Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. Proverbs 27:1
Always Be Listening to Your Body (ABLTYB)
On March 18th, I had surgery to remove my gall bladder and 30 days later I’m back in my favorite pool again where I belong and can now get back to swimming my laps. It’s been a humbling life lesson that I neglected for far too long and that is to Always Be Listening To Your Body (ABLTYB) and what it is telling you. Unlike my earlier surgeries, I acted very quickly in early March to some stomach discomfort I was experiencing and called my gastroenterologist who ordered an endoscopy and ultrasound. This was in stark contrast to earlier health challenges where I was clearly fighting my body and what it was trying to tell me. In June 2012, I finally agreed to have artificial hip replacement surgery, something I had been denying for over 3 years and what both my doctor and my body were clearly telling me. I resisted surgery because I knew that I wouldn’t be able to run marathons anymore, an activity I had been actively engaged in for over 10 years. But to my surprise, once I had the surgery, I discovered something brand new for me — I fell in love with biking and soon thereafter I was enjoying those 40-50 mile bike rides up and down the Jersey Shore coastline. My body adjusted extremely well to this new activity and I didn’t really miss training for the marathons as much as I once feared. Fast forward to July 2017 and after 4 months of complaining about some tightness in my chest, I finally listened to what my body had been telling me and so I called my cardiologist only to find out that my main artery was 80% blocked and that by all counts, I was lucky to still be here.
After a successful stent procedure, I soon discovered another new joy — walking — one that soon replaced those long bike rides as my main source of exercise and the marathons of yesteryear. I found that special gift of inner peace and sense of self that can come from the simple act of just walking each and every day. Walking helps declutter the mind and helps you to take notice of all the beauty and sounds that surround you which I had never taken the time to enjoy before — sounds like the birds chirping, children playing, trains arriving and departing in the early morning, and the crash of the ocean waves touching the sand. Beautiful sights and sounds that were everywhere but ones that I just didn’t notice. And now with my gall bladder surgery behind me, heck I’m just grateful to be back in that pool again for as long as I can.
But, getting back in the pool again is not really the point of this reflection although swimming has now become my favorite exercise. No, it’s the realization that whatever personal and/or professional setbacks, disappointments, losses, or challenges we may face in life and in our career, we need to face each one head on. We may not get over them, but we can get through them. And, they will often test us in ways we will not understand in the moments that they occur but with the gift of mother time, perspective, and our faith we can learn new ways of doing and enjoying things and yes we can endure.
Every day we get to live is a precious gift from our creator so do not put off for tomorrow what you know in your heart you can do right now. And, when those moments come when you can no longer do the things that you loved doing, don’t be afraid to explore that new thing or new activity that could pleasantly surprise you in ways you cannot possibly imagine. So keep listening to what your body might be telling you with the acronym — ABLTYB –Always(A) Be(B) Listening(L) To(T) Your(Y) Body(B). All I know at this moment is that my body is telling me that it can’t wait to get back in the pool at The Atlantic Club in Manasquan tomorrow morning to swim my laps! I don’t know what my body will be telling me beyond tomorrow but I am going to listen to what it’s telling me and not be afraid of what might be required of me. But for now, I’m just so happy to be back in the pool again!
Wishing my clients, fellow coaches, and colleagues a joy-filled Easter Holiday,
Dr. K
