Finding a Way Through It (7/3/14)

When I think about everything this book tour represents it shoots past daunting straight to impossible. 20,700+ miles visiting 139 cities in two countries over a 10 month period. It’s a journey of enlightenment, connection, and possibilities that will challenge my body, mind and soul. If I can somehow manage to complete this grueling endeavor it will signify that I have finally managed to overcome the health condition that has been my nemesis for the past nine years.

This journey can’t be taken lightly, and as such I have been pushing myself on a daily basis to ensure my body won’t give out, leaving me stranded in some remote city. I took it up a notch recently to see how my body would cope, and believe me the results were not good. In two days I gave two speeches and stood at Tampa International Airport as a greater. How arduous could that really be? When I got home on the second day I collapsed and passed out on the tile floor. I couldn’t make it up stairs to my bed because of muscle spasms I was experiencing in my back and legs. I spent the next day trying to flush out a GI blockage, and the day after that was spent re-hydrating from all the fluid I lost.

I had a problem making it through two consecutive days, and I’m going to some how miraculously make it through 300+/-… I have only had one challenge in my life that winning was the only option. When my doctor all but gave up on me winning was the only option because anything short of winning was basically a really long dirt nap.

That two day stretch reenforced how badly I needed to rediscover that mindset that got me through those dark days. Originally I had planned to shave my head so that I could reconnect with my Mr Clean chemo days, but a friend talked me out of it. So I settled with submitting my application to the Guinness Book of World Records for longest book tour. Granted Guinness isn’t a matter of life or death, but hopefully the magnitude of setting the record will be enough to keep me chugging along.