Doing What I Love

I was watching the Tonight Show the other day and Jay Leno was doing an interview with Samuel Jackson, who had one of the best quotes I've ever heard, which is now hanging in my office. The quote says, The More You Do What You like, The More Fun You Have, The More Money You Make!

I just love this because it was a simple quote and made a lot of sense to me. If you're not doing what you love to do in life you will never be successful. One thing I never want to do is to sit back and say, I wish I would've done this or that. I think it's a terrible place to put yourself in constantly asking yourself the question of what might have been.

On Tuesday night, December 4. I was doing what I love to do and for those who know me that would be either speaking or playing ice hockey. Being Tuesday night it was the night of ice hockey at Pines ice Arena!

I generally look forward to my games throughout the day. It's not only something that I love to do and have been doing since I was six years old. It's also something that I am very good at. I was skating down the left-hand boards and angling in on a breakaway to take a shot on goal. When my right leg went to the right and my left leg went to the left and then there was the popping sound.

I immediately knew what it was since I had already had surgery on my right knee twice from sports related injuries. My first thought was I need to find a safer sport. My second thought was, how do I explain this to my wife and my grandmother.My family had recently pointed out that since I turned 40 I've had three surgeries due to ice hockey related injuries.

Well, I went in for an MRI first thing in the morning and then went to see my good friend Dr. Howard Gelb an outstanding orthopedic surgeon who I've known since elementary school. He recently performed surgery on my right shoulder from an ice hockey game that I played in last Mother's Day. Well he gave me the news they needed to perform surgery on Friday to repair the knee. It's now Monday morning, and I've been hobbling around the house all weekend. Reflecting on the moment when I heard that popping sound, remembering all the things that love to do and I loved about the sport of hockey. Knowing now that my attention must be focused more on doing what I love and less on damaging my body. I think it's time to take up the game of golf again! At least on the golf course, I know that when I tee that ball up no one is going to come in and check me before I get the shot off.

I guess the lesson I'm finally learning is sometimes you've got to give up some of the things that you love to do as you mature and grow in life in this too will keep the doctor away .

Dr. Rick Goodman is a professional speaker who works with organizations that want to Develop Great Leaders “Through Excellence in Communication and Team Work”. For more information on Rick’s speaking programs, Audio Programs and learning programs contact (888) 267-6098 or Rick@drrickgoodman.com (www.drrickgoodman.com)