Keith Ahrens

It was 4 years ago, the first week of April 2007, that I had a heart attack.

I met with my primary care doctor today for a routine exam and we chatted about the first time he ever saw me.  I was well over 400 pounds at the time.  I looked 15 years older and I was physically and mentally a complete mess. He commented that it seemed like a lifetime had flashed before his eyes with my on-going transformation.

It was a wonderful visit and the great lab results always make for a pleasant doctors visit.

To be honest, the events of April 2007 seem like a distant blur at times and at others bring me to my knees with how fortunate I was not to have died like so many others.

Any survivor of any chronic disease or catastrophe has probably asked themselves, “Why Me?” I know I certainly have and when I answer this question now I say, “Why Not Me?”

From the time I got out of college in 1985 until a couple years ago I had written a very impressive career resume from running multi-state retail divisions, instructing commercial sales training, teaching aerospace engineering, to work as a finance director.

In the last year and a half I’ve completely rewritten an already jammed resume.  My bio in the last year and a half looks like it took 30 years to create.  I’m as happy and healthy as I’ve ever been and doing exactly what I want to do. The people I meet each day inspire me to do things I’ve known I could do.

I love my life and everyone in it.

I guess my thought is that when you stand at the base of a mountain, the view is completely different from the top.  I hope to reach the top one-day but I’m having a great time in the peaks and valleys.

Climb the mountain before you one step at a time and the rewards for a healthier life will get stronger and better with each step. – Keith

In the past 1-½ years I’ve been able to volunteer a lot.  I’ve worked with several fantastic organizations and each and every project enriched my life.

Volunteering is not only a good thing to do for the people who benefit from your involvement but for you as well.

Volunteering has made me healthier and empowered me in so many ways. I relax when I give back.  Although some of the projects have been quite challenging and seemingly chaotic at times, I can’t relate any of the activities to a higher stress level but exactly the opposite.

I believe that a persons stress level goes way down when they volunteer.

The great thing about being a volunteer is that you get to pick your projects and causes. Lowering your stress level reduces your blood pressure and certainly helps the heart.

Pick a project, a group, a charity or something close to your heart and give back.  It will be the greatest gift you’ve ever given yourself. – Keith

“We become what our mind says we are! For a moment, a day, a week, or a lifetime.” – Keith Ahrens