Prioritizing you!
by Dean Growdon
As the years pass, we begin to feel the weight of our choices, routines, and responsibilities, and we start to see how deeply they shape our health and well-being.
Whether we spend our days in a high-stress profession, doing physically demanding work, or sitting beneath fluorescent lights in a cubicle for eight hours, every part of our lives leaves its mark on us: mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Finding time to exercise, care for our bodies, and do the things that renew our spirit is not always easy, but it is essential. For me, the answer has been simple: combine what I need with what I love.
For three decades, I worked in a stressful profession that slowly wore me down. I made time for my family whenever I could, but I rarely carved out time for myself. While I was living it, the constant tension felt normal, almost like background noise. But over time, that pressure began to show up in real health concerns.
In the final years of my career, I saw where I was headed and made a deliberate turn toward a more active life. Cycling, running, and hiking with my wife became priorities, and with each mile and each trail, I began to feel stronger, lighter, and more at peace.
Today, I continue to make those activities part of my life, but whenever I can, I blend them with my love of fly fishing. I might be running the Bizz Johnson Trail while scouting the Susan River for rising fish or hidden honey holes. I might be hiking into remote mountain lakes in search of wild trout, riding my bike along quiet trails to discover a new fishing spot, or spending long, peaceful hours wandering and casting along secluded streams.
These pursuits strengthen my body, clear my mind, and reconnect me with the wild places that feed the soul.
Making time for yourself is not always easy, but I encourage you to find a way, even if it is just one hour a couple of days a week. Take an early morning walk like Jeremy Couso. Enjoy an evening stroll on the Bizz Johnson Trail with your kids. Ride your bike along the river trail, or hike the rolling paths of Susanville Ranch Park.
When the weekend comes, look for a chance to see something new. We are fortunate to live in a place surrounded by open space, quiet trails, mountain water, and endless outdoor possibility.
Adventure is all around us. Take the time to explore it and find a way to pair physical activity with something that brings you joy. Maybe it is photography, birdwatching, or simply sitting beside a stream, watching the water move and admiring the plants and wildlife around you.
Whatever your passion is, make room for it. Chase it while you can and let it bring you back to yourself.
