Powerful words stay with us and in a world of sound bites, there is no doubt that a good quote leaves a lasting impact. Here is my video on The Power of an Amazing Quote. Words inspire, motivate, and invigorate. Good quotes are memorable and timeless.
I hope that you enjoy this reading! Feel free to share it – if you find this to be helpful!
Thank you!
– Karl
Blog Archives
A Day of Parkinson’s Education in Williamsburg
Last Saturday, my wife, Angela and I had the great privilege to address over 300 people with Parkinson’s and their carepartners/caregivers in beautiful and historic Williamsburg, VA at the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Virginia Education Day. This event was hosted by the APDA Hampton Roads Chapter and the APDA Richmond Metro Chapter.
Angela and I participated in a couples talk with Charlie and Cammy Bryan, who are well known for their state-wide work, writing and advocacy. We really enjoyed working with them! The moderator, Don Bradway, knows both couples and did a masterful job of getting us to talk about our lives, perspectives on Parkinson’s disease, and our philosophy on living well with Parkinson’s. We got to meet so many amazing people who are living well with Parkinson’s!
Neurologists from around Virginia did an informative panel on understanding, managing, and living with Parkinson’s disease. My friend and fellow advocate, Bob Pearson did a talk with a neurologist on the importance of clinical trials and his experiences in participating in these studies. A clinical dietitian, Ms. Ka Wong from Hunter Holmes McGuire Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Richmond did a very informative talk on inflammation and diet.
The final breakout, held concurrently with the caregiving session, was a panel introduction to the benefits of a variety of therapies including PWR!, Rock Steady Boxing, Yoga, LSVT/BIG and SPEAKOUT!, and Tai Chi! My wife attended the caregiver session which was a panel discussion with three family caregivers. This panel shared their experiences on a variety of caregiver issues, provided informational tips and offered resources.
What was unique about this conference was the variety of people sharing their knowledge with our Parkinson’s community – those living with Parkinson’s, the medical community, allied health professionals and more. This event happens every other year and brings Virginia’s Parkinson’s community together to review the developments in Parkinson’s disease, to inform, to inspire, and to educate.
A Twenty Year Old Speech Rings True
I was going through my files of paperwork and came across years of documents that I considered to be motivational, inspirational, and truly worth being read and reread. You might even remember it.
Although this following post is not specifically Parkinson’s disease related, I find it to be sound and practical advice for everyone. I hope that you enjoy it, find at least 1 of the 10 pieces of advice to be a morsel to take away, and may even share once again with others:
Palo Alto High School Speech by Guy Kawasaki 6/11/95
10. Live off of your parents as long as possible.
9. Pursue joy—not happiness.
8. Challenge the known and embrace the unknown.
7. Learn to speak a foreign language, play a musical instrument, and play no contact sports.
6. Continue to learn.
5. Learn to like yourself or change yourself until you can like yourself.
4. Don’t get married too young.
3. Play to win and win to play.
2. Obey the absolutes.
1. Enjoy your family and friends before they are gone.
If I were to add to this thoughtful list, I might add – Tell the people in your life and those you care about, just how much they mean to you, while you still can!
Exclusive Interview With Davis Phinney
Davis Phinney knows how to inspire an audience! I have had the privilege of seeing and hearing him speak on his dealing with early onset Parkinson’s disease several times. Davis is an Olympic Bronze Medal winner in cycling. He has achieved more wins – 328 victories in all – than any other US Cyclist.
The insight of Davis’ perspective is truly inspiring and a great way to begin Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month. I hope that you enjoy this interview and will share it with others facing Parkinson’s.
I want to thank Davis and everyone at The Davis Phinney Foundation for allowing me this opportunity. What a great way to begin Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month. I encourage you to learn more about Davis’ Foundation and the upcoming Victory Summit in Richmond, Virginia on May 19th, 2012.
1. How has PD changed the way you view life?
PD has had a significant effect on me – on my view of life and my place in it. I am much less likely to take things for granted than I used to be, and I’m much more ‘present’ for, and appreciative of, positive aspects to any given day.
2. What has PD taught you that you didn’t know before your symptoms?
It has taught me much about living with disability and disease that I wouldn’t have otherwise learned – and that has led to greater awareness, understanding and empathy – which I view as very positive and grounding.
3. What is your advice to newly diagnosed PD patients?
My advice would be to immediately check out the Every Victory Counts (EVC) manual! being newly diagnosed with this disease, one faces an uncertain frontier, and there may not be a full spectrum of resources or the right resources immediately at hand. We work hard to keep the information in the EVC manual relevant and highly applicable – and based on highly positive feedback from the Parkinson’s tribe – we’re filling a void. So EVC is a good starting point as well as accessing the local Parkinson’s community for resources, support and connections available in the immediate community.
4. What do you do on a daily basis to fight your Parkinson’s disease?
I start each day with a smile in the mirror an affirmation stating my intention that this is going to be a good day. I make it a priority to eat well (but not obsessively), take pictures, engage people in conversation and relish in the little victories; a good cup of coffee, a laugh out loud moment, an inspired sunset, etc.
In an active way I engage myself physically whether it’s through yoga, hiking, walking or cycling around town. Getting outside and breathing and moving is a big key for me, but I feel some form of daily exercise, while good for anyone, is crucial for those of us living with Parkinson’s.
5. How do you think sports and teamwork helped prepare you for dealing with Parkinson’s?
Great question. The way I relate my athletic background in dealing with Parkinson’s is to give myself goals that are not unlike what I did when I was competing, but instead of focusing on winning bike races my focus is on enhancing my daily quality of life. That’s the goal; to make today better – and in so doing, I setup tomorrow for success and the day after and so on. With PD, it helps tremendously to be self-sensitive, to have self-awareness, to ask the question: ‘how’s this medicine affecting me?’ for example. Athletes are usually instilled with this awareness, so that’s a plus.
As regards teamwork, we are not living with this disease singularly. There are (hopefully) caregivers around us (spouse, family, therapists, doctors), whom you are reliant on. By doing what you can to help yourself, you set a good example for the team and are in a better position to ‘marshal your forces’! Creating a good team is vital to managing this disease.