The Weekly Word

I Have What?
A little over two weeks ago I woke up one morning with a slight pain in my ear. The next morning it progressed to ear and head and a small rash on my temple made an appearance. These symptoms progressed for a few days where the rash spread to around my mouth and the pain began to get more intense. I went to urgent care and the diagnosis was a classic case of shingles. I thought this was a virus that typically afflicted the elderly community but as I talk to more and more people about it, I have learned that they have had it in their 20's, 30's and 40's. (Side note: Upon looking at the rash, Marisa diagnosed it right away. I should probably start listening to her!)

When you look up what typically brings shingles on in a younger population it is either stress induced or a weakened immune system. Which brings me to my next point...

Health Tip of the Week
The same week that I came down with shingles, I sent Marisa a text that simply read: "I am an idiot". The reason for that message was due to my schedule for this spring. Finding time for two businesses, teaching phys ed, coaching a youth/middle school track team, and most recently I accepted a position at my former high school to coach Track has been a challenge. It has left me running around in circles and I believe this could have played a role in this most recent ailment. 

So, this weeks tip is more of a reminder to myself and for anyone who this may apply to: The body keeps score. Everything that you do that may induce stress (workouts, sleep, diet, work, family life, business, etc.) adds up and the body will hold on to it. If you do not take the time to rest, recover and restore eventually some illness, virus, or ailment will show its ugly little head and force you to take time for yourself. 

What I've Been Watching...
Oppenheimer on Peacock

I spent a few days resting in bed during this shingles situation and I used the time to get caught up on watching a few things. Leading up to viewing, I knew Oppenheimer was a man who had an incredible ability as a physicist but also someone who was troubled about what they were working on. As he later uttered after the deployment of the atomic bomb, "Now I am become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds". He feared what would be next and it reminded me of the Albert Einstein quote: "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones".

This was a very good movie, one in which I plan on watching again. Full disclaimer, it is 3 hours long so make sure you block out some time or watch it in small chunks like it is a Netflix series.

Question of the Week...
Can you have peace without forgiveness?

I just finished a great book titled Killer Angels about the Battle of Gettysburg. At the end of the book, it gives a little insight on how the war finally concluded, two years after the bloodshed that occurred on the Pennsylvania farmlands. At one point, after the Rebel army surrendered, Northern men began applauding in celebration but were told to stop and rather than cheer, salute their former opposition. Lincoln and many of the leaders knew that if the Union was to be restored, then forgiveness must take priority over ill feelings. 

This concept applies to our personal lives as well. We will make decisions that we will eventually regret. It is at these points that we have a choice to make: feel down and be critical of oneself or learn to forgive our former self and work on healing. To find inner peace, we must do what the North did and forgive. Sticking with this theme, I really like the quote below from MLK...

Quote of the Week
“And in every one of us, there's a war going on. It's a civil war. I don't care who you are, I don't care where you live, there is a civil war going on in your life. And every time you set out to be good, there's something pulling on you, telling you to be evil. It's going on in your life. Every time you set out to love, something keeps pulling on you, trying to get you to hate. Every time you set out to be kind and say nice things about people, something is pulling on you to be jealous and envious and to spread evil gossip about them. There's a civil war going on. There is a schizophrenia, as the psychologists or the psychiatrists would call it, going on within all of us. And there are times that all of us know somehow that there is a Mr. Hyde and a Dr. Jekyll in us...There's a tension at the heart of human nature. And whenever we set out to dream our dreams and to build our temples, we must be honest enough to recognize it.” -- Martin Luther King Jr. 
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I hope you all have an awesome week!Chris Fluck