The Journey

with Samantha Brazie

Hey there, Paper readers! I’ve been thinking a lot about how quickly life’s pace has changed over the last four years. Stop, start. Run, crawl, sprint. Work harder because you are lucky to have a job. Your job is lucky to have you. Make your own terms. Rise up. Shut your mouth. Keep your head down. Speak up. The reality is, there are times when we have to do each one of these things and it can be overwhelming when you don’t see it coming.

I’ve written a lot about mental health in this column, how some things seem so out of control that it affects the way we think and feel in a massively negative way. Also, about staying positive and surrounding yourself with others that have the same and/or better mindset than you do. People that make you want to be better and make you feel heard and loved. About continuously having goals and not giving up.

But what about pushing yourself when you don’t want to, to continue to move to the next level? What about making yourself rise up and fight when you feel like you’re slipping away or that you’re overwhelmed and don’t think you can keep it up?

I tend to be a very driven person but I wasn’t always that way. If my husband hadn’t told me to stop talking to him about college until I did something about it I probably wouldn’t have signed up. If I hadn’t been given the opportunity to have the quality of life I have now, I don’t think I would not have believed it was possible. But trust me, I had to leap to get here. Leap, sprint, crawl, pole vault and leap again. Even writing this column was so completely out of my comfort zone it was unreal. We have to give ourselves the permission to take chances, even though we may fall flat on our face. If you allow it to be, it can be as simple as decision making. Yes, I may fail but if and/or when I do, I will pause to reflect and start over. As long as you know what is truly important to you, and what you want aligns with that – there should be no question on whether you will give it another go.

I’ve been listening to a David Goggins audiobook lately. Although I’m not a huge fan of the excessive profanity, I think his story is fascinating. Not going into too much detail here, but if you haven’t heard of him – look him up. I read his first book (Can’t Hurt Me) last year and am halfway through the second book (Never Finished). He repeatedly makes me think about my life and my decision making. Two takeaways from this book that I believe are valuable in this context are:

1. Our sad stories tend to allow us to grade ourselves on a forgiving curve. The reality is we should forgive ourselves. But we should also get up, shake it off, learn from the sadness and the tragedy. Then rise up. Fight and claw your way back if you have to, but don’t allow your Journey to stop because of something that did or didn’t happen to you in the past. Keep moving up in that curve.

2. The hand you were dealt was not your fault, but it is your responsibility. Like it or not, it is what it is. It is your responsibility to move on and be better for your own mental health and to show the next generation what human beings are capable of overcoming.

I look forward to hearing any feedback you have, and of course hearing about your Journey!

“The ticket to victory often comes down to bringing your very best when you feel your worst.” – David Goggins

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At Georgia Bone and Joint Spine Center, Dr. Chad Kessler and Dr. David Love are passionate about restoring their patients’ function through an individualized approach. From start to finish, The Spine Center offers a continuum of care with fellowship trained orthopedic surgeons specializing in spine surgery, spine specific physical therapists, x-ray, MRI, and staff dedicated to our patients’ care.

Dr. Chad Kessler

Renowned spine specialist with over 20 years of experience

“Because everything is in one place, we can get X-rays scheduled the same day, and the images are back almost immediately. If a patient needs physical therapy or targeted pain injections, I can get them in with someone I trust within a week. The best thing about the Spine Center is being able to find all-inclusive, state-ofthe-art care without having to travel into Atlanta.”

Dr. David Love

Fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in spine surgery “Most people have one or two episodes of back pain, and 90% of them never need surgery. The goal of treatment is to give them many more good days than bad days without invasive treatment.”

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