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  • Stress blog

  • Dec. 21, 2010

    Reaching for the stars

    By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.

2 comments posted

A rugby player in South Africa and a professional basketball player in Los Angeles, both superstars, were both interviewed as they came back from a series of injuries. The rugby player had a serious knee injury and an ankle fracture. The basketball player was coming off a shoulder and an elbow injury.

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Each interviewer asked the athlete, "So are you now 100 percent?"

Each athlete, in his own way, had the same response: At no time is any athlete at 100 percent. There's always a nagging injury, an ache that doesn't quite go away and a gnawing fatigue that erodes the spirit.

The same is true in everyday life. We're always reaching for 100 percent happiness and fulfillment. But the reality is that life is not perfect. We won't achieve perfect peace or perfect harmony in our lifetime. Yet we keep reaching, and it's the journey that sustains us, not our final destination.

2 comments posted

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  • January 9, 2011 9:28 a.m.

    I am 58 years old, an athlete for 15 years and a triathlete who took 1st place in my age group this year. I have not experienced injury or the nagging injury I hear so many athletes, especially the ones younger than me express. Currently I am training for the Breast Cancer Marathon in Jacksonville. This will be my 4th year to do the half marathon. A month ago I developed an injury. I do not know how to handle it emotionally. I appreciate the thoughts in this blog...it made me feel better and hopeful, especially emotionally.

    - sherry

  • December 22, 2010 8:19 a.m.

    Good article. I would actually like to see more sports med or athletic articles. Personally I am an endurance athlete (cyclist) and don't really know if I can trust the information from most cycling related sites as most are trying to sell products and/or coaching techniques and programs. An impartial neutral voice on the topic would be great.

    - GS

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