RECOVER: October 10, 2014

What it means to be GOOD tired....

Spoiler Summary: Fatigue is one of the greatest equalizers we face.  It can be the factor that sets us up for mistakes and even injuries. With long-term exposure it can lead to many illnesses and is tied to chronic diseases of all kinds.  But sometimes......we bask in it.  

This week was one of the busiest of the year for my team......mornings that started well before the sun and days that didn't conclude until after it set - an all out blitz that kept us hopping. And even though it's not quite over and yet the fatigue is clearly written across nearly every face, it will surely go down as one of the most fulfilling.  So how is this possible?  If "Fatigue makes cowards of us all" and fatigue is the injury/illness precursor that we know it to be (I consider it something like "anti-prevention serum") then how can something that feels a lot like "good tired" really exist?  The answer? Purpose.

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"What's the point? I mean seriously....why do care so much? People don't change." Those weren't always the exact words, but the message was clear and consistent....it's a message I used to hear a lot and it's a message I used to really hate hearing.  On one hand, it drove me crazy because it's just not true; and on the other it bothered me knowing that one person's (sometimes jaded) view could easily drag down someone who was not as strong a believer in the ability to improve one's health as I was. Because it's often slow and takes multiple attempts in most cases (many of which feel like failures), people do change and it happens all the time.  With that in mind, we've made it our purpose to celebrate those successes with the people who are pursuing them, to hold them up as a strong reply - evidence to those who need it  and refreshing energy for those who believe - it can be done - and this week there was no shortage.

• I got to witness a person who had lost weight, see the significant impact it could have on his blood pressure (what we both agreed was the best levels we'd seen in several years) and watch him smile at blood work that had also improved drastically.

• There was another who pulled up a spreadsheet he had been keeping that showed a steady march toward better health over the last months - I was honored to encourage him to keep up the great work.

• I got a few minutes to discuss a professional conference that one of my team members had returned from where the featured concept was better linking workplace safety to worker health (the first conference of its kind despite folks like us yelling from the rooftops to anyone willing to listen for the last decade)

• I was invited to sit in with some business leaders who were determining how best to make health improvements in their organization because they saw the obvious link it had with work performance

• I was even flattered by a handful of folks who shared kind feedback about reading this weekly letter who felt that it resonated with them in their health journey

• And this morning, when I least expected it, I was forwarded an email that was short and to the point - but no less awesome.  It was from a member of my team and it simply read - "congrats to this guy....he lost 100 lbs since last year!" with the results of a health screening he had performed earlier in the day attached - Awesome.

So, despite the fast paced, long and draining days (10+ miles of walking according to my "wearable" on Tuesday alone) and a healthy respect for the risk that fatigue brings - I wear this week's fatigue with a smile - because when you're beat from doing something that you know is helping to make a difference - the fatigue feels a lot like fulfillment.  It comes down to purpose - and sometimes, that's literally what gets you up in the morning....very very early.

It can be done and we're ready when you are.

Have a great week,

Mike E.