life lessons – Page 2 – We Only Get One Chance

SIDE EYE

Mike says to me, in a side eye expression, “I have something to tell you. I got a dog.”

“YOU WHAT?!?!?!”

Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan - Dr Erica Peabody - Side Eye — Lou

Let’s go back a bit.

As a married couple, some things you talk about and some things you don’t need to talk about. Getting a dog is one that falls inside of the “things you talk about” category…except for this time apparently.

At first I flipped out and if you know anything about the logistics of our life together, you would easily understand why living between two houses is a challenge for a family without a dog, much less a dog family.

BUT this little guy is like having a real live teddy bear around. He is a Bernidoodle and his name is Lou. He is almost 3 months old and is an absolute lover. They say he will end up around 35 lbs but, hmmmm I am not quite convinced and will wait and see how that goes.

I am not a dog person because I have been lunged at by 3 dogs. I do not have breed preference at all, I am just one that doesn’t necessarily trust that any breed will always stay calm, cool and collected…until I met this guy.

Gentle, peaceful, cuddly, and lazy – are good qualities in a dog in my opinion and Lou is all of them. At 10 weeks he has had a couple days in the office but he does have a lot to learn. Many people love dogs but some people do not and I can respect that. For now, he will remain sleeping at my feet under my desk back in my office when I have him. One day, when he grows up a bit, he will hopefully be wandering around during my office adjusting times that he is with me.

Which I am not exactly sure how much that would be because he has an awesome group of triplets that he is very fond of as well. They will take priority in having him and taking care of him.

I reject the idea of a dog for about 2 hours and 45 minutes until I had an actual change to meet Lou in person. When you have a chance to meet him as well, you will see what I mean and just how special it is to have a real, live teddy bear walking around with a heart of gold and wanting to spread pure puppy-love.

That side eye expression, when Mike gives it to me next time, I will know to just trust and hear him out and that most likely, even if it is a “should be talked about” item inside of our marriage, it may end up being a really good thing anyway.

PS Mike, do not do something like that again. 😉 And Lou, WELCOME TO THIS CRAZY FAMILY!!!!

FULL CIRCLE

On Saturday night, my life came full circle.

I was invited back to my varsity soccer field for the alumni game.

I graduated from Fenton High School and although I was a three sport athlete, my heart was in soccer.

As a freshman, I was pulled up onto the varsity squad and of course back then, that was a really big deal. I got to play with the older and more mature team that, in my naive mind, was really going places. By my senior year, I was team captain.

Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan - Dr Erica Peabody - Full Circle — the shoes – and our favorite team socks!

Once I went off to college, I played club soccer at Michigan State University but it was just for fun. Beyond my first year in college, I put my cleats and flats up on the shelf and there they have sat…well technically in a box and moved them all over the country for the past 24 years and pulled them out for Saturday night!!! LOL!!! That is a true story! In fact, the flats that I have saved were Adidas Samba light blue suede and the material has deteriorated so much they are literally falling apart!

Walking hand in hand through the gates of that field with my husband was a wild experience. The field is the same, only has had major upgrades since I played there…as has MY LIFE!!!

The evening was absolutely beautiful and I had SO MUCH FUN! Of course, some of my teammates wrangled me back onto the field and then showed up in regular street clothes and sat the bench. I don’t know how I was swindled like that but in the end, I guess that was probably the only real way to get me back on the field. It was great to catch up with those beautiful ladies and their families after all this time. LADIES!!! NEXT TIME YOU ARE PLAYING!!! Plan accordingly and BRING YOUR CLEATS!!!

As I sat there, drinking a Mead from another friend from back in the day, I couldn’t help but feel that coming-full-circle concept…and WOW what a circle I have come!!!

I have always wondered with how far I went and then how in the world I ended up back in Fenton after all. It feels right though, it definitely feels right to be in Fenton.

And to think that I am the owner of the crazy HUGE blue Victorian home/office space on the corner of the town I grew up in and the community that has helped to shape me into the person I am today, it sometimes feels like the twilight zone.

So let’s talk about the game – I guess I didn’t really put it all together that the word “alumni” includes those that just graduated in May of this year, 2019. “Alumni” is not gender specific although for some reason I had it in my mind that women would appreciate going back to their field as much as I do.

So I end up out on the field with 18 year old exceptional athletes, a few of my own patients, running circles around me!!! LOL!!! Actually I can hold my own alright for not even have kicked a ball for a couple decades because I was always a strategist and conserving my energy while out on the field.

The one thing I didn’t expect was that soccer balls, kicked back into play from the goalie that I assumed just graduated, literally came falling back into play from what seemed like OUTER SPACE!!! My last plays were with women, 20+ years ago, and although we could kick high and far, it was a fraction of that height and distance!!! Try trapping a ball coming down from OUTER SPACE!!!

It was an experience to say the least and I am laughing still from the weekend. I got to touch the ball and participate enough during the game that I felt like I had made some solid contribution. I dribbled and passed but as the team was trying to feed the ball to the “older one” to attempt to score, the sacrifice and reach of a foot out there in a lunge position to attempt a shot on goal, my mind keeps me in a “self preservation” mode and limited. Ultimately, no matter how much fun I could possibly have on Saturday night, I still have to be able to walk on Monday morning when patients arrive back in my office.

WHAT A BLAST!!!! My life doesn’t allow a whole lot of extra time to pursue a recreational indoor league or something like that right now, but my love for soccer is life-long and I am so so glad that it has all come full circle.

AFRAID TO ASK

Some people stare. Some people just catch a glimpse. Some noticeably try not to look. Many are afraid to ask…about my tattoo.

I have a tattoo on the back side of my right forearm. I often forget it is even there because it is out of my visual field. The only times I really see it is in the mirror.

Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan - Dr Erica Peabody - Afraid to Ask

I got my first one 23 years ago and this is my third. The other ones are not in plain site and are usually covered by clothes and many don’t even know I have them.

This one is different. I had it done in January of this year. Up until now, it has been covered by long sleeves. Now that it is warmer, it is exposed most of the day and due to the location on my arm, I never realized how much I use that hand to rest my chin on while my elbow is on a table.

I thought I would write about it because so many are afraid to ask.

The coordinates read 3.0666 S, 37.3507 E and is the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro which I reached the summit in March, 2017.

When I completed that trek, I unfortunately ended up 6 months in a walking boot due to a severe tendinitis/plantar fascitis. I was asked hundreds and hundreds of times “what happened?” My answer was always “I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and this is the souvenir I never wanted.” Of course that would then lead to further conversation around the trip. As overwhelming as it was to answer the same question hundreds of times, I enjoy the curiosity and sharing my journey…because it really was an epic adventure!

When I get ready in the morning is when I see it. To me, it serves as a continuous reminder. It reminds me that I can do hard things, really hard things. It reminds me that I am brave. It reminds me of the connections with the women I did the trek with and some of the strength of their own stories they shared. It reminds me that I have serious endurance and that I am capable of reaching my goals.

I have done many hard things although nothing was as physically taxing as that. When I got home, everyone asked “what’s the next mountain you will climb?” I do not have another physical mountain to climb, I have no desire to do Everest or anything like that. When I look back over the 2 years since the climb, I realize I have already reached the summit of another couple goals although there is always more ahead. I just thought I would share a little bit so that you are not afraid to ask. AND not just me, ask others of their stories too because maybe their ink represents a story they would like to share. I am adding my short Kilimanjaro vlog to the end of this in case you haven’t had a chance to take a view.

IN THE GENES

The real question these days is “Is it in the genes?”

Let me share a little story with you.

I should have gotten a picture of my new cousin and I together but I guess me “being a chiropractor” is the best I could do for this post. 🙂

In March I get a lengthy text message from my mom. It read something like this: “I wanted to share with you that the family found another cousin. Your cousin, Rayce, called the other day and it appears that after he did ancestry.com, that there is a first cousin that he didn’t know about, and none of us knew about.”

So let me start this story. I come from 2 HUGE Catholic families that were both raised on Foley Rd, maybe 4 miles south of downtown Fenton. It was a wonderful spot to grow up.

My Mom is one of 10 kids and she has 7 step-siblings as well. My Dad is one of 9 kids. One grandma was the matriarch of 93 people when she passed and the other was matriarch of 67 people. These numbers included children, their spouses and ex-spouses, grandchildren, great grands and great greats.

HUGE families.

I have close to 60 first cousins and with both of the families living so close to each other, I actually know them all pretty well. The years have made some separation, naturally, but for the most part, I know them because we were raised together.

So when this conversation started back in March, all of us were a little dumb-founded that it was even happening. It is funny to me because as I share this story, there are more families than we really realize that have a similar story, the world is a pretty cool place.

So this cousin’s name is Scott and he is just over 50 years old. But get this, HE IS A CHIROPRACTOR!!!! We have 4 chiropractors in my family already and to have this guy be out in the world, unbeknownst to us, and be another chiropractor is so freakin’ cool! He has been engaged to a woman for a few years and her son just finished CHIROPRACTIC COLLEGE TOO!!! This makes number 5 and number 6 chiropractors in my family! Actually Dr. Scott would have been number 4 chiropractor and then I would have been 5 and then his son, Austin, makes number 6!!!

Dr Erica Peabody - Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan - In the Genes

I’m still floored by the entire thing and I also think it is one of the coolest things ever!

Unfortunately, my uncle Jeff, Dr. Scott’s biological father, passed back in December of last year. Fortunately, the entire family was going to be present for Jeff’s memorial service that had been planned for months and now Dr Scott and his family were going to join us for that celebration of life and a family reunion.

So imagine if you were adopted and had no connection or knowing of your biological family, and then you found out about them and then it just so happens the number of people you just found extended over 100 people (there have been a few more additions to the family since my grandmother passed), it would take a certain personality to be able to handle that kind of transition.

The reunion and memorial service were just 3 weeks ago and what a blast! We all have our family “things” and hang-ups around certain scenarios but it was SO MUCH FUN to welcome in yet another family member, his 4 kids and his fiance and her 2 kids and grandchildren.

What a crazy and fun world!!

So it does boil down to the final question which I started with, “Is it in the genes?” This chiropractic thing, it just has to be in the genes.

It Is What It Is

It is what it is.

Have you listened around in your life and realized just how many times you hear this phrase? Anyone hear this phrase daily? Do you notice your coworkers, family and even strangers saying this phrase?

If you haven’t noticed already, you will now. You’re welcome. 😉

This phrase is 2-fold for me. “It is what it is” can clearly mean that there is absolutely nothing you can do in this moment except to just accept the truth and reality of the moment. “It is what it is” can also mean that the only thing TO DO is to just let it go…and honestly that is one of the healthiest things that we can do inside of our life at times, LET THINGS GO!!!

“It is what it is” inside of the work place or dealing with traffic during your commute (and I know a lot of local people that are dealing with commuter stress of an additional half hour to hour in the car one way) can be beyond frustrating. This can mean a few things: look for a new job, find joy inside of a job that you didn’t think there was any, change your feeling about your current job as a “stepping stone” rather than a forever place, or find a way to be productive (listen to audio books or podcasts) during your commute. “It is what it is” can feel very dis-empowering and at the same time, awareness that change is needed.

It can also be very empowering! “It is what it is” is an avenue for letting go of things we should let go of anyway. I was listening to a podcast the other day and someone was saying

“Remember that thing this time last year that you lost weeks of sleep over?” “Yes, I remember.” “Well how did it work out?” “It worked out way better than I could have ever imagined.” “Well let’s not worry ourselves into endless sleepless nights over things. They will always work out.”

Inside of our health, “It is what it is.” is incredibly dis-empowering and in a way our culture and the media has led us to believe this. Even though it may seem true, we are NOT victims of our genes. Yes, there are times when genes play a role, but those are minimal and genes expression is controlled by the environment that is mostly created by us individually.

Every single choice you make of what to put into your mouth, every choice you make about how to move your body, what to do with your free time, how to handle the inevitable stress in your life is what determines how your body will be respond. If we put an apple or a cookie in our mouths, it matters. If we get outside for a walk or sit in front of a screen somewhere, it matters. If we get enough rest at night or choose to burn the candle at both ends, it matters. Our current state of health “is what it is” because of US!!!! The the greatest thing about that is we can make different choices.

Inside of relationships “It is what it is” is borderline unacceptable. If you wander around in your daily life, you may notice a few couples and families that just seem to have a zest for life and what they are doing, together and as individuals, and others that seem to live in chronic unhappiness. “It is what it is” is no way to be inside a lifetime but here is the super cool thing! I am no relationship expert (you can say that again), but it is a choice!

It is a choice to put a smile on your face and start the day like that, or put a frown on your face and project that on to your nearest and dearest. Life is not all rainbows and butterflies but I heard the following brilliant statement just earlier today that “Your face is your fault!” meaning that your smiling face or your pouting face is your own fault. I LOVE THAT!!! If you are around Mike and I at all, you will probably hear “Are you happy? THEN TELL YOUR FACE!!!” It is mostly a joke and is always followed by laughter, which is the whole point.

So all this “It is what it is” business is because my intention has been to write and blog and share all along the way, but it has been MONTHS that I haven’t said a thing on here…and “It is what it is.” And now I will make a better choice. Stay tuned!!!

HITTING SINGLES

Sometimes my future husband is absolutely brilliant. The conversation ended with “…we have to just keep hitting singles. You cannot put the bat down now.”

LIFE!!!!!! Seriously Universe! I am ready for a little less spice and a little more bored please!!!

Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan - Dr Erica Peabody - Hitting Singles

As most of you know, I have been working on building a house for the past almost 3 years. I was told “start to finish, this project of building a house is about 9 months.” “AWESOME!!! Sign me up!!!” was my response.

It has been 34 months, turning the corner on 35 months here in a couple days. It has been one thing after the next after the next after the next. It has been one delay after the next after the next after the next.

Frustration doesn’t even begin to explain any of it, that is just a tip of the iceberg of emotions. The great thing is I have Mike and he is an exceptional project manager. Between he and I, we have it handled. But timing of one contractor depends on timing of another and the facts we get at one point do not match facts we get a couple weeks later.

We are very close, within just a few days in fact. I am so very grateful for that.

So when I am overwhelmed with the wedding approaching and still not being in the house, tears stream down my face on a regular basis. It is all okay and really great stuff that is happening, but happening all at one time is the real challenge. Mike tries to settle the tears and that is when he says “We just have to keep hitting singles, you cannot put the bat down now.”

No truer words have ever been spoken and then I looked out into life and just how applicable that is to ALL of life. I was just talking to a patient today that mentioned she started working out every morning for the past month and she is getting up earlier than usual to get 45 minutes in every single morning. I said “45 minutes is a big commitment, and although amazing if you can keep up the stamina, just know that if there is a morning that you can’t do 45 full minutes, do at least 20 minutes.” 45 minutes of daily exercise would be a home run every single day and the 20 minutes would be like hitting a single. We need to hit singles but we need to hit them every single day.

Hitting single after single after single is how you get something done and move forward in life. Think about getting a college degree…that is literally taking a few classes at a time. Want a college degree? Plan on continually hitting singles for 4+ years. Want to build a business? Same thing. Build a family? Same thing. Hit singles.

For whatever reason, life in this country and our culture/mindset is all about instant gratification and desire to HIT IT BIG the first time. There is a constant feeling, driven a lot by social media, that everyone has hit home runs…but the challenge is that many people that appear to be at “home run” status, those that seem to be wildly successful, have been working behind the scenes hitting singles – FOR YEARS!!!! YEARS AND YEARS!!!You just see the end product!

Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan - Hitting Singles - Dr Erica Peabody

Patience is a lost virtue these days. As I just looked that concept up, it also says that patience can be synonymous with “courage”. I think that is an interesting synonym: courage to pursue whatever it is in the first place, courage to commit to the process, courage to get up and start again after falling down time after time after time, courage to keep going when it seems impossible and navigate the bumps in the road, courage to find a different path if it is just not working for you. Patience = Courage …I really love that.

I am giving the BIGGEST SHOUT OUT to my future husband that is one of the only people that gets to see the true stumbling that I do through life, boosts me back up, helps me change my perspective on a minute to minute basis and reminds me that all we have to do is keep “HITTING SINGLES”. You are my dream man for so many reasons, you know that right? <3

WHEN I WAS SIX

During a yoga class a few days ago, the instructor says “I remember when I was six and I was sitting on my bed listening to this song.” I cannot remember exactly what song she was talking about but I do remember first hearing that song when I was in my upper 20s.

Ugh.

In that very moment, I was reminded of just how many times I have already been around the sun…and another trip will come to completion in just a couple months.

This kind of an idea can be a real downer, although I am certain she didn’t mean it in that way. She was just in a sincere moment of remembering inside of her own life.

We all have those songs that take us back to a time and place in our lives. If you are a patient of mine at Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic here in Fenton, you have heard some “different”, “interesting” and maybe “unusual” music during your visits.

This has 2 primary reasons: FIRST, if it was music that you know and have heard before, probably I have too, and you would have a singing chiropractor all day long. And though I have been told that my voice is reasonable (and of course my fiance says I have a “voice of an angel”), nobody is interested in hearing me sing all day long, and especially my team. And SECOND, a song in your life can be a trigger for something amazing while that very same song can trigger the next person back into some of the worst moments in their lives. I have deliberately chosen music that is unfamiliar except inside of this healing space (or its quite possible you have heard some songs inside of the local yoga studios or meditation centers, other places for healing).

That was a complete tangent on music and is not the message I am really wanting to write about today.

What I want to talk about is, in that moment when the young yoga instructor was sharing her initial memories of a song at age 6 and mine was upper 20 something, my internal dialogue went to “Oh to be 25 again…” and “Wow I am old!!”

I hear you little internal critical voice. You do really work against me most of the time don’t you?

In the very same moment I was inside of an intense and powerful yoga pose, with my strong arms and legs, my “relatively” peaceful mind, after a busy day serving people going on 15 years in practice, inside the 4 walls of my incredibly beautiful office, in a time that I am closing in on marrying the man of my dreams and planning for a beautiful life, in this body that has taken me incredible places and climbed one of the highest peaks in the world, gotten my doctorate degree, lived all over the country, and…and…and.

In that very same moment, that sweet little comment from the yoga instructor took me down into a valley of how old I am getting AND then the work that I have done in gratitude and appreciation for my life and what I have done in such a short amount of time, took me to the highest of highs. It was a beautiful roller coaster and one that I felt like I was watching from an outsider’s perspective, but I was living it.

I didn’t even know I could have an opinion about music until I was 9 years old and my older brother got two cassette tapes: Michael Jackson “Thriller” and Prince “Purple Rain”. It is the first music in my life that I remember I would consciously choose to listen to myself. Everything before that was just Cars 108 on the radio in my mom and dad’s cars.

It is funny how life works and it is sometimes frightening how fast life goes. I have a clear memory when I was 6 years old, in first grade and I had some neighbors that were in fifth and sixth grades. I remember thinking “WOW!!! Those girls are old and it will be fun to be in fifth or sixth grade and not in first.”

So here we are, I am not 6 anymore, not 16, 26 or 36 anymore. The years tick by and the sweetness of the memories carry through the accomplishments of life and all the juice that is squeezed out of each and every day. I am so grateful for that sweet, little w”when I was 6″ comment she made that day as it makes me also really appreciate not being 6 anymore and that I have had such a full life already. Do you have a music memory? Whats your very first favorite song? Music really matters…to me anyway.

PEACHY

From the outside it appears that all is peachy and so simple.

It’s not.
It’s hard, anxiety-driven work to pursue a dream.
It’s long, late night conversations and countless sleepless nights.

It’s questions without answers and conflict without immediate or foreseeable resolution.

It’s stress beyond anything I have ever known.
It’s wildly uncomfortable and feels like running around constantly short on time.
It’s humbling and frightening.
It’s not just out of my comfort zone, it’s as though I took a rocket ship and split from the Universe my comfort zone is in.
It’s so far off the edge and hoping the ground appears somewhere beneath my foot as I take the next step.

It is tears of frustration and moments when I cannot stand being inside my own skin.

It is giving up beach towels and sunglasses for hammers and drills.

It is a deep breath in not knowing when i will have space to exhale.
…AND it’s not just business, it’s every aspect of life.
It’s building a home that’s gone on far, far too long.
It’s learning to partner inside of a relationship rather than run off on my own and do it all my own way.
It’s learning what being a bonus mom is all about and to triplets nonetheless.

It’s wedding planning and all that comes with that (which i am currently trying to figure out).
It’s a constant battle with my subconscious that wants everything to stay the way it’s always been.
It’s tough and messy and faith-building.

It is somehow trusting that stupid phrase “You will only be given as much as you can handle.” Everyone please STOP SAYING THAT!!!!
It’s being sure to meditate every day and pray every night.

…and all this I am writing because I got a great hot shower and did my hair and now I’m dreading walking outside into the humidity which will undo it all in 17 minutes flat. …and so this is me procrastinating and writing to you instead of that.
And now I’ve come to the end of this rant.
Regardless of all that I wrote above, I’m going to make it the best day I can anyway.

Building dreams comes with a lot of hard work and not all of it is peachy.

3 DAYS IN

We are just 3 days in to our new location and I have to say it has been beyond extraordinary. We are over the moon excited about how this space has turned out which trickles down to our ability to serve you.

The space is airy and cozy and solid and grounding and healing and absolutely lovely.

So many people are astounded by our ability to get moved over and create seamless transitions for our patient crowd.

Here is all I know. We closed our doors at our Leroy location on Thursday, September 13th at 6pm. We had until Monday, Septmeber 17th at 10am to get up and running.

Mike would say over and over and over…. “Just pick the critical path, just the critical items that you need to get your day started and be able to endure patient care at the level they have come to expect.” …and so in and amongst a weekend of family obligations we made it happen.

Thursday at 6pm is when the anxiety set in. How long will it take us to do this? and is 3 days enough? It was a little like jumping off a cliff because, although I have moved my business a few times in the past, it had been 8 years and as I mentioned in a Facebook post, I am a pathological underestimator. I underestimate everything and commit 100% and somehow figure it out.

It was a weekend of moving furniture, unplugging computer systems and wires all throughout the office. It was filled with wires going every which way and plugging things in and praying. It was a weekend or rearranging chairs and sweeping floors and dusting everything from head to toe.

Mike had to leave with his children around 6:30 on Sunday evening and head back home to be sure they are all ready to start the week. I spent 5 solid hours on each adjusting station from one side of the place to the other and into the reception room.

The computer system was working, the music wasn’t. The tables were ready, the rugs couldn’t be put down because of the finish on the floors. The front desk was ready, the massage rooms were ready, the air conditioners were working, toilets cleaned and floors swept. One more faucet installation around 9:30 and we were prepped for my realtor and his team to show up for the unveiling of the signage and the start to our first day!!

https://www.facebook.com/JohnWentworthRealEstateGroup/videos/729294227406651/

We did it! It was a push but we did it and made it happen.

…and here we are just 3 days in and more inspired than ever before. Follow your dreams, listen to your heart and that small voice inside as it will lead you in the right direction. This truly feels like home and we are so glad to be here!

ENDURANCE

I am fully convinced endurance is the key to success.

I have run marathons, half-marathons and climbed to the rooftop of Africa. I have done triathlons, 60-90 minute extreme hot yoga classes and 50 mile bike rides and ran a thriving family chiropractic office for 14 years. I endured 10 years of school beyond high school and driven 3,000 miles from Anchorage, Alaska to Atlanta, Georgia. I have spent countless hours studying, during school and since by doctorate degree and taken many long plane rides, longest being 26 hour plane ride from Detroit to Kilimanjaro.

I never realized just how much endurance has played into my equation for success until a few months ago.

I was sitting down for lunch with one of my mentors in Florida and he says “I am really proud of you.” He then continues, “Anyone can work hard enough and earn the degree but not many can really do what it takes to run the business the way you have and succeeded in practice and kept that kind of energy doing it all by yourself.”

Here is a clue to my internal workings, I just expect that of myself and I do not give myself an “out” to not do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. …and that goes for every area of my life.

I was shocked when he said that mostly for the simple fact of the expectations I set on myself but when I really do look back and see how far I have come I have done this all on my own. Granted I do have an INCREDIBLE support network in my life for sure that pick me up, dust me off and give me a kick in the rear to get going again. I have to take a

Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan - Endurance - Dr Erica Peabody

moment to thank my amazing team Nikki, Teri, Stephanie and Laura – you ladies make this entire dream worth living and working so hard for!!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!!

One week prior to that trip to Florida, I was presented with an incredible business opportunity. The evening before this particular lunch with my mentor, Mike and I were out to dinner and I got wind that the opportunity was actually a reality if I wanted it for the taking.

So I jumped.

I had no idea that the words that my mentor said at that time about my endurance for what I am doing would ring truer and louder than ever before in my life. I had no idea how much that trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro would help me the past 3 months. I had no idea that Chicago Marathon in 2005 and all the half marathons and all those miles training out on the trails to prep for those grueling 26.2 and 13.1 miles would help me through this time in my life since March.

As I endured 6 months in that walking boot last year and 3-4 trips to the gym still training, some would chime in and ask “what are you training for now?”

“I am training for LIFE!” was always my answer.

Yes I have had road races and triathlons and trek and swims and hikes that I have trained for in the past, I have

Chiropractor Fenton Michigan - The Second Strap - Dr Erica Peabody

always had something in front of me that would inspire me daily to keep going…but I had no idea it was all for these past 3 months. The meetings, emails, lists, meetings, emails and more lists, along with straight up execution on all of these things day in and day out aside from my newly engaged life and busy practice…this is what I have been training for. If I am totally honest, I have developed slight PTSD opening my email these days in fear of one more list, one more thing, one more meeting that will need to be tended to.

And I still have yet to birth my own children and raise my own family…I hear that takes some serious endurance and I am certain that this time in my life is just mere preparation for those next steps too.

Patients ask me all the time, “What is your next big adventure?” “What is the next mountain you are going to climb?” Little did you know I have been climbing one of the biggest mountains in my life and you are all right along side me.

All of this “talking in code” and not being able to disclose this information has been a multiplying factor for the endurance of this climb. I love being able to bounce ideas off of my people, my board of directors especially, and share. I feel like when I share I am able to download and reprocess things inside of my mind and being and create some form of order. I have been unable to do that due to the nature of this incredible plan.

HOLY COW DOC!?!?!?!??!!!!!! Are you leaving us????? Nope I am here and setting even deeper roots into the Fenton community than ever before. I am more here than I have ever been before. I am more excited than I have ever been before. I am more charged up about life and living and serving than ever before. We are taking things up to a whole new level and are going to be able to be a beacon of light, a true heartbeat of health and wellness inside of our community and although I need another week or so to really share the plans, trust me it is really, really good and worth all the endurance.

Now if you possibly think I could tackle something like this on my own…well thank you and yes I probably could, however I wouldn’t want to without the greatest partner in life walking shoulder to shoulder right at my side. He props me up, he settles me down, he charges me up and knocks me on my behind when I need it. He has been a solid driving force since our day one together however even more so now that this kind of rubber is meeting the road and this kind of traction is needed. There were a few moments during this process that I had to consider if I would do something like this on my own…the answer us YES I would and could and will if necessary. But in saying all that, I am so so grateful, ever so grateful to you my Love. Thanks for everything Babe. Good thing he is a three-time Ironman, I knew endurance was part of the fabric he was cut from since the start.

Stay tuned!!! It is just getting good.