic
Y – Yield to the release and trust your flight

Call to Action: Join the Conversation

I’d love to hear from you.
What pullback in your life ended up being the momentum you needed to soar?
Share your story in the comments. Let’s cheer each other on.

And if you know someone who feels stuck in a setback, send this to them.
Sometimes, all we need is a reminder that the stretch is preparing us for the flight.

You Don’t Need A New Day To Start

We love to wait for Mondays, fresh starts, or even January 1st. But here’s the thing:

You don’t need a new day to start. You just need a new moment.

Back when I was sick, I would talk myself out of the very things that would help me feel better. I set rules and parameters for when change could begin: it had to be Monday, or the first of the month, or it had to happen first thing in the morning. If I didn’t start exactly the way I imagined, I would convince myself the whole day or week was ruined.

So I waited.

I waited for the right conditions, the right mindset, the right time. I raised the bar high enough to make sure I couldn’t reach it—so I didn’t have to try.

But what I didn’t realize then was this:

Waiting to be perfect was just another form of self-sabotage.

And I was the one building the prison around me—and holding the key.

The Shift: Start Where You Are

When I hit bottom—emotionally, spiritually, and physically—I couldn’t wait for another Monday. I didn’t have that kind of time.

So I started right then. That moment.

I got honest with myself. I told the truth out loud. I reached out for help and made myself accountable. That decision became a line in the sand.

It wasn’t smooth. It wasn’t pretty. But it was real. And that was enough.

I had to shift my mindset from “all or nothing” to “learn and move forward.” If I slipped, I didn’t have to wait for a clean slate tomorrow—I was the clean slate. I could start again in that same breath, with that same heart, right where I was.

The Gift of Failing Forward

Failure wasn’t the enemy. It was part of the process.

Your setbacks don’t have to send you all the way back.

They can become the stepping stones forward.

We are meant to fall. We are meant to get back up. It’s in those stumbles that we build strength, perspective, and resilience. If we can acknowledge what happened, learn from it, and keep going—that’s growth.

And that’s what recovery taught me:

Every moment is a moment you can begin again.

Don’t Wait. Begin.

There is no magical date on the calendar that will make everything easier. There’s just right now. And then the next now.

If you want the change, the dream, the life that feels just out of reach—go after it now. Not tomorrow. Not when things settle down. Now.

Because even if you fall, you’ll fall forward. You’ll fall into wisdom. You’ll fall into growth. And you’ll rise stronger each time.

You don’t need a new day to start, Slayer. You just need to decide.

SLAY Reflection

Ask yourself:

  • Do I wait for the “perfect time” to make a change?
  • How do I react when I slip or fall short?
  • What would it feel like to simply continue on instead of starting over?
  • Do I use setbacks as punishment?
  • What would it look like to honor my growth instead?

S – L – A – Y

S: Stop waiting for a better time.
L: Learn from every step, even the stumbles.
A: Allow yourself to keep going without starting over.
Y: Yield to the truth that your next moment can be your best one yet.

Call to Action: Join the Conversation
I’d love to hear from you.
Do you wait for the “right time” to begin? What would it look like to just begin now—no matter what today looks like?
Share your story in the comments. Let’s cheer each other on.

And if you know someone who’s putting their life on pause waiting for the right time, send this to them.
Sometimes, all we need is a nudge.