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!
Spring fever is hitting in full force now. We had those days of 60’s, and then got hit with snow twice following that, which brought everybody back to reality again. The snow is now gone again, and we just had the official first day of Spring yesterday! Take advantage of this and get outside. We have been isolated and social distancing for so long now…over a year! Get outside when you can. Sunshine is the best medicine!
The bike trail is again clear! Get outside. A special shout out to Park and Rec Department. They did a great job of clearing snow on MANY sections of the trail this year so we could get outside and use them. It is so much safer on the trail than being on the road.
The views from the trail, especially along the Lake, are amazing. You can just go walk and get lost with the views. If you have not ever done this, my only question to you would be: “What are you waiting for?”
Members of the Watertown Area Run Club were out in force this AM. It was a great morning to get out and enjoy the weather. Spring fever is definitely occurring , and it is one illness we all need to catch!
Catch the Spring fever! Take a break from the pandemic. Move!!! The scenery is just for you to take in. You won’t be disappointed!
Capture the moment! Enjoy life! Keep moving everybody!
Happy early birthday to my wife, Sarah, whose birthday is on St. Patrick’s Day! We celebrated early with run club today by dressing up in our St. Patrick’s gear. It has to be for something like this, or I would never wear these kind of tights!
I had to do some research as to the meaning of “Luck of the Irish”. Most of us think it is said to represent excellent fortune, like winning the lotto, or finding the partner of your dreams (which I did!), but it is actually an old mining expression dating back to the 1800’s. An American expression, not Irish. It was felt back then that if you were Irish, and migrated here, that sheer luck was the only way they were going to succeed. It also has meaning that the Irish always seem to land on their feet no matter what happens in their life. It also means fortune, which can be good or bad. Now, it is more thought of as to be lucky. “Luck of the Irish” radiates hope, positivity, and a little bit of luck all over the world. Sarah is my “Luck of the Irish”. She is 25% Irish, and her birthday is on St Patrick’s Day. But I think that I am the lucky one!
The views lately have been breath taking. Even though it is still Winter, Spring is coming, and getting closer by the day. We are ready for some good times, good “luck”, to be coming our way!
I absolutely love this quote! Life is too short, so don’t waste a single day. Take it in for all it is worth. There will be good days and bad days, but like the Irish, we have to learn to land on our feet. We need the “Luck of the Irish”!
Happy early St Patrick’s Day birthday Sarah! I am the lucky one. You make a great day, and life, even better. Keep moving everybody! Spend times with those most important to you, and make your life better. May the “Luck of the Irish” have special meaning to you!
I was out last evening taking pictures of the sun, and sunset, and was trying to figure out how to capture something different. I was looking along the shoreline, and seeing all of the ice built up, and looked at a different way. This was the result. Unique, different, memorable. The biggest thing is that it has been there a long time, but with some of the snow melting, the ice was giving me a different look. A look I never paid attention to before. I seized the moment! How many times can we try to do something, and we can’t come up with a solution, or answer, until we look at the same thing in a different way. Nothing changed, except how we looked at it. Life in a nutshell. This is where I say I don’t regret the things I’ve done. I regret the things I didn’t do when I had the chance! We all need to seize those moments. That is what makes life for each of us unique.
These two shots were from yesterday from our run club out for an early morning run, and the sun was rising. I made everybody stop so I could take a picture. “Seize the moment!” Seize the moment to seize the day! Along with this, you have to ask yourself this same thing…
Slow down. Enjoy the moment. Don’t let things rush past you so fast you miss the whole moment. Take it for what it is, and when it comes. It creates much more happy memories, and brightens your day. Don’t wait for the perfect moment, take the moment and make it perfect! And don’t worry what somebody else may think. I came across this earlier this week on a quote from Dr. Seuss. I don’t care about all of this garbage going on now with Dr. Seuss, and taking his books off the shelf, regardless of what reasons, or misinformation somebody may now have. He was educational, and had many significant, real life quotes for answers in life. He seized the moment!
Be true to yourself. If you don’t, nothing else matters. Otherwise you are no longer an individual, or an individual who thinks for themselves. Be happy, and the rest falls into place. This morning running was some great views in the sky to watch. It did not even feel like I was working while running. I was too busy taking it all in. Of course, I had to stop and take some pictures. Why? Because the moment called for it!
Take advantage of those moments when they come. Life is about “seizing the moment”! Do it! Take that extra time to take it all in, and appreciate what we are given, and when we are given it. Otherwise life just rolls on by, and we lose so much in the process.
Pay attention. Take time to look. Many, if not all of the things in our life have always been there, but we need to start looking at it in a different way. Once we do they, we get a whole new look, or perspective, on things. Be true to yourself. Seize the moment to seize the day! Keep moving everybody!
We all have things we look forward to. We all have things that help push us to do those things. Each year I go on a retreat in Minnesota called Demontreville, where I have time to relax, reflect, and rediscover what is important in life. I did not get to go last year due to Covid. One of the main principles involved in this retreat revolves around the concept of dispostion: Taking the time to think, to appreciate the little things, and to remember that these are really the big things. In order to be disposed, you have to be able to reflect. You need to be able to identify those things important to you, and then you have to have a response to them. What are your choices? “What is it I must do?” Following this comes responsibility: the ability to respond freely, and not just about being present, but doing something! We are all given a certain amount of skills and talent, and a limited amount of time to take advantage of them. I have learned about this by going to these retreats. But, I also have made some other modifications to this for me. I call them the 6 R’s. They all start with “Re”, so of course, I now call them the Reiffenberger Rules!
Reflection: You need to be able to reflect on things. Learn to take the time to think about things, without interruptions. In order to do this, you need to figure out how to relax.
Relax: You need to become disposed. Let go of things that are bothering you, It solves nothing by dwelling on them. You need to learn how to “let it go”!
Response: You need to figure out how you will respond to things in life going on. For me, I do some of my best thinking when I am out for a run, or working out in general. I am working out frustrations, and improving my health at the same time. Some things will come up during the week and I have no idea what I am going to do in regards to solving it. I go for a run, and it is amazing how ideas come into my head when I am not bothered by everything else. Try it, whether running, biking, or walking. Just move, and think!
Responsibility: First of all, I have a responsibility to my family. My response to things helps create that responsibility, which then carries over to my practice as a physician. That responsibility then leads to the next phase:
Reality: We all have a role to play in life, and each of us needs to do our part. Keep all of the other above factors in mind, and it also helps us handle reality as well. You don’t need to watch reality TV shows, just wake up each day and face all of the challenges that come your own way. And then finally…
Rediscover: Rediscover your overall purpose in life. “What is it that I must do?” You don’t need to do this on your own. Get support from family, friends, pets, whoever. They are there for support. Sarah is my main cheerleader!
So there you have it. The Reiffenberger Rules! So take the time to Reflect on things, and in order to do this we must Relax, and become disposed. We then need to create a Response in order to fulfill our Responsibility, which will then help create our Reality. This then leads us to Rediscover our overall purpose in life. Good Luck! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of New Streak: New Milestone–700!
