THINK YOU KNOW YOUR WHY??? ...THINK AGAIN!! (I did)
I'll be honest...when I was asked to be HR Team Captain for this year's Heart Walk, my reason for accepting was not particularly altruistic! My first reaction was that it would be a great way to create some accountability for my personal walking / workout habits. I've been hiking regularly on the weekends for several years, but having trouble getting myself to add workouts during the week. I figured that "going public" with the Heart Walk would be not only a great motivator but might also shake out a few new at-work workout buddies as an added bonus.
What I wasn't thinking then - but have since realized, thanks to the kickoff rally and other opportunities to hear people's stories - is how much heart disease has personally impacted my life. Including...
- My grandfather (who raised me) died of heart disease in his 70s...which was an improvement from the men in his previous generations, who "all died of heart attacks in their 50s" according to family lore / history
- My grandmother (his wife, who also raised me) nearly died at 89 by stroke & heart attack...but survived a quadruple bypass and, with the help of a pacemaker, lived an additional 7 years before dying peacefully at 96 with me by her side
- My mother survived a heart attack about 18 months ago, as a direct result of having diabetes - which she thought she was managing well via diet and exercise, but she had failed to keep up with medications and regular checkups
- I also have diabetest - also relatively well managed - but need to stay vigilant to avoid my own heart complications...and continuously leveling up my walking regimen is part of that effort
So...if you haven't yet thought deeply about YOUR WHY, I encourage you to do so...and maybe even take another look. It might run deeper - and therefore be even more motivating - than you originally thought.
I am surprised to learn how prevalent heart disease and stroke are - I heard at the rally that apparently 1 in 3 lives are impacted by it, and these are the #1 and #5 leading causes of death.
We all probably have WHYS that are closer to home than we may realize.
If that's true for you, too, I hope you will partner with us in one or more of these ways! WALK...DONATE...FUNDRAISE...SPREAD THE WORD...THANK YOU!
