Several years ago, this was Sarah waiting for me at the finish line of the Twin Cities Marathon. I was wiped! She was there then, waiting to cheer on and support me, just like she always does. She is “always by my side”. There was nothing more true than this 2 years ago, March 24. This past Wednesday marked 2 years since I had my major health issue. I admit, there are times when I am still “pissed” about what happened. With everything that I try to do to stay healthy, and then this happens, and I had no control over it. I still have my moments, but I am getting better at getting past this stage. There is no question, I do not have the stamina I used to have. I am still able to run, just not as far as I had been doing. I don’t know if that is because of everything that happened, or the fact that I am getting older, or both. I don’t know! This pandemic is not helping at all either because of all the stress this has created for over a year now. I had some help though this Wednesday morning.
I had a meeting at 7AM this Wednesday with a group of doctors, and we have a monthly spirituality gathering. We read different books, and each month one of us leads the discussion. This month it was my turn. The current book we are reading is “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day”. Very good book! The chapter this month was “Playing it Safe is Risky”. There is nothing easy about taking risks. Most of us have a greater fear of missing out than the fear of messing up. We regret things we wanted to do in our lives, but never had the courage to do them. If I learned anything from everything that has happened to me 2 years ago, it is that I have learned to appreciate the small things in life much more than before. That is where all the pictures I take of the clouds, sunsets, and sunrises comes from. It is very relaxing to me, and the colors and beauty it reveals is just amazing. What is more amazing is that it has always been there, and I did not bother to pay attention. I would get so caught up in all of the pressures of everyday life that I think I actually forgot to live each day. I am not going to make that mistake anymore.
We need to learn to step out of our comfort zone each day, and do something different. Appreciate each day for what it brings, and have the courage to take on new adventures. Step out of that comfort zone, and pay attention to what is in front of us!
Sarah and I went on a get away trip to the Hills last August. We stayed in a cabin, secluded from everybody else, and brought our own food, supplies, etc, so it was just us! What a relaxing week! We went hiking, biking, walking, running. We sat and read, and took in the scenery We need to do that more often! So do you!
I definitely found this out. I don’t recommend having major health issues, where it comes close to taking your life, before you figure this out. I will say it has given me a whole new appreciation of being on the other side of medicine. I am usually the one providing the advice and care, not the one receiving it! It can be a “hard pill to swallow”! Life really is too short. Don’t miss out on the things right in front of you, or the people in your life closest to you.
This is one we, I, have to keep being reminded of. Nothing ever goes without challenges. Nothing ever goes as smooth as you think it should be. Everything we change and do, changes everything. Every choice we make affects our future. Have the courage to take some risks. As it was pointed out in the chapter this week for discussion: Do we have the mindset of “Better safe than sorry”, or one of “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”? We have a choice. Find the courage to make that choice.
We could learn something from these geese. We can “spread our wings”, and expand our horizons, or sit idly by and waste our time. We can learn to take on new adventures. We can learn to experience different things in our lives. We can learn to have the courage to take on challenges in our lives, and not dwell on “what could have been”, and to keep dwelling on the past and wonder “why”. When I write about things in my blog, then I am also helping to convince myself of this too. We can always learn something everyday. All of us! None of us knows everything! The moment we quit learning is the moment we quit living. What is it you want to learn? What is is you want to do? What is it you need the courage to figure out?
It doesn’t get easier. It gets tougher some days. You get more tired some days. Hopefully, as you keep pushing on, you get stronger. There is no question that is the case when it came to me running marathons. You had to put in the time, and the miles, to be able to make it to the finish. Well, what do you know? Here I was all of these years talking about running, and marathons, and I could have been talking about life in general! I guess everyday is a different form of a marathon. Here I have been training my whole life…for my life! All these years of marathon training should have prepared me for what happened 2 years ago. Too bad it has taken me awhile to figure that out. Live and learn…always learning! Always!
We all need to quit dwelling on the past, especially me. Get ready to take on life, and live it to the fullest extent that we can. Appreciate each day we have, and have the courage to live with no regrets. After all, playing it safe is risky. Worry about missing out, not messing up! And if you are as lucky as me, then you always have somebody by your side. Thank you Sarah! I will get there. Everybody, especially me, needs to keep working on it. Everybody needs to keep working at it. Everybody needs to keep learning every day. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Find the courage inside you! We only live once! Next week I will talk about my new exercise streak going past 2 years. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of New Streak: #728
