Ingredient Towards Success
The word kyphosis, from an orthopedic surgeon, terrified me. The thoughts of surgeries and rehab procedures only served to further this growing fear. But now, I had a diagnosis to explain what had led to the deterioration of my strength and abilities to perform daily routines. Kyphosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine that developed through the growth of my teen years. It led to an unnatural body shape, excess fatigue, diminished physical strength, and other physical limitations. My own understanding of self was skewed, as I doubted my own physical abilities and weight gain that lowered my self-esteem. The constant teasing from friends and family about my chubbiness and my increasingly hunched spine only furthered this.
Understanding the diagnosis was the first step in understanding in my road to dealing with correcting my situation. Physical therapy created a desire to improve the strength and endurance to overcome the detrimental effects of kyphosis on my body. Physical therapy was a temporary step towards the correction of my spine. I came to understand that the ultimate motivation had to come from me. Setting my goals and creating a regimented exercise program continued this process. Flipping the mockery of my cousins to a support mechanism, using them as a means of competition to further motivate me in my workouts. Eventually converting them into partners in my exercise regime. Success is a process that involved incremental changes that eventually saw significant adaptations in my body structure and my physical strength.
Finding the right motivation to successfu...
