Journey to Kona Day 45: The Importance of Being Positive

I happened to choose to be in a field where there are a lot of things that can be seen as negative.  As we age, things happen. We get sick, things break down, falls happen, pain can be a common occurrence.  I've been a passionate advocate for improving the care of older adults for the past thirty years, but much of it falls on deaf ears.  Why? One key reason is that the message heard is often a negative one.  People don't like to hear negative things.  I'm on the Board of three non-profit organizations.  All of them are trying to enhance the lives of older adults.  We have a hell of a time fund raising.  People willingly give to charities that help children, but older adults? Not so much.

For many years, I bemoaned the fact that people didn't care about the older adults that I've dedicated my life to serving.  Then, a wise friend and colleague taught me about effective messaging.  If those around us don't appreciate the trials and tribulations of getting older, we can't blame them for not caring, we have an obligation to do a better job of explaining it!  There is a movement in geriatrics to "reframe" how we describe our field.  A lot of that reframing has to do with putting it into a much more positive context.  So, we try to show all of positives of the older population.  But then, why would they need our help?

The challenge is in reframing the discussion so that we have a positive message as to the importance of helping people who are in need.  Being positive is critical to effective messaging.  It's also critical to our own internal messaging.  If you're nearing the end of a race and you allow negative thoughts to seep in, chances are you'll be more inclined to give up.  Staying positive, or at least staying neutral is a key factor in performing at almost any distance.  Clearly, it takes on its own meaning in an ironman, or in a 100 mile event.

So, whether it's training through an injury, like I'm doing now, or staying positive about the field that I've dedicated my life to, it pays to be positive!