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Thursday, June 5, 2014

1 Year Ago

1 year ago (yesterday) I had surgery to repair my torn labrum in my left shoulder.

1 year ago (yesterday) I started healing and improving my situation instead of letting it control me. I had lived in denial of it for a long time and thought I could beat the system and avoid going under the knife. However, even with all of my experience and learning it still had to happen.

I view my surgery as a big turning point in my year. Before the surgery I was going through a rough time looking for work, always seemed to make excuses or say i couldn't do something, due to being in almost constant pain, and felt very limited. After surgery I could finally say "I can't do that... yet, but I will be able to soon." Six weeks with my dominant arm in a sling felt like a lifetime, and made my right arm quickly learn how to do the everyday tasks of life, but I did my time in the sling and was diligent in my rehab that I was cleared from the doctor at 12 weeks. With the improved attitude and outlook, I was able to find work and let my personality shine through again, making myself a better person to be around.

There were plenty of bumps in the road to getting my shoulder back to full strength and becoming pain free in the first year post surgery. But going through the experience has taught me how to exercise smarter, know when to push my limits,when  to back off, and know when to be patient and let things take their course.

I still may not be able to do every exercise or activity that I want to yet.... But I will soon.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Reflections of a 24 yr old

Today I turn a quarter of a century old. The big 2-5. Officially closer to 30 than 20, and any other thing you can say about being in the smack dab middle of your 20s. With that, like last year I will reflect on some important things that happened to me as a 24 yr old.


  • I realized  I didn't like who I was and quit a job that was affecting my behavior outside of work
  • I applied for lots of different jobs and cautiously said no, because they all weren't good fits.
  • I started dealing with my unnecessary anxiety head on
  • I had shoulder surgery
  • I took a temporary customer service job and a fun 3 weeks and vowed to always be nice when I am on the other side of the phone
  • I got a job in the fitness field that paid a decent salary and had benefits
  • I started working with a population I had never worked with before.
  • I got myself on my own financially
  • I started to feel like a full human being again (two fully functioning shoulders)
  • I got a text message out of the blue that has changed my life forever :)
  • I learned to be myself in personal relationships
  • I witnessed on of my favorite teams win a championship in person. WE WON THE CUP!!!!
  • I got an offer for an opportunity that couldn't be passed up
  • I fell in love (the real kind)
  • I've become not afraid of the fallout

As you can see from the list above as I turned 24 life was at a rocky place, it only got worse but it made me tackle things head on and not just push them to the side. It was after that that I realized how good life could be and I can say that I am the happiest I have been in a long while. Here is to it continuing as I officially become an old man ;)

-DJB


Tuesday, February 4, 2014

No Job too Small

I have recently started a new job and am really enjoying it. There is a lot of interaction with the members and the staff and the atmosphere is great.

With any job there are little tedious things that need to be taken care of. These menial tasks often get swept to the side or not have much thought put into them due to more pressing matters. However I see these jobs a bit differently. My internship days taught me the value of taking pride in the jobs everyone else hates, or doesn't want to do. This has helped translate that into the working world and keeps the focus on the important things so the supervisor or manager doesn't have to be checking up to see if they get taken care of.

This also translates into personal life in that if you take time to actually listen to a person you care about, or clean up after yourself so someone doesn't have to remind you, or (for guys specifically, if you put the toilet seat down for your wife or girlfriend) then you can keep your mind clear of the little jobs that clutter it.

If you find yourself with a tedious task, take a second to take a deep breath, get a positive mindset, and look at the task a different way, you may find that can be therapeutic for you, and may even lead to a breakthrough on a meaningful project.

-DJB