Guest Blogger: Tim Hague
The following is an excerpt from my book PERSEVERANCE - The Seven Skills You Need To Survive, Thrive And Accomplish More Than You Ever Imagined. I was just forty-six years of age when diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s disease, which soon ended my career as a registered nurse and healthcare professional. Three years later my son and I went on to win the inaugural season of The Amazing Race Canada.
“Perseverance. It’s not always sexy. It’s not often exciting. And it can be lonely. What does it take to keep walking forward despite all the evidence that you’re likely done? What does it take to keep moving when there’s little chance you can improve your position and a likely chance that you’ll be sent home? That day we proved that just showing up and continuing to work hard, regardless of what it looked like, was enough. Tomorrow would be another day.
We also did what we said we were going to do: we had a great time. When people ask what my favorite race destination was, I always put Carcross at the top of the list. We learned to enjoy and have fun with the race. We tackled the day to the best of our ability, and we were exceptionally content with the results.
Talk to me about Parkinson’s. Tell me what I’m not supposed to be able to do. Tell me about all the limitations that will be placed on me and I’ll tell you about a guy who beat Parkinson’s on a snow-covered sand dune in Carcross, Yukon. I’ll fight to prevent this disease from defining me, and I encourage you to live the same way. I can’t get rid of my burden outright, but in Carcross I reminded it that it wasn’t in charge.
As Tim Jr. and I drifted off to sleep that night, we felt relieved that the day had gone as well as it had and excited about starting the next leg. None of the teams knew the misery that awaited.”
Perseverance - it’s more than just ‘don’t give up’, rather, it is a set of skills that can be learned. Published by Penguin Random House Canada PERSEVERANCE goes on sale everywhere May 8, 2018.
Tim Hague is the author of PERSEVERANCE - The Seven Skills You Need To Survive, Thrive And Accomplish More Than You Ever Imagined (Viking: May 15, 2018). A professional speaker, educator and advocate for people suffering from Parkinson’s disease, you can learn more about Tim and his work at www.TimSr.ca.
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