Wess Daniels

March 14, 2021

Without the Promise of Change

Over the past few months, since Apple Fitness+ launched, I've been getting more and more into indoor cycling and strength training. I really like the workouts and the trainers and every once in awhile I get a little insight from a workout that I want to hang on to.

Today, during the International Women's Ride with Kym Perfetto (one of my favorite trainers) she said something that helped me out considerably. 

The theme of the ride was "perseverance." Kym talked about the perseverance that women have had to have throughout time just to make it. She shared some personal stories and some more general experiences (to a rocking playlist). 

One story was of her mom who is a nurse and the work of so many healthcare workers persevering in this moment:

Without the promise of change, just the ongoing commitment to practice. 

As someone who constantly feels a push towards change and have geared so much of my work in that direction, I end up feeling like that change never happens or that change is just pushing a boulder up a hill. What I heard Kym saying today with sweat dripping from my forehead and heart rate pumping really helped me to find some peace. It gave me a different outlook. Nurses and healthcare workers show up day in and day out, new patients every single day. There will never be a day when there are no new patients. Some patients will recover and some will not. If the commitment is to change then that is a recipe for burnout. It also explains why I have personally felt so tapped out. Trying to live into everyone else's expectations to save or change this or that thing isn't working. 

Today, I learned that I need to have my commitment be to showing up each day and doing what I know how to do, practicing what is I am called to practice. That is what will lead me persevere in the face of challenge - whether change comes or not.

Hold fast to thy way,

Wess (he/him) ⚭
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