On Fridays I like to share experiences I’ve had during the week with patients and in my personal life that I’ve found significant. I like to share them in hopes that you might find value in them and have something resonate with you in your life.
Something I believe. My wife sent me a link to a story about a young baby that survived for nearly 130 hours among the rubble of a destroyed building after the earthquake in Turkey. Obviously, I was amazed at such a miraculous story, but I had another thought. That same will an infant with no ability to care for itself has to stay alive in a dire situation, we all possess.
I do not believe the strength of your will is genetic. Rather, it can grow or diminish. Regularly challenging yourself both mentally and physically will create growth in your will because it leads to greater confidence and resiliency. Simply put, you will know that you can achieve great things even under difficult circumstances. On the other hand, avoiding challenges, hiding from problems, bad thoughts, negative people, and giving up when things get tough will all quickly decrease your will. If a baby can keep itself alive on will alone, imagine how far you can go with yours.
A lesson I want you to have. Since the race, I have had so many patients and friends ask me about my experience. Most commonly, they want to know how I was able to finish nearly 80 of the 100 total miles of the race while being in pain/hurt from a series of ankle injuries. They want to know what motivation I used, and they expect the answer to be complicated. The reality is that it was quite simple.
I made the decision to not quit under any circumstances. By making that commitment to myself, I was able to hyper-focus all my energy on continuing forward and wasted no time feeling sorry for myself, making excuses, being embarrassed about my time, or anything else. I didn’t concern myself with potential outcomes. Merely putting one foot in front of the other until I finished or was dragged away was all I cared about. One of my favorite quotes is “If you want to take the island, burn the boats.” In my race I burned the boats and if there is a goal you want more than anything, you should too.
Something I tried and loved. On Saturday, one of my wife’s clients invited us to try a session of infrared sauna at her business in Cherry Creek. I had never done this type of therapy before but really enjoyed it. Being only a week out of a major race (and six months of intense training) I could feel that my body was inflamed, and my joints were stiff. After the treatment, I could feel immediate improvements in mobility and noticed that some of the swelling around my ankles had subsided. I found the treatment to be highly effective and enjoyable. It felt like I was lying on a warm beach and that was just what I needed.
Something I believe. Have you ever noticed how you feel after a day of doing nothing but wasting time, scrolling your phone, watching television, and being lazy? It’s likely that you feel a form of anxiety that comes from a lack of productivity. Conversely, on the days where you are accomplishing things in your personal or business life and moving your body at least a little bit, you probably feel a sense of accomplishment.
Being productive is one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself each day. Achieving physical, mental, nutritional, spiritual, and other goals will provide you many gifts. Specifically, I find those to be high energy, better sleep, less stress, long term achievement, better relationships, and more. Ask yourself before each day what you want to/must accomplish and then start making those things happen. Do that daily and you can change your life!
Some quotes I love.
“Whatever you do, don’t let the evil that’s inside of others kill the love that’s inside of you.”
“Your children will be predisposed to becoming who you are. Get busy becoming who you want them to be.” – Matt Beaudreau
“I survived too many storms to be bothered by raindrops.”
“If you don’t heal what hurt you, you’ll bleed on people who didn’t cut you.”