BIG BLOG
Reflections, Tough Choices, and Roller Coasters
BY JEFF REDMON/BREAKTHROUGH IMPACT GROUP
No Regrets…
In 2011, I spent a month with my Dad who was dying from the ravishes of pancreatic cancer. Cancer sucks. His days were numbered but he was fighting for a few more days. The euphemism he used was that he still had projects to do. Our conversations involved everything and nothing. The common theme was that we should have no regrets. What happened, happened! No rearview mirror on things we couldn’t change, we focused our attention on taking full advantage of every moment with no regrets. They were days I cherish. The day he was back on his feet and cleared to go home he had a massive stroke from which he would not recover. When I asked if he had any projects to finish, he replied nope, I think I got them all done. We knew the end was near. His last words to me were a reply to my comment that he had left huge shoes for me to fill, he replied simply, “You don’t have to.” It was his way of acknowledging the path I had chosen. No Regrets.
Tough Choices…
Mark Green, author of Activators: A CEO’s Guide to Clearer Thinking and Getting Things Done, started a coaching community dialogue with these words, “I did a lot of uncomfortable, hard things and am better / stronger / more capable as a direct result.” Do what is hard and life will be easy. Do what is easy and life will be hard. What tough choices have you made to help you be better/stronger/more capable? What tough choices do you know you need to make?
It was the Best of Times, it was the Worst of Times…
From Dickens, Tale of Two Cities, describes my 2021. Incredibly blessed with an amazing life, wife, kids, grandkids, friends, and family, and I was hit with a blood infection that nearly took me down. I was in the hospital for 28 days, had open heart surgery, a pacemaker installed, and dialysis for a kidney that failed for 30 days. That was January and February, July I had a melanoma removed from my head, and in November and December, I had surgery on both arms to deal with nerves that were pinched at my elbows and wrists. My German cardiologist suggested I reminded him of the German phrase, “Unkraut vergeht nicht,” which literally translates to “Weeds don’t Wither.” Hence, I adopted the Thistle as my official flower, a handsome purple flower, a bit prickly, very persistent, and very, very difficult to eradicate. I saw my health challenges as a blessing, to show me how very blessed I am.
Life is a Roller Coaster…
The number rule on roller coasters is, to remain seated until the ride comes to a complete stop. No matter what happens in our lives, remain in your seat. There are ups and downs, twists and turns, slow climbs, and blood-chilling descents. One of my friends facing what doctors called terminal cancer, said he had been prepared by the storm. We, humans, are resilient creatures, sit back and enjoy the ride.