Who Motivates You?

One of the main reasons for starting this blog was a desire to help guide other people through their journey to a healthy life. Since its conception in November of last year, I've shared some of my personal thoughts and ideas about what works for me and what doesn't. One of the things that I've mentioned in passing was the importance of finding what motivates you to continue your journey. For each of us, the answer is different. For me, my motivation is a person, my brother David.

Last March Dave called me on my birthday to say hello and wish me a happy day. During the conversation he mentioned that he had been experiencing back pain. I suggested that he take it easy for a few days, take a Tylenol, see what happens. I wish I would have would have advised him to see his doctor instead. In late October of 2009 David went to the ER thinking that he had pneumonia. His chest and back had been bothering him for weeks, but he thought it would clear up on its own. Instead, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastasized Lung Cancer. It had spread to his pelvis and his lymph glands. He was given 3-9 months to live, with aggressive treatment, possibly a couple of years. He has chosen to take the aggressive treatment. He wants desperately to live.

Looking back on Dave's life, I wonder if the lifestyle he lead is partly to blame for his disease. He is a self-proclaimed workaholic. We often hear that stress plays a role in disease. Dave owns a small business and has continued to take on new jobs even though he is receiving chemotherapy. For a short time in his youth he smoked. Our parents were heavy smokers for years too. Who knows how much second hand smoke he unwittingly inhaled. He never married or had children. Without a family to share meals with each night, I don't think he was in the habit of eating very healthfully. He ate a lot of meals that come in paper sacks, not the home cooked variety.

I see every day that we have with David as a gift. Dave has a great attitude about his illness. He says that he isn't angry, he sees it as a second chance to open his eyes and appreciate his family and his friends. Shortly after his diagnosis he told me that if nothing else, his illness has brought the two of us closer.

Dave motivates me to appreciate my health. I choose to eat right and to exercise. I choose not to smoke. I choose to talk through problems rather than keep them to myself. I choose to take time for myself, to relax. I do these things as a way to honor Dave. Our health truly is a gift that we must accept and nurture.

This week my friend Hannah told me about her own motivation for training for her first marathon, her cousin's little boy, Clayton. Little Clayton was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. I can think of few things more devastating than watching your child suffer from a condition that he or she can not begin to understand. Hannah, a personal trainer and mother of three adorable little girls, will be running the marathon to raise funds to help support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. If you would like to follow Hannah's blog, More Than a Marathon, or to donate to the cause, you can find it here.

Is there someone who motivates your desire to lead your best life? Please feel free to share your story.