There's a poem by Charles Bukowski called "Rolling the Dice." I first read this back in the day-day and honestly forgot about it. But here it is—showing back up right in the middle of this life transformation I'm going through 🔄 Funny how that works, right? The things we need have a way of finding us again when we're ready to actually hear them. This poem hits different now. It's raw. It's uncomfortable. And it's exactly the reminder I needed about what it means to fully commit to something—not halfway, not when it's convenient, but all the way 💯 I wanted to share this with you all and see if it resonates with anyone else here 🤔 Rolling the Dice - Charles Bukowski If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start. If you're going to try, go all the way. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, jobs and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision, mockery, isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you’ll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you’re going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. DO IT. DO IT. DO IT. All the way You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is. Do any of you have a quote, poem, or piece of writing that keeps circling back into your life at just the right moment? Something that finds you when you need it most? Drop it below 👇 I'd love to hear what's been speaking to you lately.

Why It Matters for Healing and Injury Recovery: There's a moment in recovery—sometimes in the quiet of early morning, sometimes during a particularly difficult PT session—when you realize that the weight you've been carrying has shifted. Not disappeared, but shifted. Often, that shift begins with something deceptively simple: noticing what's good. What Gratitude Really Is: Gratitude isn't about pretending everything is fine when it isn't. It's not toxic positivity dressed up in inspirational quotes. At its core, gratitude is the practice of intentional attention—choosing to notice what sustains you, even when your body feels broken. When we're in the thick of physical pain—recovering from surgery, working through a sports injury, rebuilding after an accident—our minds naturally fixate on what's wrong. This isn't a character flaw. It's survival wiring. The brain is designed to scan for threats, to remember danger, to prepare for the next setback. Gratitude practice gently interrupts this pattern. It doesn't silence the alarm system; it simply reminds us that the alarm isn't the whole story. Finding light even in the midst of difficulty The Science Behind the Practice: Research has shown that consistent gratitude practice physically changes the brain. It strengthens neural pathways associated with dopamine and serotonin—the same neurotransmitters that influence our experience of pain. People who maintain gratitude practices report better sleep, reduced inflammation, stronger immune function, and greater resilience in the face of physical setbacks. For those recovering from injury, this matters deeply. Pain perception is not purely physical—it's mediated by our mental state, our stress levels, our sense of hope or hopelessness. Gratitude doesn't eliminate pain, but it can change our relationship to it. It can widen the aperture, so that pain becomes one part of the experience rather than the entire frame. Gratitude in Physical Recovery: Anyone who has been through serious injury recovery knows the particular frustration of a body that won't cooperate. The exercises that feel impossible. The progress that feels invisible. The gap between where you are and where you were. In these moments, gratitude can feel almost offensive—like asking someone to appreciate the view from a cliff they didn't choose to climb.