Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot
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 share these in the hope that you might find value in them and have something that resonates with you in your life.
Something that helps me. In baseball, there is a term known as a “pitch count.” This describes a pre-determined maximum number of pitches that the pitcher will be allowed to throw. If the pitch count is one hundred, when the pitcher reaches that threshold, they will be removed from the game. This is done to allow someone to come back safely after injury, save strength for an upcoming stretch of games, or begin building endurance. While pitch counts can be effective in preserving arm strength in baseball, I believe they can be effective in life as well.
To sustain my mental strength, I try to avoid unnecessary things that can deplete it. As a result, I limit certain categories that will cause me damage if I pay too much attention. Thus, my pitch counts to involve political news, social media, speaking to people who gossip or complain, or anything that lends itself to producing too much negative emotion. By minimizing the amount that I allow myself to partake in/consume these things, I have more energy to direct toward my wife, children, friends, business, and more. Identify things in your own life that may be detrimental and then apply a “pitch count” for them.
Something I heard and loved. This week I read a Chinese Proverb that states, “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago, the second-best time to plant one is today.” I thought through the meaning of that statement and found it to be particularly significant.
We all have a path that we should take to benefit ourselves and those around us. Unfortunately, we often neglect this route for one filled with mistakes that we come to regret. As the Proverb suggests, rather than wasting time worrying about what would have been ideal/could have been, it is best to take immediate action. If there are things you have done that have made you feel stuck, guilty, or ashamed, it’s time to let that go. Begin taking even the smallest of steps, of which you can be proud to begin creating a different result than you’ve experienced previously. Don’t let what happened in your past limit what you can achieve in your future.
Something I believe. Have you ever heard someone tell you that they were waiting to buy a mansion, Ferrari, or an extravagant piece of jewelry until it went on sale? Of course not, because the most expensive and hard to obtain possessions in life are never sold on discount. They remain pricey and only those that work hard and earn enough to afford them will have access to them. While this seems simple, we often neglect to remember this basic premise in more critical areas of our lives.
Promotions at work, financial freedom, great marriages, and wonderful relationships are never handed out. For them to occur, you need to work at them and put in consistent effort. In other words, you need to pay a price to make them a reality for yourself. If you are not willing to do so, you are expecting them to come to you at a discount which is as unrealistic as expecting to buy that new sports car for 50% off. The best and most fulfilling aspects of your life will require sacrifice, exertion, and commitment but will be worth the price if you are willing to pay it.
A term I like. I do not recall exactly where I encountered it, but I heard the term “possibility blindness” this week and loved it. This refers to an unwillingness or inability to see that something better could occur in the future. Having suffered from this exact thing years ago, I can assure you this is not a trap you want to fall into.
One of the unfortunate aspects of tough times is that we begin to expect that they’ll continue in perpetuity. This creates a lack of confidence and belief in ourselves to the point where we forget we can change our circumstances. Acknowledging even the slightest chance that things can improve has a way of motivating us to continue trying. The longer we exert that effort, the more opportunities we encounter that can change our circumstances. There were times when I was very skeptical that I could ever be successful in business, love, athletics, ultramarathons, and more. However, just keeping that little flame of “what if I could?” alive in my heart and mind, kept me moving forward enough to succeed. Never allow yourself to go blind to possibility.
Some quotes I Love.
“Success is built on the days you don’t feel like showing up but do anyway.”
“You were always the wrong guy until you weren’t” – Laura Kinney, Deadpool and Wolverine