A Different Kind of Challenge
I divert from my typical, generally upbeat blog post style to be more candid, sharing a different kind of challenge. Most of us have struggled through physical, personal, health and business problems. Somehow, we get through this stuff. In the real world, sadly some don’t survive whatever the battle is.
Challenges are where perseverance, character, and faith come into play.
Recently I woke up with a ringing in my ear. Assuming it was an ear infection, I opted to see a nurse practitioner. It wasn’t an ear infection, so I was referred to an ear, nose, and throat specialist. Waiting to see the specialist was stressful. In the meantime, I went to Dr. Google who knows everything. That wasn’t helpful.
Before my doctor’s appointment was the Team Runners Lane Fun Run, which I was looking forward to. As listening to music is a part of my run, I put the earpiece in the “good” ear. But, to check out how the “bad’ ear was doing, I put the other ear piece in that ear. That made sense, but probably was a mistake. I could not hear anything through my left ear. THAT was scary!
As we started the run, I just wasn’t feeling it. Suddenly, I was scared and depressed. The mile long, gradual uphill section, we have dubbed “Buster Hill” was where all my usual pains were speaking to me. My plantar fasciitis, torn right calf, and always present back pain let me know they were there, but none of those things mattered as I was overcome with the fear of not being able to hear. I thought about how I had recently played my drums and appreciated the resonance of a Sabian brand cymbal that my son put on my classic Slingerland drum set. It was different from what I have used during my years playing drums. I noticed it and liked the way the sound reverberated. What if I couldn’t hear those sounds? I was scared.
Nevertheless, I made a choice to conquer that nights run and finish strong. At the halfway point, a powerful song came on. I took the opportunity to embrace the song's message and be thankful for my blessings. I need to be strong and walk through whatever this is.
I did finish strong on that Thursday Fun Run and had a personal record (PR) on one part of this route. That’s not saying much because I define slow, but that’s OK. I embrace slow. My goal in this commentary is to encourage others in their challenges. As I do that, I also am encouraged. People are facing all kinds of life-threatening health, personal and business problems. This is life. Consider what encourages you during these seasons. Is it music, connecting with a friend, doing something physical, praying?
We all are at different stages in our personal and professional lives. Those like me, who have been around for a while, may have different priorities from someone younger. At this stage of the game, I’m able to think young, stay active and pursue my passions. I’ve always had a passion for making a positive impact where I can. That’s been channeled into the innovative SuccessFit4Life! program we have created.
While there is a very powerful business component to SuccessFit4Life!, at its core this is about encouraging others on their life’s journey…wherever they want to go. The program works on many levels. Learn more about how you can benefit from SuccessFit4Life! here. If you would like to be the first to have access to this program, contact us NOW for a special limited time offer.
We invite you to join our “industry only” FPT SuccessFit4Life! Facebook Group. Feel free to post what you are doing to stay active, or relevant content tied to wellness or fitness. You can also follow SuccessFit4Life! on Twitter and Instagram.
It’s been a challenging season, not knowing what was happening with my hearing. I’m happy to report however that after some nasty steroid treatments, my hearing is coming back. There is a ringing, and my hearing is still not quite right, but I am optimistic about a positive outcome.
There are no easy answers when the storms of life come. We just need to hang on and wait until the sun comes out.
© 2017 Jeff Solomon, MAS