The recent, very brief hot spell here was good for the souls of Northern California residents who were feeling guilty about how beautiful and temperate our summer has been compared to everyone else’s. I especially loved it as the mild weather helped me train for and achieve a goal I set for myself a couple of months back. Spurred by my daughters’ decision to come home and run the Santa Rosa Half Marathon, I decided to finally settle whether my many joint surgeries had put such running activities beyond my reach. Surprisingly, my strength training, minimalist shoes, and familial inspiration allowed me to complete the race, even bettering my hoped-for pace. Sure, my pace was 50% slower than my last marathon, but I have accepted that 30+ years does change people.
Far more remarkable is the success of one of you. This patient is a young man with a number of significant health problems. His severe obesity made these problems much worse, and his life was difficult. He recognized the price he was paying and committed himself to doing all he could to make his life better. He began exercising daily. He focused his diet on healthy food, including lots and lots of vegetables. Today he weighs 200 lbs less than he did when he made his decision a year ago. He tells me that the change in how he feels is even more dramatic than the change in his appearance. He inspired his girlfriend to lose 85 pounds. They have married and are now seeking to adopt a little boy whose single mother is homeless and drug-addicted.
While we cannot achieve such dramatic successes every day, each of us has the power to make fundamental changes to better ourselves. I have learned that it all comes down to making the effort, focusing on the process. It is also important to remember that big successes are the inevitable result of comparatively minor daily successes. One day choosing to make one better dietary choice, getting some exercise, keeping yourself from overreacting as you normally would, making time to relax for a few minutes all seem insignificant and trivial. However, doing the right thing today inevitably leads to a better tomorrow. There is much that is out of our control, but taking care of what is in our power can make a very big difference for ourselves and for those around us.