Difficult Roads

David Henslee • October 1, 2019

The most difficult roads often lead to the most beautiful destinations.

One of my family’s favorite things to do is “Jeeping” on 4-wheel Drive Only trails in the mountains around Crested Butte, Colorado. Our day starts out with the adults studying maps and packing snacks, lunches, drinks, etc. while the kids bounce off the walls with the wild expectation of the upcoming adventure. We’re all smiles and laughing and music and….well, we’re all excited to be going.


So, the climb begins, and the road gets rocky and uneven and narrow. Everyone is being jostled side-to-side. The road steepens and narrows even more. Tires slip on loose rock. The Jeep tilts so far that all you see out the window is….down. It’s at this point that fear and anxiety block out all memory of the eager pre-trip anticipation. I mean, people are just plain scared. Some get out and walk. It’s just too much. The road is too narrow. Too steep. Too loose.

And, then, you get to the top and the sky is the bluest blue. The mountains are green and majestic, blanketed in a light snow. And you see all around you for hundreds of miles. This is what you came for. A view of creation unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Truly awe-inspiring.


Everyone wants a mountaintop view. A mountaintop experience. It’s just hard sometimes to get there when you are saddled with work, family responsibilities, personal struggles, health issues. So, try this:

  • Set your goal high. Dream a little….
  • Get excited about planning how you will get there. 
  • Evaluate the risks—don’t be foolish. 
  • Manage your fears. 
  • Push through. 
  • Relish your victory.


You will have gained new confidence; maybe even be a little braver. And you will have seen and experienced things that you never would have if you had never made the effort. You’ll be better—richer—than you were. And that will benefit everyone around you.


- David Henslee, P.T., MCWC

The Turn For Home

By David Henslee • March 16, 2020
This morning, I have been going back and looking over some of the things I have written; some as far back as 2001. Tips on training, how to build muscle, the best diet and exercise routines to lose weight, improve lactic acid thresholds…you name it. That stuff remains relevant today. There is some really good information there. And, most of it, I tried. I am my own favorite guinea pig. But, as I went back and read those articles, something hit me in the face like a wet sock: I’m not 47. I’m almost 67, and to do some of those workout routines would kill me, or at least increase my risk of injury. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still vital. But, my physical impairments and a few (managed) health conditions are beginning to hem me in a little more than I would like. I am, in horse racing parlance, rounding the turn for home. The turn for home , or final turn in a horse race, is also a common source of trouble for incompetent jockeys. This is the turn where horses begin to make their winning moves. If they get blocked or lack running room while getting ready to move, this can prevent them from winning the race. Horse Race Handicapping: Trouble on the Turns I love this description. The turn for home is the place in a horse race that begins to point the horses toward the “home straight.” Every moment, every move of the horses prior to that point determines the likelihood of a successful finish. A winning move in the turn for home can dramatically improve the chances of a win. But the turn for home is NOT the END of the race. The jockeys don’t just pull up and coast. That would mean disaster for sure. They keep their horses running at full tilt down the home straight and make the moves that can put them in The Winner’s Circle. The ultimate goal in any race. So, readers of a certain age, as we round the turn for home are we positioning ourselves for The Winner’s Circle? We don’t know how long our home straight is, but we must KEEP ON RUNNING. The race is different at this stage of life, for sure. But, it’s a great place to be in spite of the bumps and bruises of the early race. We have to mind some things: our diets need to be a little cleaner, our exercise habits need to be better. How we stand, how we move, how we breathe, how we love, how we THINK—all of these things and more—position us in “the turn for home” for a great run down the final straight. Let’s all finish well. There’s a huge party waiting for us in The Winner’s Circle.

Instantly Improve Your Day

By David Henslee • January 12, 2020
Things not going so great today? Want things to be better 60 seconds from now?

Change

By David Henslee • November 2, 2019
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” -Socrates