As I celebrate my 43rd birthday, it’s a time of great reflection. The theme of this year continued to be "The Year of The Opposite.” It’s a good time to look back and reflect on what went well and what didn’t. Health Triumphs The year started with a momentous occasion: running my first half-marathon distance on my 42nd birthday in Las Vegas. As the year unfolded, my health milestones were significant. In September 2022, my risk of dying from a cardiac event in the next 10 years showed a dramatic drop from 16% to 2%. Even my doctors were amazed; in that same month, they stopped all my medications and my medical conditions had been resolved! This was one of the proudest days of my life. Year Of The Opposite - Travis Stoliker's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Continuing my health journey, I achieved a new low weight 177 lbs and raised my VO2 Max from "Below Average" to "High." One study suggests that this cut my risk of dying at any time in half! (Reduction in All Cause Mortality.) With a commitment to running, I logged 1,000 miles in 365 days, and I achieved a sub-7-minute mile along the way. I couldn’t have imagined this a year ago when I was incapable of running a short distance around the block. Daring Feats My "Opposite Challenges" ranged from physically demanding feats to mind testing experiences. Running continued to be my favorite work out activity. I ran 1 mile backwards, which is way harder than I expected and also incredibly good for your knees. I tackled a 2,000,000 Scoville hot wing by completing the Hot Ones Challenge. I taught myself how to hold my breath for 2 minutes and 44 seconds and I broke my personal record in the 41 degree cold plunge by being able to stay submerged up to my neck for 14 minutes. Cold plunging is one of the best feelings that I have found in the world. I LOVE it! I will be writing a full post about it soon. Professional Achievements In the professional sphere, Saddleback BBQ, the restaurant I co-own, received the Michigan 50 Small Businesses To Watch Award which is the most prestigious business award in State. We also accepted the “Certificate of Pure Achievement” from the state of Michigan and we were also honored as the Greater Lansing Business Of The Year. These accolades weren't without their challenges, though. Our Pizza place on Pennsylvania had the front window smashed and the cash register stolen and a brazen robbery where our mobile pizza oven was stolen from our west side location. Luckily, we were able to recover the pizza oven in another city 50 miles away. Community Involvement Community involvement is very important to me so I volunteered for new positions to serve. I joined the Community Board of Ele’s Place which is an incredible non-profit that helps children that are dealing with the death of a parent. My 5 year old, Lane, started Kindergarten this year and I was appointed to Trustee of the Haslett School Board. Which also led to my first time expelling a student… not fun. I will be sharing more about my experience on the school board in a post soon. Personal Growth and Skills On a personal growth front, I got a Concealed Carry Pistol Permit, learned how to make donuts at Sprinkles Donuts, and even tried my hand at walleye fishing. All of these activities might seem disparate, but they're united in the fact that I would have never done these before my year of the opposite. They were pushing me out of my comfort zone and I was challenging myself. It also led me to meet new people and get a better respect for the views of others. Coping and Self-Improvement This year wasn't without its emotional challenges. As you may recall, every night I rate myself on a scale from -2 to +2. +2 representing an amazingly awesome day. -2 representing an awful terrible day. Luckily, last year I was able to turn my mood around quickly after my friends passi