Go Back To Move Forward (The Friday Ficks S5 E42)

I recently unearthed a time capsule - an inside peek into my own 9-year-old view of life, captured more than 50 years ago.

Written in longhand cursive on lined white paper and stapled to a piece of red construction paper, it had faded with time but not lost its charm.

The assignment? Classic 4th grade fare: “Write a few particulars about yourself.”

So I did. “I am 4 feet and 10 inches tall. I weigh 90 pounds...I have a few freckles. I don’t have big ears. My nose is not big. I am not boney...I have a good personality...I don’t like to wash my face in the morning.”

Enlightening? Maybe. Life-changing? Not exactly.

Until I got to the last paragraph: “My hobbies are playing baseball and riding my bike. The most important thing in my life is playing sports...”

That fascinated me.

Time magazine once shared research showing that people who play a sport when they’re young are more likely to stay active and healthy as they age. Find something you love early - and keep at it - and it just might carry you through your 70s, 80s, and beyond.

For me, baseball ended at 18. But biking? That passion never left. It’s kept me healthy, grounded, and grateful all these years later.

That little time capsule reminded me that at my core, not much has changed - and that’s something to celebrate.

So here’s my challenge for you: What did you love to do when you were 9 that you would love to bring back into your life?

Revisit it. Rediscover it. Reignite it. You might just find a part of yourself that’s been waiting to ride again.

Go back to move forward.

Own the day. Own the weekend.

Carl