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3 Lessons Learned from a Company Outing Gone Wrong

Sometimes the biggest lessons come from the hardest falls.

I’ve never been much of an athlete.

My one season of T-ball and subsequent years of chorus and theatre should’ve been the clue. But when my colleagues invited me to join our office softball team, Pitches Be Crazy, I ignored those clues and said yes, aiming to lean in and fear less.

During our last game, things took a turn. As I ran to second base, I stumbled and fell. When I tried to stand, I couldn’t. I had broken my femur in half.

From that painful (and humbling) moment, I walked away, well, crutched away with three lessons that still stick with me:

1. Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness.

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I’ve always been okay with asking for help when necessary, but being injured forced me to rely on others more than ever. Teamwork extended far beyond the office. Their support reminded me that sometimes you don’t get help because you’re afraid to ask, not because it isn’t there.

2. Slowing down gives perspective.

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Before my injury, I was always on the move: busy with work, exercising, always doing something. Being forced to stop made me notice small things I’d overlooked. Slowing down gave me new perspective and gratitude for the little things we usually rush past.

3. Work teams can become real friends.

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I liked my team before, but the incident brought us closer. Their calls, visits, and genuine concern reminded me that colleagues can become meaningful friends. Sometimes you don’t know how much you mean to people until they get the chance to show it.

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Looking back, I would never choose to break my femur, but I wouldn’t trade the lessons it forced me to learn. Asking for help, slowing down, and appreciating the people around me are all things I could have learned in easier ways, but this experience made them real. Sometimes the hardest falls leave behind the clearest insights.

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Personal

3 Lessons Learned from a Company Outing Gone Wrong

Sometimes the biggest lessons come from the hardest falls.

Sometimes the biggest lessons come from the hardest falls.

1. Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness.

2. Slowing down gives perspective.

3. Work teams can become real friends.

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