The Secret to Longevity is Pliability – and change is on the horizon

Despite having grown up in New York, I am a proud and mildly obnoxious fan of the New England Patriots and the intensely competitive while ever-classy Tom Brady.  I mean, what can we say: they’re awesome, no matter what you throw at them.  Kinda makes you want to emulate their habits.

My favorite lesson from my favorite Quarterback is one I’m not sure I’ve heard him say in so many words, but it is the title of this post.  Any fans who are paying attention will be aware that TB12’s new key word is “pliability.”  In other words: flexibility, the capacity to adjust and adapt.  As he keeps demonstrating through victories that defy age, the Fountain of Youth for athletes is not a rock-hard exterior, ironclad power, or even talents like speed or agility.  No, indeed: remaining competitive with young guns is all about rolling with the tide even when it comes after you like a tsunami.

I have come to two conclusions of my own based on this concept:

1. There is always and only one standard worth achieving: BETTER.
   No matter how much or how little improvement has been accomplished, there is never a ceiling to how much further improvement can be achieved, and there is also no reason to dwell on shortfalls compared to an idealized goal.  As long as the average trajectory on any path moves upward –even if it moves down a little before moving up a little more– I believe it is safe to call it “the right track.”
   
2. Pain is only relevant to the extent that it points to danger.  Once danger is eliminated from the equation, pain that is endured rather than eliminated leads to strength.
   Discomfort of any sort tends to lead to a hard stop for many, if not most, people who were otherwise on a journey towards personal betterment.  I’m going to call it a fortunate circumstance for myself to have grown accustomed to pain, depression and anxiety through various circumstances in life… fortunate, because despite some hard hits, I’m still here.  That simple fact opened up an opportunity to understand that even some unthinkable horrors thus far have not stopped me, until I came to a point of realizing I can CHOOSE to not be stopped, regardless of painful circumstances.
   
   I’ve learned this mostly from my new experiences with athletic performance doing CrossFit.  As long as the pain doesn’t point to some hidden threat, or as long as any potential threats are mitigated expeditiously (e.g., ice is applied immediately to a muscle or tendon strain), I keep on coming out stronger and stronger… more flexible… more capable… in spite of subjecting myself to the transient pain of the workouts.  Upon reaching this epiphany, I began to push myself harder, then developed acumen at understanding the limits beyond which I should not push lest I risk danger of injury, then rapidly identified the limits so as to practice nudging just a little more with each workout…
   
   Then my new epiphany was that I can do this in other areas of my life.  Mental and emotional discomfort became the new frontiers of limit-testing.  Until they have become the new frontiers of emboldening strength and endurance.

The ability to change when faced with challenges is the Secret to Longevity… The Fountain of Youth, if you will.

Well, change is on the horizon at Thrive Adult Primary Care.

First: a new website is under construction.  Please click here to check out our new Home Page.

Second: starting on October 1, 2019, we will be accepting Medicare!  This will continue to be the only health plan through whom we will process third-party payment for the foreseeable future.  This will mean lots of different things to different patients who carry Medicare plans, but for our active member patients whose insurance does not involve Medicare at all, NO CHANGES will be made to the current Direct Primary Care (DPC) memberships.  More info will be shared in the weeks to come.

Third: our DPC pricing plans will also change significantly starting October 1, 2019.  Once the rate schedule is finalized, information will be posted.  But our current published rates will only be valid through September 30, 2019.  So if you’d like to take advantage, contact us soon!