Even though they claimed RAGBRAI was supposed to be 447.3 miles, we calculated that we rode around 490 miles. This makes for one long week of sitting on a bike. On the first day we rode in a driving rain - threats of lightning. (I twisted my ankle, my front tire went flat and my phone flew off my bike as well) Though, aside from a few bumps -- the Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics RAGBRAI event this year was amazing. I really want to encourage anybody who wants to, ride a day with us, or two or the whole week. Or even just come down and hang with us for a night.
I told everyone that if I ever got a tattoo it would be “Do Good, Ride Hard, Live Well”*. I thought about this phrase this past week. If we lead our lives doing the best job possible, playing hard and for keeps … then our reward will be living really well. What an awesome perspective on life.
My two major personal events (bike trips) for the year are over so instead of breaking out my winter clothes and planning for next year, my immediate thought is how do I continue to do good, ride hard and live well? For ISH, doing good, riding hard and living well means we need to be as vigilant and focused as possible and our reward will be success. This isn’t easy, but anything of value takes hard work and perseverance.
Success takes work. People who’ve achieved success have worked really hard to get there, through practice, attitude, patience and risk taking. The years to come in healthcare will test our resolve -- it’ll be more like riding your bike in driving rain with threats of lightning. But, going at it with resolve and determination will prove beneficial. I’m looking forward to the journey.
*I’m not getting one, but if I did it’d be that. I admire people with tattoos because I can barely think of what I’m wearing tomorrow, let alone the rest of my life. And I didn’t come up with this phrase, I saw it on a shirt.
