Educate

I have been terrible at my posts this summer due to the schedule of keeping up with these three little ladies above. Between ER visits, triathlons, duathlons, soccer tournaments/practice, vacation, work, dance, camp and just trying to be the best parents we can be time seems to fly bye the older we get. Although even as crazy as we get I wouldn't trade out a single moment with these ladies.

This leads me to the topic of this blog post...Educate. I am not singling out our nations teachers or leaders but instead shifting focus to everyone who wakes up each day and takes a deep breath. We all have what I believe is a given responsibility to educate ourselves and those around us. Have a daily goal of learning something new. With technology and the ability to search anything on the internet spend 10, 20 or 30 minutes a day trying to educate yourself on something new. There is only positives that will come from this exercise as it will make you a more well-rounded individual.

The larger task at hand though is to take time each day and educate those around you. It can be anything from teaching a co-worker effective marketing strategies, to helping someone learn how to properly canvas the grocery store for food choices to spending 5 minutes educating your constantly depressed/negative friend on how much they have to live for and the good they can accomplish. Whether its a family member, a friend or a complete stranger we can all work together to make our days more effective through education. I am helping coach a local high school cross country team this fall and I am over the hills excited to share my knowledge and help the kids become better runners and even better individuals.

I have the luxury of seeing patients daily who are in acute pain or just want to live a better life and the one thing I enjoy the most is educating them on how things can indeed always improve. I use strategies from every facet or chapter of my life to help someone improve on what they currently have. I am not saying I have all the answers but what I am saying is that through some form of communication or confidence in an individual you can make long lasting dramatic changes in their life.

Although no offense to any of my patients but the one thing I enjoy the most is educating my children. Number one I always daily teach them and constantly reiterate that they can accomplish anything they put their mind to while at the same time giving it their best. I will never once tell them its impossible or they don't have what it takes. Living with 4 highly competitive driven women (yes I can already tell what direction the baby is going and anyone else that knows her will agree) I love the challenges that each of them takes in their life and I love being there to help drive them down the path. Their confidence wanes at times but as a team we are always there to help each other out.

A week ago I competed in the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships for sprint and olympic triathlon in Milwaukee, WI. Its two races where basically the top athletes for those distances come together and duke it out for spots on the next years Team USA triathlon team. After years of racing long course triathlon I was excited to switch gears and attempt to get some of that old school speed back. Well without going into extreme detail I showed up at the race running some of my fastest times in all my 37 years. That was until race day when my body decided that it had different plans and extreme stomach pain slowed me down to a walk/jog. To come this far and push so hard in training it was an immediate mental letdown. I thought about just quitting as the pain was intense but then I realized what does quitting really accomplish and that my children where at the finish line and what example would I set if I quit. So with much determination I pushed forward cheering on those I knew racing and looking forward to that finish line when I knew no matter my time my family would be there with smiles on and congratulate me regardless of my performance. I was right as my oldest told me at the finish "sometimes we don't get what we want dad but if you tried your best then at the end of the day you won".

So with this I challenge each and everyone of you to take time to educate someone around you. We are all a wealth of knowledge no matter if you have a doctorate degree or a high school diploma. We all have something to learn from each other.

Make It Count!!!!!!!!!!

1st or 2nd

Before I get into what "1st or 2nd" means let me just focus on this picture for one minute. I get people ask me all the time for secret workouts that will make them faster. Well over the last month I have incorporated two one hour walks into my training schedule and I can tell you first hand that the recovery workout has made me a stronger runner. What it also gives me is one hour of uninterrupted time with this amazing little lady who for anyone that has met her knows what kind of special lady she is.

So back to the focus of this post...Are you a person that maximizes their time while on earth and lives each day to the fullest? Do you bask in the glory of selfish activities or do you put others happiness in front of yours in an effort to make the world a better place? Are you willing to spend time teaching those around you a skill that you excel at or do you think you are to good to assist?
Do you let the little things in life that are out of your control affect your way of life? Do you allow people with negative energy (energy vampires) change the way you think?

I have a good friend of mine who I consider to be one of the most amazing individuals I have ever met and although distance has separated our daily encounters I still consider him very close to me. Recently while running he developed a condition in which his heart stopped working and for a brief second. Thank the lord his heart came back around and with a small surgery he is alive. While speaking with him he mentioned how he has a 2nd chance at life now and is going to maximize his time. The thing that is scary is that his 1st chance was nothing more than exceptional. He is one of those individuals who instantly puts a smile on your face, he will always be there for you and the word selfish is not part of his vocabulary. So I can't wait to see what his 2nd chance is going to be about and the way he will change peoples life for the better.

The thing is we don't have to wait until a health issue or other life changing event to happen in order to get your second chance on life. Do your part daily now during your first chance in order to make your life and those around you better. Or after reading this blog take a deep breath and move forward with the rest of your life calling it your 2nd chance.

Life is fragile so there is no guarantee that a second chance will ever happen. We are GUARANTEED one chance and one chance only so don't hold back on a dream you have. Don't stop pursuing a goal just because someone told you there is no way you could accomplish it. Don't let those energy vampires control your decisions as there is only one person that has control over what you do and that is you. Instead surround yourself with the people that you aspire to be. When we do this their energy is easily transferred to our goals and you will go forward in life ready to rock n roll.

Those close to me know that my 1st chance in life is 100% focused on my family. My wife and three kids are my main focus in life and I know that I only get one shot to be the best dad and husband a man can be. Our kids grow and age at what feels like warp speed and for me not to be there for them all the time would mean I am failing them. Same goes for my wife in the sense that yeah sure times will get tough but the true meaning of any life partnership is the willingness to work things out and know you have each others back. If I wait for my 2nd chance to be a good family man then it will be to late.

One last first is your health in regards to health and nutrition. The choices you make today will affect you tomorrow, next month and for years to come. Make time in your life for exercise and know that while eating crappy foods tastes good and is comforting the effect it has on your life is not what you want. As a physician the health effects food is having on us is getting scary but at the same time is something you can take control of and easily fix your life.

I don't know all the answers and I will be the first to say that my life is not perfect. There are times when my mindset fails and stress/frustration sets in but then almost immediately the reality of I am in control of everything sets in. The reminder that life is indeed fragile and can be taken away in a heart beat keeps me focusing back towards the purpose in my life....to MAKE IT COUNT!!!!