Rafting with Max

My Son Max (20)

I went rafting down the Animas River with my son Max this past Sunday. This summer, he is a raft guide in Durango, CO. I drove out for the weekend to see him. We did a few hikes, but my hope was for him to take me down the river - Just the two of us. I got my wish!

As with anything in nature, there is a certain amount of danger involved whitewater rafting. Even though it isn't a particularly dangerous river, as a guide, he is responsible for the safety of everyone in the boat. Also, I am sure he wants everyone to have a fun experience.

He made it very clear prior to getting on the raft that he is the guide, I am the passenger. He told me he will give me instructions on when/how to paddle, and he will pick the routes through the varying flows.

I used to do a lot of canoeing on lakes when I was young. The goal was to go straight and fast. I found out river rafting is much different. He kept telling me to let the river take us down, I don't need to constantly paddle. Every time we hit a section of rapids, he would say things to me like, "get ready, it's going to be tricky here.' This was usually followed by "2 forward strokes", or "1 reverse stroke," or "Stoke Hard!"

At first it would drive me crazy because I wanted go straight and I thought constant paddling was helping. I wanted to insert my "control." He said, "Dad, I got this - just paddle when I tell you and we will have a great run!"

It turned out to be a new opportunity to practice step three from my recovery program.

Step 3- Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.

I turned it over to him as he took control of the boat. Every time he said "Forward 1 stroke" I paddled one stroke. He was eyeing the best routes, taking us through the most exciting rapids and eddies. We slid perfectly between the rocks. It was a rush letting him lead us. He is truly a master of this river.

During the slower sections, we would relax as the current kept us moving downstream. He shared about how much he loves the river and living in Durango. This kid used to be lost. Today, he was in his element with a clear direction of his life. And because I am sober, I get to witness it.

He told me the final section was his favorite. It is more remote and it presents better opportunities to see wildlife. It was a wide section of the river with a lot of rocks.

A great blue heron was perched on one of the rocks. Max told me to watch the bird. It was looking for food down flow of the rock it was perched on. As we got closer to him, I could see him looking for fish. He turned to look at us, and effortlessly flew to the next rock down the river to repeat his quest. We watched him do this 5 or 6 times.

On the final rock, he took off and skimmed along the surface of the water. He dove down. When he came up, he had a fish in his mouth and landed ahead of us on another rock perch. We watched him shake the fish around and swallow down his long neck. While I am sure the people fly fishing nearby were upset at the missed opportunity, we watched with awe.

Not my picture, but you get the idea...

Soon after we came to the take out area where we had parked our car. As we pulled the raft out of the river and loaded it onto the roof of our car, I expressed how much fun this adventure was for me. His smile beamed the expression of pure joy. I'm sure he thought it was going to be just another trip down the river for him. It was an experience we both will treasure.

I wasn't expecting to practice step 3 today. I find when I integrate the steps into my daily life, my days are amazing. I'm sure glad I did, this day was amazing!

#theadventurecontinues #anythingispossible #sober

Leap and the Net will Appear

"What do I fear? I fear stagnation and lack of progress. I fear never reaching my potential and being average. I fear being forgotten...the past...yesterday's news. I fear giving up and being passed by, going softly into that good night. I fear settling, giving into the "that's just the way it is" mindset. I fear dying without leaving my mark. And most of all, I fear NOT feeling these fears anymore..." Author unknown

How did I get to be so old?

When I turned 50 in 2018, I began to consciously reinvent my life. "Act 1" is over, it was time to explore new things for "Act 2."

That year, I sold my dental practice and became an employee. I still loved dentistry, but I didn't love the day-to-day management anymore. I sold it to a small group. We never made a big announcement to our patients about it. The practice philosophy never changed. I enjoyed it more as I only had to concentrate on my dentistry and the relationships with my patients. The bandwidth in my brain was now greater and I found myself constantly daydreaming about what I could do with the second half of my career.

I had been a dentist for 23 years at the time. I had made my mark on the profession of dentistry. I constantly pushed myself to practice at the highest level possible. I was well respected by my peers. I received many accolades and honors over the years for my dedication to both the profession and the community. I gave presentations to my colleagues near and far on well-being and leadership concepts. I taught at University of Michigan and University of Colorado Dental Schools. I was on the board of my local and state dental societies. Most importantly, I cherished the relationships I had with my patients and my team.

With my new-found free time, I pursued some athletic goals I had. I ran a 50 mile trail race in Page, AZ. This was the farthest I had ever run. I entered the race to prove to myself that age is just a number. It was a great day, plus I got to experience running through the desert and be in the beauty of the slot canyons and other spectacular rock formations that area is known for.

Antelope Canyon, Page, AZ

Horseshoe Bend, Page, AZ

That October, I was offered an entry into the Ironman World Championships through a charity slot with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I raced in honor of my mom who died of leukemia the previous year. I raised almost $70,000 and completed an event that I never thought possible for me.

Finish line- Ironman World Championship, Kona, HI

Soon after the Ironman, I was elected to serve on the American Dental Association's Board of Trustees representing 7 states in the southwest (including Hawaii). I am honored to now have the opportunity to serve my profession at the highest level.

Just after being elected by my colleagues to be the 14th District Trustee to the American Dental Association representing CO, WY, UT, NV, NM, HI and AZ.

And most importantly, On October 21, 2018, I reached 20 years of sobriety. My recovery is the key that has opened up the windows to every opportunity in my life.

My 20 year sobriety token

The reinvention had begun. Four items checked off my bucket list. However, something was missing.

This may sound crazy, stupid, and borderline insane, but I plan to make a bigger impact in the second half my career. To do this, I will be leaving the practice I created 17 years ago.

I am someone who is not satisfied with the status quo. My career has seen me on a unique trajectory. I have experience and talents in a variety of platforms both within and outside of dentistry.

It is time for me to explore some of these further. Today, I still feel young. I still want to be on the uphill slope of my growth. I know that I have more to accomplish and the energy to make it happen.

This calling isn't impulsive. Though I had dreams of doing something different for many years, I can identify that a seed began to take root within me in 2015 when I was President of the Colorado Dental Association. During those years on the board, I was a key contributor to several legislative initiatives in Colorado and the US. I learned that our legislators relied on professional experts (such as me) to create sensible laws. I even considered running for the Colorado State Assembly in 2015.

I spent many hours staring at my vision board that I keep on my desk.  So many phrases constantly jumped out at me. The universe was telling me to follow my heart; go after your dreams. 

Vision Board on my desk

"There's no stop in you. Doing a world of good. Change your thoughts and you'll change the world. Unstoppable. Go big or go home. Life isn't about waiting out the storm, It's about learning to dance in the rain. Up for anything. The Power of prayer
I will change the world."

It has become evident to me that I need to go all in. 

Many years ago, I was challenged by a mentor of mine to grow a certain aspect of my practice.  He pointed out that I was just dipping my toes in the pool, If I wanted to truly grow, I needed to fully jump in.  I followed his advice.  He had done it, I could too.  Of course I grew, but only because I went all in. I have done this many times since. I have never regretted going all in.   

It is time to go all in again. I am going back to school!  I have enrolled in a Master's program in health care policy and regulatory leadership at the University of Denver.  I don't know how this will go or what I will do with this degree. I have faith that everything will work out in the end as long as I continue to moving forward.

I still plan to practice dentistry here in Colorado. I cherish the relationships I have buillt with my patients. I loved the challenge of partnering with you to help you achieve ideal oral and overall health. However, my future will not be with TCDO. Thanks to all my patients for the honor of serving you over the years. I hope our paths cross in the future. I wish the office of TCDO and especially my team the best and will always hold them in the highest regard. 

Also, I still plan to represent the 14th District as our Trustee to the American Dental Association.  I consider being entrusted to serve in this capacity as the highest honor in dentistry. I will continue to execute my duties with courage, passion and creativity to help push the organization forward in a big way.  I am ultra passionate about helping to create dentistry's future.  Now with the pandemic, I am even more excited to help set policies and guidelines to ensure a safe and fulfilling work environment. 

I heard this phrase on a podcast recently, "Take the leap and the net will appear." 

Leaping into the unknown...I will continue to soar until the net appears!

Road to the unknown, Mt. Crested Butte, CO

The fear inspires me into action.
Thank you to everyone who supports me in Act 2!

#theadventurecontinues
#anythingispossible
#sober
#faith

Please leave a comment to wish me well or tell me I'm nuts!

Ironman Tulsa 2021

 There's nothing like crossing the finish line at an Ironman. Being unable to carry on a conversation during the 2.4 mile swim or the 112 mile bike, you spend a lot of time in your head. If your head space isn't right, it could turn into a long day.

For me, Ironman Tulsa was a constant battle in between my ears as I moved along in the race. There were times sublime when I shed tears of gratitude recognizing all the gifts in my life. This was balanced against dark times where I had to get into a meditative focus to just move forward one more step, one more aid station, and even one more mile.

Looking forward at the beginning of the run, I couldn't fathom running a full marathon. But I could run 1 mile. So I did. Then I ran another. Then another. Along the run, I probably wasn't the most talkative at this race as I was suffering and needed to focus A LOT!

Thank you to all the fellow runners out there who lifted me up, ran with me and encouraged me to join them in conversation. Thank you to the amazing crowd that lined the course all day cheering us on. Thank you to the amazing volunteers that made sure that my every need was met throughout the day.

So as the run portion brought us back into town, the energy shifted and became palpable. A magnetic pull to the finish. The density of the crowd started to increase. The words of encouragement shifted to sentiments of

congratulations

for your accomplishment. The decibels increased.

The final right turn, a blinding light smacked my face. Hundreds lined the barriers. Dozens of high fives with the spectators- especially the kids whose focused mission that day was to not miss a single runner.

I heard the legendary Voice of Ironman, Mike Riley ahead. My smile grew, my skin started to get goosebumps. I entered the finishers chute and ran towards him as he announced, "Number 594 from Denver, Colorado, Brett Kessler- YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!!" He had his fist out and we exchanged one final fist bump.

When I saw the fist bump picture, I thought of one thing, Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam". First, I thought it was a hilarious comparison. Then, as I thought about it, there's some deeper meaning there.

My interpretation of the painting is that God is reaching with a sense of determination to touch a non-chalant Adam- a metaphor of human ego edging out the spirit. I'm not a very religious person, but I do believe in a higher power and strive to get my inspiration from that source. Often, I become non-chalant towards my higher power and my ego runs the show.

Not today, and especially, not at this moment. I strongly felt the gifts of his presence in my life as I reached for one of my heroes in the Ironman world. A moment I'll never forget.

Pushing myself through challenges such as the Ironman never fails as an opportunity to explore myself at a deeper level. There's still lots to explore! Thanks for joining along for the adventure.

#theadventurecontinues #anythingispossible #sober #ADAtrustee #UltrAspire #inspiredbyathletes #inknburnambassador #ironmantulsa

Drawing from the Courage of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Early evening April 4

A shot rings out in a Memphis sky

Free at last

Theytook your life

They could not take your pride

U2- "Pride"

Dr. Martin Luther King was shot on this day, April 4, in 1968 as he exited his room at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, TN

His "I have a dream" speech inspired hope into millions in 1964, and continues to inspire generations/populations near and far today. It peacefully challenged the culture to live up to the ideals that were spelled out in our Constitution.

He was the ultimate disruptor in that turbulent period of time. His words resonated with so

Every time I visit Washington DC, a magnetic force draws me to the step where he put it all out there.

I stand on that step and contemplate the question, "What is my purpose?" It is an opportunity to reset my trajectory from autopilot to one of intention.

Living with intention is a courageous path. The path is filled with ups and downs, setbacks and victories, challenges and times of ease.

I regularly struggle with fear and faith as I trudge my path. Faithfully, I continue to move forward and gather help/supporters along the way who help me stay focused.

Churchill said, “To each, there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents."

I don't always know I'm being tapped on the shoulder to do a special thing. I set myself up every day to be ready when the tap comes. When I look back, I see that so many of my actions/accomplishments were of significance, though I may not have noticed it at the time.

Just like Dr. King, the path I'm on may not be popular. It may create strife along the way. If I know that I am being true to myself, I press forward. I am constantly checking in on my purpose.

Even though I only visit the MLK step sporatically, through mindfulness practices, I can find inspiration of equal merit anywhere I am. If I am having trouble, I just remind myself of this image~!