I’ve been seeing a physiotherapist for over 3 months now — thankfully for different injuries. The latest is tricep tendonitis I developed, ironically, while squatting heavy instead of the usual suspects — the bench and barbell overhead press!
Now, getting an appointment at the rehab center is hard and the best I manage is a single session every week. I know I should probably aim for another in a given week but the physios at this center are damn good, hence a lot of demand. As they say, something is definitely better than nothing. And this holds true when you’re injured because more than half of the population simply wish and hope it’ll go away. It doesn’t.
As a precaution after every training session, it’s recommended that I apply ice to the affected area for like 3-5 minutes and repeat in the evening. Unfortunately, my gym doesn’t have a single ice-pack. And when I asked for one they started to look in the shelves next to them — which was strange, usually anything that has “ice” in the name is usually found in a refrigerator. They didn’t have one and gave me a lame excuse that left me speechless. But I digress, sorry.
I decided to do something about this for my own sake. Filled that watercooler in my car’s trunk with lots of ice and shoved one of the ice-packs in the fridge. I still can’t carry that bigass water cooler to the gym but I at least have access to the icepack when I need it (which, thankfully, isn’t every day). Sure, it’s cumbersome to change ice every 3 or 4 days but I think the inconvenience will save me from the pain of going under the knife in future.
I can relate this little incident to almost every major decision I’ve made in life. And I’m not saying this to brag — the central theme almost always revolves around me taking things in my own hands. Which would include choosing to work right after high-school when I knew things weren’t going my way. Or changing careers by investing my hard earned money in learning because my employers wouldn’t sponsor me. Volunteering for assignments that push me out of my comfort zone but I know nobody else would care so deeply about whatever’s at stake.
It all boils down to choices and I find it immensely freeing to just do it myself. Sure, I sometimes manage to get help and even have supporters on board but nothing in this world comes close to me paving my own path to do what I want.
The best part is each of us has the free will to take things in our own hands. The question is what’s really stopping you? And if nothing is, will you?