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.
Have courage. I was at church recently when the pastor ended the service by inviting anyone interested in volunteering for a specific activity to come forward. A few people went up, then things got quiet until a six- or seven-year-old girl stepped into the aisle and walked toward the front. People immediately began applauding, and suddenly the floodgates opened as more adults followed her. There were hundreds in the auditorium, so walking down that aisle took guts. Watching her reminded me that sometimes all it takes is a few seconds of courage to change what happens next.
Think about some of the biggest moments in life: approaching the person who eventually becomes your spouse, standing up for something you believe in, saying yes when everyone else hesitates, or taking a chance when there’s no guarantee it will work. The fear may last minutes, but the decision to act often happens in seconds. We won’t face those moments every day, which is exactly why we need to recognize them when they arrive. When your gut tells you to step forward, don’t wait for the nerves to disappear because they won’t. Give yourself a few seconds of courage and go. Those few seconds can change the direction of your life and sometimes inspire others to move with you.
Start doing…something. I love to cook when we have friends and family over, and I tend to go all out. That usually means a lot of prep, timing, and things that need to happen simultaneously. Occasionally I’ll look around the kitchen, feel overwhelmed, and not know where to start. In those moments, I tell myself, “Just start chopping something.” It doesn’t really matter what. The goal is simply to break the spell of standing there thinking about everything that needs to be done and start doing something. Once I’m moving, the next step usually becomes much clearer. I’ve found the same principle works even better outside the kitchen.
Life gets easier when you have momentum behind you. When you feel overwhelmed, don’t worry about solving the entire problem, find one small action that gets you moving. Send an email, make a call, exercise for ten minutes, write the first sentence, or clean one thing. These small actions create momentum, which leads to clarity that makes bigger steps easier. Chopping vegetables has never magically finished a meal for me, but it gets me moving in the right direction. Doing nothing always does nothing so when/if you’re stuck, “just start chopping something.”
Regain control. I had a couple of weird, stressful nights and mornings this week. Whenever life gets chaotic, our instinct is often to seek comfort. To eat whatever we want, skip the workout, abandon our responsibilities, or find some form of escape. When I was younger, I probably would have done exactly that. What I’ve learned through experience though, is that the routines that serve us when life is going well become even more important when life gets hard. Chaotic times are not when you want to abandon the things that keep you grounded; it’s when you need them most.
When I had that particularly hectic morning this week, I made sure to handle everything I needed for my wife and kids and then made myself do a shorter, intense workout. That night brought another unexpected problem that kept me up most of the night, but I forced myself to get up at 5 a.m the following morning. and follow my normal routine. Counterintuitively, that discipline makes stressful times easier. Familiar routines restore a sense of control, give your mind something productive to focus on, and keep one difficult moment from spilling into everything else. The next time life gets chaotic, resist the urge to lower your standards and lean harder into the habits that normally make you better. When life feels out of control, it’s more important than ever to control what you can.
A great mentality. I’ve been reading a book by the late football coach Bill Walsh, and he describes something he wanted to instill in his teams he calls the “one-point underdog mentality.” He wanted his players to be prepared, competent, and confident but never so comfortable that they believed simply showing up would be enough. Whether facing their toughest opponent or a lesser one, he wanted the mindset to be the same. Specifically, they were capable of winning but also capable of losing if they didn’t stay sharp and give their best. I love this because it’s a great balance between believing in yourself and respecting what’s in front of you.
I try to approach life the same way. Success can quietly become dangerous when it turns into complacency. We start cutting corners, preparing less, and assuming yesterday’s success guarantees tomorrow’s results. The one-point underdog mentality reminds us to be confident in what we’ve built without ever taking it for granted. It’s great to be confident and know you’re good but keep preparing like you still have something to prove. Stay hungry, remain engaged, and keep earning the things you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
Some quotes I Love.
“I will be okay. Not because everything is fine, but because I am surprisingly difficult to destroy.”
“The storm around you doesn’t have to become the storm in you.”
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