The Right Environment

I am writing this post to you from the beautiful island of Grand Cayman. The most interesting thing occurred one early morning as I went for a stroll on Seven Mile beach. I passed by the unusual site of a man using a walker on the sand to help him make it to the water. He was an elderly gentleman of about 85 and was in obvious pain as he slowly shuffled toward the ocean. A large red object was tied onto the walker that I did not recognize until a few moments later when the man proceeded into the water. The red object was a buoy and floated to show the location of the walker under the water. The man swam back and forth and did stretching exercises, all while facing the rising sun.

I was happy to see someone enjoying the beauty of the island and thought the ocean must be therapeutic for the man. I continued on my walk for about 15 more minutes, turned around and happened to spot the man coming out of the water. This time, he carried the walker in one hand and did not need to rely on anything to walk back to his car. While he still walked slowly, it was much more brisk than his journey into the ocean. He looked more alive and invigorated!

The lesson I learned is that Grand Cayman and its crystal-clear waters created the right environment for this person. It refreshed and rejuvenated him. Are you in the right environment to feel alive each day? The environment might be the actual address of your residence or even your line of work. Do you thrive in your current environment (job/neighborhood/relationship) or is it time to find your own “fountain of youth” like this man did in the waters of this special island?

MPD: Find the right environment to thrive.