Health is Wealth

Kaena Point, 9:45 a.m. The tires of my bike weave and bounce along the jagged earth. I look ahead, anticipating the incoming obstacles and then steering accordingly. As I cruise along, I can't help but think about how much it feels like skiing: I choose my line and attack it, adjusting on the fly to anything in my way. The motions are still graceful even though the backdrop of soft white snow has been replaced by rough, arid dirt and rock and I'm connected to the ground by rubber tires rather than shaped skis. My legs rise and clench with the dips and bumps, my arms flex to absorb the shock. All the while, I'm tirelessly pedaling, my quads providing an enduring motor of forward progress.

As I reach a soft downhill grade, the bike gains speed and I shift gears. The expected panting, burning, and lightheadedness isn't there. I feel great. Better than ever. Light yet strong. Tense yet loose.

I just finished reading a book about Pat Tillman, a man who left the NFL to join the army and fight the Taliban in Afghanistan. Though there were countless things that made him an incredible person, including his ultimate sacrifice, the one thing that stood out to me the most was his inclination to always, no matter the circumstance, push to better himself every day. This meant constant new challenges. During the offseasons he would do things like run marathons and compete in triathlons just to keep himself sharp. He fed his hunger for knowledge as well and continuously broadened his horizons academically, even after he was finished with school. He would take risks that challenged his strength and bravery, not to impress other people, but to push his skills and talents to new levels.

I might not ever be able to match his intensity or success, but I'd like to say that I too have been trying to improve myself every day. I think it started after the Na Pali Coast hike, when I realized that my body was capable of a little more than I thought. Since then, it's been an ongoing game of HORSE between mind and body. The mind challenges, pushes, and the body attempts to come through.

I pushed myself harder than ever this fall break, logging some hours at the gym on base, paddling out to the Mokulua Islands, and riding around the bend to Waianae. Every day I woke up with a new drive to do something I hadn't been previously capable of doing.

I have to say that self-improvement is by far the most satisfying endeavor in my life right now. There isn't a whole lot of glory or recognition in teaching special education, and a lot of the time the fruits of your efforts aren't all that visible. But when you're constantly pushing to better yourself, you can see, feel, and know the results almost immediately. There is always an effect for your cause.

And hopefully, by bettering yourself, you can ultimately improve the way you better those around you. Isn't that the ultimate goal?