Point to Ponder:
Is there something that you have been putting off that you have been wanting to do?
by Neissa Brown Springmann
Like me, I’m guessing that prior to last Thursday you had never heard of Orville Rogers. It wasn’t until iGnite leader, Alli Phillips, sent our team a video of Orville, at 99 years young man racing and beating his 92 year old competitor in the 60 meter sprint during the Masters Indoor Track Championship that I learned who he was. The now viral video is certainly inspiring, but on Saturday morning, while doing my mundane weekend laundry folding and listening to the national news, I saw an interview with Orville and heard his hardly mundane and impactful story.
In this 3-minute interview, Orville revealed that as a result of reading the book Aerobics by Kenneth Cooper when he was 50-years old, he began running. Incredibly, in the almost 50-years that Orville has been running, he has logged over 42 thousand miles! When asked about his workout routine, he said that 3 times a week he warms up with a lot of stretching and time on the Elliptical machine followed by slowly running 3 miles. Even more impressive are the 2, 100 meter wind sprints that he tops off his 3-miles with. In addition, he strength trains, eats fish and chicken 6 days a week, red meat 1 day, and plenty of colorful fruits and veggies. He also added that he takes a daily multivitamin and gets a physical once per year at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas. When asked what gives him his spiritual edge, he said he believes in God, considers himself blessed and has a wonderful family who he plans to celebrate his 100th birthday on November 28th with after he participates in the Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championship this summer in Baton Rouge. His motto is “You don’t stop running because you get old. You get old because you stop running.”
Every bit of this World War II pilot and world record holder’s story is inspiring, but the part that made the greatest impression on me was that he didn’t begin running until he was 50 years old, which is typically when people end their running routine. In addition, he sees his commitment to his health as a means of honoring his temple so that he can serve to his greatest ability. Furthermore, when he was 90 years old old he went skydiving for the first time and at 93, he went hang-gliding.
Besides the word “stud”, there’s only one other set of words that best describes Orville and that’s a fearless go-getter. That being said, I really wonder which came first–the chicken or the egg? Was Orville born eager and fearless or did his life experiences create a can-do fearlessness spirit in him? Did he become this was after surviving World War II and flying for many years as a commercial pilot? I guess we’ll never know, but I can’t help but think that environment has something to do with it, as his “go for it” attitude was a part of his daily life and it continues to be.
While some fear and hesitation is healthy, by in large, fear really ticks me off because I believe that most of it is bogus, irrational and unfortunately, grows with age. Research from the National Institute of Mental Health found that 60% of the things we fear will never come true; 90% of the things we fear are considered insignificant; and 88% of the things we fear about our health will never happen. As this relates to our daily lives, fear and not being willing to “go for it” single-handedly prevents us from trying new things, creating new relationships, exploring new careers, and therefore living the big and bold life that I believe God created us to live. Ultimately, it undermines faith and puts God in a box.
When making the bold decision to regularly put ourselves our there and go for something we’ve been putting off or have told ourselves we can’t do, it will be deliciously terrifying. However, just as passing up opportunities is addictive, so is going for it and saying “yes”!
No one knows, at least I haven’t found it in an article or heard in an interview, if Orville Rogers was nervous or hesitant to go on his first run. I assume he considered that it would be uncomfortable, probably hurt and he likely would not be able to complete the whole distance. None-the-less, his decision to go for it at 50 years old has now bloomed into him being a 99 year old You Tube sensation who is getting to share his inspiring story on television and on the internet and making the case that no matter how old we are, if we want to do something, we should go for it!
I love sharing my passion for yoga with others because yoga has literally changed my life, and continues to do so. My practice keeps me true to myself and I love that after a decade of teaching, I am still a student dipping my toe into a deep well on knowledge. When I show up on my mat and allow myself to be vulnerable, rather than performance based and trying to “get it right”, I learn how to work through discomfort, frustration, lack of confidence and feeling the need to be in control. I learn to lighten up on myself and go with the flow. When I can deal with these things on the mat, I can deal more effectively with life off the mat.
spirit. I try to strike a balance between fun, creative sequencing and simple, safe alignment. I consider our yoga mats like an adult playground where we can explore fun poses like Eagle, Crow, Flamingo and Camel. The focus of my classes is building core stability and strength, breath and body awareness, proper technique, balance and “getting out of your comfort zone”. You will feel nurtured, safe, and taken care of in my Vinyasa yoga class.
After taking the kids to school, I made a breakfast for my husband (He is joining me on this journey) and me. Eggs, avocado, fresh salsa from Central Market, a slice the 
It was such a beautiful day, so I wanted to get more sunshine. After my last meeting ended at 1:45pm, I enjoyed journaling/reading on our front porch. I loved the quiet time and the heat of the sun on my back. It reminded me to do this more often as it was much easier to think clearly on the porch than being inside looking at the clutter and to-do list. Before I left to pick up the kids from school, I grabbed an apple and almond butter as a snack.
Tips & tricks that have helped me: I can’t handle the taste of apple cider vinegar. I have learned that if I put a couple of teaspoons in cranberry water with lots of ice, I can drink it! I also got this new 
like coffee). My stomach doesn’t appreciate hot lemon water in the morning, so I opt for Dandy each day instead. For breakfast, I made one of my favorite smoothies with coconut water, spinach, banana, frozen blueberries and strawberries, and Hemp protein powder.
Trader Joe’s chopped salad (about 1/2 cup of package, apple cider vinegar, pumpkin seeds and avocado tzaziki dip that my husband had made for the Super Bowl (Reboot and Whole 30 compliant recipe that’s delicious!). I enjoyed a nice walk to the gym for a weight workout and luckily avoided the rain on my walk home.
Later in the day when my kids came home from school and were raiding the pantry and frig for snacks, I enjoyed a few dried dates along with my go-to cleansing juice like “Tigerlilly” at Juiceland: kale, spinach, parsley, celery and cucumber. I usually make a big batch that will last me 2 days. These great juice bottles come from People’s Pharmacy, so I re-use them quite a bit.
degrees went brussel sprouts, onions, asparagus, mushrooms and green beans. It was exactly what I needed! And I drank tons and tons of cranberry cocktail all through the day. When it was time for bed, I felt good about the foods I had eaten during the day. I think I’ll add more protein into my diet tomorrow for more consistent energy. Loved having a light dinner and tea though. Just what my body needed!
This was my first official day to commit myself to the challenge. I started the day with the warm lemon water and Apple Cider Vinegar. It definitely helps get me going without the caffeine. I am enjoying the 
I did feel a slight headache, but as I kept moving and went for a run around Town Lake, the sluggish feeling went away! I was re-energized after the run and was excited to experiment with some new appetizers I was preparing for the Super Bowl game.
My game time meal and appetizers included: Roasted Veggies – These were delicious and a perfect snack! I cut up cauliflower, broccoli, beets, mixed colored carrots, and kale then sprinkled with a little olive oil, salt/pepper, garlic & turmeric. I placed in the oven to roast. Super easy and even my teenage boys were enjoying it! Mushroom caps – stuffed with Italian turkey sausage and sauerkraut. These were simple and delicious baked in the oven – without breading or cheese they were still yummy and satisfying. Raw veggies and olives with Hummus was simple and easy. Last, I made a big pot of homemade tortilla soup – sautéed chicken with onions, garlic, peppers, Rotel, vegetable broth and seasoning. It was warm and tasty! All this made for a Re-boot friendly evening! The only temptation was the brownies a Mom brought over for the boys – difficult to pass on those! It was a fun evening and I was still able to get to bed by 10:30 without checking my emails or social media!
Energy & Mood: Sunday was honestly my first committed day! It was a fun and busy day which helped and I realize how much the exercise helps to relieve missing the caffeine.
About a year ago I began adding a dash of Cayenne pepper for extra cleansing.
an over easy egg for extra protein and fat.
cup of coconut yogurt, raspberries and a gluten free rolled oats.
Hydration: Alkaline Water – I recently learned about the benefits of Alkaline Water so I try to drink this giant bottle as often as possible. Personally, I think what’s most important is to stay hydrated, alkaline water or not.
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