Glass More Than Half Full

I was being a little more reflective than usual on my run the other day. During that reflection I realized that I’ve had a fair share of little bugs that needed repair over the last 14 months. Some bugs were smaller than others, and some perhaps not that small at all in comparison. As I tallied the list, it looked something like this beginning in July 2016:

• IV chest port inserted
• Commence four rounds of chemotherapy
• Carpal tunnel release surgery of the left hand
• IV chest port removed
• Repair of torn meniscus of the left knee
• Carpal tunnel release surgery of right hand

It looks like a lot when you write it all down. And I suppose maybe it is. But then again, who defines “a lot”? Over these past 14 months, while I’ve certainly had a few more trips to specialists than I would care for, I can honestly say that the results have all been favorable and the experiences have all been very positive with minimal interruption of daily living.  I healed, repaired, and became a stronger body as a result of everything that was done.

Now, here is the real eye opener. Part of my reflection was to also inventory the number of things I’ve been able to accomplish during those 14 months of assorted and miscellaneous surgeries and treatments. I knew that I had scaled back my racing over that time frame. I hadn’t raced as frequently, and I hadn’t raced as long. But as I tallied that list, over those same 14 months, it looked like this:

• Four 5Ks
• Two half marathons
• One ten miler
• Two sprint triathlons
• One Olympic distance aqua bike
• One stair climb

So, while it’s true that I put health first and cut back on a few races during those 14 months, it’s also true that I remained pretty darn active during that time. Which I might not have realized had I not stopped and counted. And buried within those races was a 1^st place and a 2^nd place age group finish. Add to that some volunteerism and coaching and I would say I had a pretty rich 14 months.

So I guess the message here is quite simple. While it’s easy to get sucked down the drain by all of the things that appear to be limiters in your life, taking full and deliberate notice of all of the things that are going right in your life can keep your ship sailing and your perspective properly aligned.