Moving Forward...

"Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." ~ John Wooden

Tonight was workout night for me. Only it was really only an arms workout and stretching for me. Too much pain and inflammation in my knee for me to be on the treadmill or the bike for now. And really, I was very frustrated by this. My first 5K is looming large on the horizon and I feel like I'm not going to be ready.

When I got home tonight after the gym, I was surfing around online and came across this quote by John Wooden, legendary former UCLA Men's Basketball coach. He's a highly quotable guy if you're into collecting quotes like I am. I hadn't seen this one before and it really spoke to me...and convicted me about how I've been acting.

You see, I almost didn't go workout tonight. I knew I wasn't going to be allowed on the treadmill or bike and it felt like a waste of time to show up and not even sweat! But this quote helps me put this in proper perspective. I have been letting what I CAN'T do right now interfere with what I CAN still do. I've seen stretching and weight training as less important and worthy as a workout than the cardio workout that I get from walking and cycling. But right now, it's actually MORE important...because right now, it's what I CAN do!

Moving forward during this flare up of my arthritis means doing what I can to rehab the knee, decrease the inflammation, and strengthen the surrounding leg muscles to support the knee. My journey is not on hold right now, though, simply because I can't use my knee effectively. It will only be stalled if I allow the setback to interfere with what I can still do in the gym. So, I'm making the choice that I won't.

Listen to Coach Wooden, my friends. Moving forward is about doing what you CAN do...and letting nothing stand in the way of that...especially the things you can't do!