by Dan | Dec 18, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
I really like a statement made by Matthew Kelly in his book, Rhythm of Life. In it he states: “Greatness is attained beyond the pursuit of our own fulfillment. True greatness is achieved by making a difference in other people’s lives. What moves a person from success to significance? Making a difference in the lives of other people.” We can have help and support from our friends, but it is these same people that maybe we are making a difference to as well. Each of us…making a difference to each other, in one way or another.
We all do different things in our lives. We all have a different profession. But we can all make a difference in what we do, and how we do it. Thank the people around us. Make a difference in their lives, because ultimately it will make a difference in our own lives. Exercise can help us along the way, whether biking, walking, swimming, running…whatever the activity may be. These activities can be a challenge, but they can also help us navigate through the challenges in our lives as well. It can make the difference of being successful or not, or getting things accomplished.
It truly does teach us…it teaches us how to get through tough things that we may face everyday, and can make it a little easier to contend with, or just even helping us get through it, period! At the same time, we choose how we want it to handle us. How do we want it to define our lives? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?
One of my previous posts was about choice. We do have a choice, and we can choose how we want to handle it, or how it will handle us. But, as individuals, we can make a difference, not only for ourselves, but for others.
Make a difference. It is not that hard. We need to also make this a habit, a habit that we also do everyday. Make a difference in somebody’s life!
We all have different goals. We all come in different sizes, shapes, personalities. We are all different, but that is what makes us unique. We have the ability to offer something different from anybody else. We all can learn from everybody. Think about it…how many people in this world, and we all have something unique to offer.
How does it feel to be a super hero? Another quote by Matthew Kelly hits home: “Finding our place in the world, finding our place in our local community, and making a difference in our own way all give meaning, purpose, and a deep, deep sense of fulfillment to our lives. We must not only find it for ourselves, but help every individual to find the same.”
For those of us in the Watertown Area Run Club…you know exactly what I mean! And together, we can do it…and we are doing it!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3369
by Dan | Dec 11, 2016 | Diet, Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
We are all busy with our lives, always having things to do. But are they always the most important things? Are they things that need to get done? Maybe. The priority of how fast it may need to get done is probably the debatable part. If we take a step back and really think about the things that we need to get done, all of a sudden, there may be more time that will become available.
What is it you value most? What is important to you? And if you want certain things to take on a higher priority, then what are you doing about it?
If you keep focused on those things that truly are important to you, then things become easier to handle, and the order of the things that need to be done are also more manageable. We all have 24 hours in a day. We all have 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. So why then are some people always seeming like they have their life in order, and seem to manage thins much better, and with much less stress? Part of it may be that they hide their stress very well. But more to reality, they have their priorities arranged in a order that is more important to them, and they keep their focus on this.
Some of us may think we are too busy, but the reality of it is that they are no busier than anybody else!
Your priorities need to be adjusted over time. The main focus of where you place your priorities needs to be clear, but how you go about getting there will change. You have to make it a high enough priority in order for it to push out something else in life that really is not a priority…it is more just a time waster, and never really helps you accomplish anything. That is where the exercise, and your diet, come into play. If you make it a high enough priority, and work on these things, the amount of energy, and how well you will feel will take over, and it is amazing how much energy you actually have to get those other little things in your life done faster, and more efficient. And still have time for what is really important…your family and friends!
It is not just going to fall into your lap. You need to plan. You need to adjust. You need to make adaptations. You need to make and continuously rearrange your priorities!
Now is the time to really sit back and think about it. What is important to you? Why is it important to you? How are you going to make sure it remains important enough to you to keep working on it, or making sure that you are going to be around longer to be able to enjoy those things in your life? It is up to you. All of us have different priorities. Keep focused. It is not that hard for each of you to decide what really matters to you.
I have said over and over again…my family is my central focus point, and everything I do centers around this. I want to be around longer for them, to enjoy their lives as well. That makes my life more fulfilling. It helps make me a better me! Enjoy life to the fullest. Don’t take anything for granted. Work on your priorities, and above all, make them a priority! Enjoy the ride along the way!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3362
by Dan | Dec 4, 2016 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Life is all about choices–both good and bad. You can choose to be happy, sad, grumpy, depressed, or whatever you choose. Or you can be excited like our run club group is when we go out on a run on Sunday mornings. The choice is yours!
By no means does this mean that our choices are easy. Far from it. We make a decision, and then have to work at it so as to make something of it. It is not just going to fall in our lap because we want to chose something. Same thing when it comes to our health. We have to work at the diet and the exercise. Just because we may want to be more healthy, the choice is ours as to how we are going to achieve it.
It is a two way street! You choose how you are going to work at something to achieve what you want. If it is worthwhile, then be prepared to work at it. As I have said before, anything worth having is worth working for…the benefits come later.
Here is our group as we were getting ready to start the Twin Cities Marathon this past October. We spent the last 4+ months training together, encouraging each other, pushing each other. We were working together to accomplish a goal of completing the marathon. We may have all had different goals as to how we wanted to finish, but we were all working on finishing. It is great motivation working as a group. We each put in the miles individually, but we were doing it together. Words don’t describe that bond that is achieved when you are working as a group on a similar goal. You take a chance, make a choice, and change comes about.
The 3 C’s of life. What better way to sum it up! Things in life in general are about this. You take a chance because you made a choice, with the hope of making a POSITIVE change. Are those changes always positive? Probably not. But, that does not mean you don’t learn from them. We learn from everything we do, both the positive and negative. If something good happens, we keep doing similar things. If something bad happens, or some outcome we did not like, then we learn from it, and change!
You rely on not only your friends, but those closest to you…namely, your spouse. Sarah and I motivate each other, push each other, depend on each other! This too is a two way street. You take chances, and work on the things you choose together, which brings about continuous change. It also brings about consistency, dependability, a bond that can’t be broken…love!
Your attitude goes a long way in regards to how changes in life will affect you, and the resulting choices you make. Keep your goals in mind, and the purpose for which you chose them as goals. It was a choice made by you for some reason…a reason important to you. So keep reminding yourself of them. This too will help motivate you, and keep the attitude you have more positive than negative.
Important to remember! There will be bad choices at times. Learn from them, and figure out how to make another change, a change you make based on a choice you make, because you were willing to take a chance! Take a chance on you! Make a choice and do what is right for you! Your future depends on it! Next week I will expand on this further when I talk about priorities…how the choices we make are dependent on our priorities.
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3355
by Dan | Nov 27, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Holidays, Motivation, Wellness/Health
At this time of year, it is easy to start thinking about what you are thankful for. Here Nick, Sarah, and I are getting ready for the annual Turkey Day 5k held on Thanksgiving. The weather was great, and it is a great way to start off the day exercising…and a great way to make room for all the food we plan on eating that day. It is an annual run and walk, and attendance was the largest yet!
After everybody gets done running/walking, you get treated to a piece of pumpkin pie before everybody takes off to go spend time with family.
Thank you Watertown DASH for holding this event again, originally started by the Hiedeman family. If you have never tried participating before, get out there next year!
We had many of the Watertown Run Club members made it out for the annual run as well. Sarah, Nick, and Jill Makepeace, and Steve Arbogast.
And of course, the McElroy’s…we were just missing Gracie, who was sick that morning. But Jenn, Kate, and Owen made it out.
Paula, Paul, and Jackie ran as well.
It was all worth while. The rest of the day was spent relaxing, watching football, and eating! It was good to get out and move before hand. This way we could earn our food feast for the day. Thanksgiving turkey is one of my favorite meals!
So, now it is time to sit back and be thankful for what we have. Keep in mind your health, your family, and your friends. Spend time with them, appreciate them. We won’t have them forever. Being thankful shows how you become better, and more appreciative as well. We don’t know when things are going to change for us. The next slide sums it up for me!
Thank you! Here is to hoping everybody has great holidays coming, that you keep working on increasing your exercise habits, and working on your healthy eating as well. All of this is important for you to becoming a better you. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3348
by Dan | Nov 20, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
We all get 24 hours in a day. We all get 7 days in a week, 365 days a year. So why does it always seem like there is never enough time to get things done? Why is everybody always in a rush to get something done, when the majority of those things really are not that important anyway? The secret in life is to prioritize those things that are important in our life, and then making sure we have enough time to get these done. The center of all of this should be around those people most important to us. After all, who is going to miss us when we are not here? As a physician, I am helping people all of the time in their final days of life, helping them to make that final journey. I hear all of the time how they did not have enough time to do things they wanted, especially when it came to spending time with family and friends. I have never heard anybody yet tell me, “You know Doc, if I could just spent more time working!”. Think about it…what is important to you? This Summer I had all of my kids home for a short time, and we went to a twins game, and spent a few days in the Twin Cities. Family time. We even went to a play in Chanhassen.
As the kids continue to grow up, these are the times that they are going to remember…the times we spent together as a family. That is always how exercise has helped make us a closer, stronger family. We all exercise! It is a great way to spend family time together. But you need to slow down, (except when we are running a race!), and learn to enjoy things more.
Sometimes if we are in too big of a rush, we are going to have important things pass right by us, and we are not going to have a clue until it is too late. Take the time to slow down! Enjoy life as it comes. Enjoy that full day for everything it brings. We all have 24 hours, we are all busy, but not too busy that we can’t make room to take care of ourselves. We have to take time to exercise, and to spend time with those important to us. Sometimes that can even be at the same time!
It is amazing what you all can appreciate more if you take the time to look…take the time to appreciate…even just taking the time to take the time! We need to figure out for ourselves where that can work for us. Where can you take a break to slow down, just sit and observe, and enjoy…and just think. Think about how you can do things better, and more efficient. It may just surprise you by doing this, how much more productive you can be during the day, and still have that time to spend with family. These are some of my favorite places to sit and think.
A rocking chair overlooking the lake. Just you and nature.
Lots of park benches along the bike trail here in Watertown. You can sit and relax and watch the world go by.
Watching a sunset out on Lake Kampeska. Amazing the things that go through your head, and the things you can come up with solutions for, by just sitting and taking the time to think. I will sometimes be out for a run along the lake, and just stop and watch for awhile…and think. Or if I am out running/walking along the trail by the lake, how peaceful it is, and how your mind can just take you away for all of the stress in your life…and you are out exercising as well!
Remember this! Make it part of your routine. Slow is fast! Taking the time to think about things will make you more productive, and happy. It can be one of the secrets to making you a better you!
Keep moving everybody…and slow is good!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3341
