RECOVER: April 25, 2014

First Things First…

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Eric Eisenhart

It’s been one full month since my last post….and maybe not so ironically, 3 weeks since the birth of our second, a son we named Thomas John Eisenhart – named after 4 of the strongest and most giving men I’ve come to know….both of his grandfathers, his great-grandfather…and one of his Dad’s truly best friends…..it’s been a whirlwind of a month…..an incredible display of strength by my wife (in the delivery room for 24 hrs. and consistent pushing for the final 3)…lots of emotional highs…..and lots less sleep!  Blogging hasn’t exactly been the top priority as I’ve made a consistent effort to keep first things first.  But now, as my life STARTS to get back to some semblance of routine…and I sit here on the eve of my 33rd birthday with what I hope to be “only” 1/3 of my life behind me…I take a moment to reflect…..how am I doing…what have I learned….where do I go from here?

- How Am I Doing?

Hmmm….always my own toughest critic…my initial urge is to criticize…talk about all the things I should have accomplished by now…how much more I can / should do….BUT….if I balance that and take a look at the gifts I’ve been given…..a healthy and loving family and support network of friends….a strong faith…a beautiful part of the country to live and work….a job that allows me the opportunity to do good, meaningful work for the benefit of others all while having a bit of fun in the process….well, things seem pretty good, but certainly with room for improvement….after all, no sub-3 hr. marathon (yet)….haven’t amassed the seemingly millions I’ll need to pay for kids college (likely never)…haven’t conquered the world (alright maybe I’ll reconsider this one)…

-What Have I Learned?

Well…there have been MANY things…some things unfortunately more than once….but probably the most powerful thus far are as follows:

1) I haven’t learned everything yet, nor will I ever, but it’s important to not stop trying (had to learn this one again last year)

2) Surrounding myself with amazing, caring people has provided me more opportunity, greater experiences and higher life satisfaction than is probably reasonable for any one guy to expect.

3) Pursuing purposeful work ahead of $-full continues to yield valuable dividends.

4) Consciously putting faith and family first….although not always easiest …continues to be the right approach for me…I’d argue for others too.

Where Do I Go From Here?

I have this vision….one that builds strong people, fosters healthy families…and leverages physical resource… for the benefit of those that need it most.  I’ve mentioned it in prior posts as “Fit4Duty”……and though my progress towards this goal has been slower than I’d like….and there’s much work to be done….I believe with consistent effort….we can create a movement…..one where groups of good people come together and train for a purpose greater than personal health & well-being (although that’s clearly a nice side-benefit)…a purpose that would allow them to gain physical strength and mental stamina alongside their friends and families in the process …but most importantly prepare the group to serve and labor in communities and areas of the world with need.  If you think this sounds good and you want to be involved in the “from here” or know someone who would…drop me a comment, a message, or a re-tweet and we’ll talk next steps.

Happy Birthday to Me,

-E