Written By Alan Good
Have you ever had one of those days where you perhaps worked in the yard for hours and became so tired you could curl up right there on the lawn? You were totally exhausted and had zero energy. You think, “Just a few weeks ago I did all this and more”.
Recently this journalist ran into a wall, or close to it. As those who have read these articles know, exercise of various kinds has been my way. Even in my seventies, there is energy. Why just a week or so ago I accomplished more than this particular day, without feeling so exhausted.
Disappointed, I started to wonder if the end was near. I envisioned my kids looking down on me as I lay on the grass, gasping for breath. They, and my wife, would then comment that I have overworked (for my age). The last words unspoken (maybe).
If I went to the doctor, he would comment that I am not as young as I was. What he would mean is, “You’re getting old!”, but he would be too polite to state it so. Perhaps he would recommend a blood test and something to boost my metabolism, but inside he would see just another old guy trying to keep his youth.
At least that’s what I imagined as my breath became shallow, and my mind started to play games on me. Was I done for? Will I never enjoy a day outside like this, with its pleasure of working with my hands and feeling the satisfaction of accomplishing some physical tasks?
I completed the job at hand, got all the leaf bags to the curb, and sat down on a log while my dogs ran to me and chased a ball or Frisbee. I had been listening to music on my phone through my ear buds and decided to take the device from my pocket and view the time. I had been outside for less than two hours—half the time I had been working outside a few weeks ago!
It occurred to me that I had gone at it too intensely and was mainly exhausted from the pace I had set. Imagine my relief when pondering this new information. I had regained my strength but now, in my right mind, there was a feeling that maybe I wasn’t so old after all.
Our minds have the power to invent scenarios or to see truth. Sometimes we allow thoughts about situations or what others may say to burden us. It usually is the thought about a problem, not the issue, that can cause us to hit a wall.
Older, we may be, but when we focus on reality, we might see we have more to give than we—or others—might think. We may not be able to do what we did when we were 20, or 30, or… but we have more if we use our minds and believe we are able to do more.
