Count Your Blessings!

By: Dr. Michael S. Edwards, PT, DPT

As I’m writing this, I currently am sitting on a plane headed south, not for the winter though, but rather to North Carolina to see my family.

I’m currently listening to “I’m Coming Home” by Skylar Diggs to set the mood. This song always makes me think of LeBron James returning back to Cleveland in 2014 where he soon brought them a long-awaited championship in 2016, snapping a 52-year drought. Regardless of whether you are a LeBron, NBA, or basketball fan or not, watch this video and if you’re anything like me… be ready for them goosebumps!

I’m from a small town in eastern NC called Murfreesboro. It’s about 10 minutes from the Virginia line, a little over an hour to Virginia Beach, and a couple hours away from the Outer Banks. Our claim to fame? The birthplace of Richard Gatling who founded the Gatling gun which was the first rapid firing gun and paved the way for the modern-day machine gun. We are also known for NBA basketball player, and coach, Nate McMillan who attended Chowan University, my undergraduate alma mater, and went on to play for the Seattle SuperSonics and has a decorated coaching career to include the Seattle SuperSonics, Portland Trailblazers, Indiana Pacers, and now the Atlanta Hawks.

I went to Campbell University for PT school which is just south of Raleigh, NC (the capital) and from there moved to Greenville, NC where I worked for almost 5.5 years. While there I met the person that would change my life forever, my wife.

My wife is in the news industry and if anyone knows the news industry it’s not an easy one. The 2:00 AM alarm clock, working holidays, constantly jumping market sizes and, unfortunately, being the sounding board to people’s opinions are things that I quickly learned were par for the course.

It was in April of this year that my wife, who is from Rhode Island, and I decided that we would end both of our jobs and each pursue our “DreamBig” with 100% support for the other. So, what’d we do!? We moved to Rhode Island!

There’s no place like home, no matter where you’re from, but I have a new home now! I’m a wicked proud Rhode Islandaaaah, but I will never forget from where I came. That’s one thing my family always instilled in me.

I never thought that I would marry someone from Rhode Island, move to Rhode Island, nor start a business in Rhode Island. Well, here I am and here we are!!

I say all that to say this. I’m beyond blessed and I can’t emphasize that enough! I’m just a kid from Murfreesboro, NC. Going back to LeBron James for a moment, I often think of this moment when he says “I’m LeBron James, from Akron, Ohio. I’m not even supposed to be here. I’m blessed” in response to being asked how he handles all the outside criticism.

No matter where you are at in life, always remember from where you came from and how you got to where you are now. Be thankful and stay humble!

So, as we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to say how thankful I am for the people that have supported me to get to this point in my life as well as to the Rhode Island community for welcoming me and my southern accent, especially the golf community.

The mission of Shore Golf Performance & Physical Therapy is to:

“Inspire and influence golfers and the community to perform for a greater purpose.”

The vision?

“To impact the golf world mentally, physically, and spiritually.”

I am grateful that I can start a business and create a platform that gives me the opportunity to truly impact the lives of others, not only from a physical standpoint, but mentally and spiritually as well. Life is about relationships and serving others. You’ll hear me say these two things many times.

One of the biggest reasons why Shore Golf Performance & Physical Therapy exists is because I wanted to create a community that was “more than” physical therapy alone. I’ve always had a “more than” mentality and believed that there is a “greater purpose” in life that goes beyond the now. I am the best version of myself when I’m pouring into myself mentally, physically, and spiritually and I want that for the people I serve.

Yes, I love treating the body, but what I love more is connecting with people on a deeper level thereby allowing me to tap into my core values and greater purpose of:

-       Serving Others

-       Humility

-       Obedience to God and The Golden Rule

-       Relationship Driven

-       Excellence

So, as we approach Thanksgiving this week may we all serve up some humility and count our blessings, pour into our relationships with friends and family (and maybe some gravy), as well as be excellent and obedient feasters by not over-stuffing ourselves!

Until next time, take care, God Bless, and Happy Thanksgiving!!