Never Give Up

Longboard Therapy^®: Never Give Up

During a therapy session, one of my clients inquired about Longboard Therapy^®. We spoke about the reasons for it and the healing flow it offers and we gave some thought to whether it would be an appropriate option for him. After our discussion, he decided that he wanted to give Longboard Therapy^® a try at our next session. He told me he would be purchasing a longboard as soon as possible to practice on his own, since he had been interested in longboarding for quite some time.
When he left my office, he drove straight to a store and purchased a board. He then brought it home and began riding it the next day. Not long after buying his board, the client contacted me to let me know that unfortunately, he could not ride the board. He told me he realized he was putting too much pressure on his ankle, which he had previously injured. His message to me, which he has allowed me to share, went like this:

"Longboarding has to be put on hold . . . My ankles can't take it. Can barely walk. It brings up old tendon injuries. Going to just have to flow on the bicycle for now."

I responded by letting him know that this was a good decision; it showed how mindful he was of his body’s limitations. I was a bit let down for him—because I thought longboarding would be a great intervention for helping him achieve his goal—but I was very pleased that he was making a responsible decision to put longboarding on hold.
Hours after reading his message, I received another message from him, which had this picture attached:

"I built a paddle with 6' pine and hockey pucks so I don't have to kick. Still flowin!!!"

I came to find out that after sending his first message, he visited a friend’s wood shop and made this paddle that would allow him to enjoy longboarding without putting too much pressure on his feet.

I think this is a great example of being creative and not giving up when obstacles get in the way of accomplishing your goals. Obstacles can be opportunities for us to discover solutions rather than focus on the negative aspects of whatever we’re facing.
As my associate Denise said about this client’s remarkable solution, "If that isn't a metaphor for overcoming life's obstacles, I don't know what is!!"
I am very happy for him, and I have no doubt he will be able to evoke this creative resourcefulness and resiliency whenever he needs it most. I learn from my clients every day, and this experience will surely be stored in my memory.

Never give up!