Message 338

Encapsulate and evaluate your year

What better way to evaluate your growth than by encapsulating your year.

By that I mean listing all the things that happened to you or that you did.

What good came from each even if at the time it didn’t seem so good.

Then assessing each one to see

- Perhaps what was different about this event

– what you learned,

- what you could do differently if it happened again and

- what you thought was a good strategy.

Ultimately single out ONE particular point that made the most impact in your life.

Here’s a glimpse of my year. It’s just the highlights to show you how the universe works and how you can benefit from the review :
⁃ i finished my January 6 day race with at least 200 miles. What was different and what I learned was the same: I went in without out any goal other than to get 5 hours of sleep every 24 hours. There was little stress and yet I ended up with the same number of miles I get when I endure all the stress
⁃ I started the hotline. Discussing that will take an entire call.
⁃ I became an end of life doula. There’s so much I can say about that but surprisingly the best that came from that was amazing new and rich friendships
⁃ I began to volunteer at a home for the dying. Again I learned much more than taking care of people. I discovered that I need to take care of myself more and not get spun up in an organization where I have no direct impact. Self care is key
⁃ I finished vol state despite the trials and tribulations. More in a minute
⁃ I broke my clavicle. I learned that it’s ok to ask for help and people want to help. I learned that I can do things (like using my left arm) even without extensive preparation.
⁃ I had to have an ablation (burning) of a large part of my esophagus. I learned that swallowing and digesting things is an area i need to work on. Isn’t interesting how physical symptoms can represent so much of what we have to work on with our inner selves?

Here is the single most powerful quote of my year because of what it represents:

“The amazing thing is how powerful one on phone call can be for all of us!”
Dr Rob Gilbert

Dr Gilbert changed my life completely during Vol State. He was always there. He always brought you guys my progress and he never once lectured me. He was the epitome of support. He got me to the rock, one phone call at a time. It’s only fitting that the book I’m writing about this race be dedicated to him.

Who can you call to make a powerful impact on that person? Who can you be there for so they know they are not alone? I can personally tell you that having at least one person you can reach makes all the difference in the world.

Why not begin your 2025 review.