Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot
On Fridays, I like to share experiences from my week—both with patients and in my personal life—that have left a meaningful impact. My hope is that these reflections offer you something of value, a bit of insight or encouragement that resonates with your own journey and inspires you in some way.
Something I related to. I saw a quote this week that resonated with me, “Horses built for war don’t dance at weddings.” This means that in important matters, serious people carefully consider decisions, hold themselves to lofty standards, and do not seek comfort in favor of substance or results.
Though I love to laugh and joke around, I consider myself to be a “war horse” in the context of the quote above. When it comes to my health, well-being of my family, quality of my relationships with my wife and children, financial security, etc. I only play for keeps. It is too important for me to waste time with frivolous pursuits, following what others do, or trying to be someone I’m not. My energy must be directed toward constructing the life that my family, my patients, and I deserve. This simple quote was a reminder of how important it is for all of us to become focused and locked in if we are to become the biggest blessing possible to ourselves and those we care about.
A recent interaction. I was speaking to a friend this week who owns his own new, small business. To keep his doors open and make ends meet, he took a part-time job in another field. When we spoke, I could tell this embarrassed him and caused him to feel shame. I told him that he had nothing to feel ashamed about and that I admired what he was doing tremendously because it demonstrates something I value. The person who is willing to be humble, refuses to quit, and never stops trying is rarely defeated.
Many (if not all) of the most successful people in our world were once broken, bankrupt, forgotten, and/or came from tough circumstances. I guarantee you that what ended up making them successful was grit, determination, and a willingness to do anything within their power to improve. Likewise, I’m certain they were not worried about looking foolish, being embarrassed, or the opinions of others. As I said to my friend, you should never feel bad about being the type of person that hustles and does whatever possible to succeed.
Something I believe. Most of the races I have competed in have been over long distances, anywhere from 31 to 100 miles straight. Endurance events such as these require exertion over many hours and put considerable strain on your legs, feet, and mind. One of the sayings among people who do these races is, “If you’re sprinting at the end, you didn’t give all you had.” In other words, if you have enough energy to sprint when the finish line is close and the crowd is watching, you did not exert yourself fully over much of the race. Since life itself is an endurance event, this applies to daily life as well.
The “exertion” of daily life involves putting forth our best in the things that matter most with consistency. This can be studying for tests, relationships, our work, and so many more. If we care, we owe it to ourselves to give all we can repeatedly and empty our tank into the crucial things within our lives. When we do so, we will never look back and wish we’d tried harder. Much like races, we shouldn’t go our fastest only when the end is in sight and people are cheering for us. We must be unafraid to exhaust ourselves and hobble through the finish line with nothing left to give. This is a recipe for success, and it carries with it immense pride.
An important concept. I’ve spoken to multiple people over the past year that have made major errors in judgement that have cost them relationships, jobs, and more. The common theme among their mistakes (which I told them) was that they “didn’t have their guard up.” This is dangerous ground and usually leads to disaster. Let me explain.
Keeping our guard up entails maintaining discipline, following our morals and principles, and keeping our focus on what truly matters. Conversely, our guard goes down when we start seeking short-term comforts, attention, or pleasure over those more key areas. Alcohol, drugs, vices, and a desire for hollow attention from others are all examples of things that seem fun or exciting initially but can sink the ship later. The best approach is to decide what type of person you want to be. If you desire to be integrous, trustworthy, loved, and respected, then keep your guard up and behave accordingly.
Some quotes I Love.
“Lasting purpose is not a quote, it’s a calling.”
“Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind, feelings, and emotions.”
“The right circle of people won’t just accept you; they will elevate you.”