Three things happened this week to make me grateful for the good health that I enjoy. First, I attended a monthly meeting of my local International Coach Federation chapter, the Boulder Coaches Alliance. This is the place where coaches gather to network and learn from each other. It’s also a great way for coaches, used to working over the phone, to see some live faces. The theme of this month’s meeting was Energy–what it’s like when you are in flow, what happens when you are out of the flow, and how do you get it back. During the meeting, we alternated between activities that got us "into our body" with physical movement, including dance, and dialogue in small groups. At the end of the meeting, I asked participants what they had learned about energy during the course of the evening.

One comment in particular caught my attention. A middle aged woman, the sort of person you would expect to prefer a cruise ship vacation over a trek in Tibet, spoke. "I’m grateful for my body. It does what I ask it to do."

We aren’t talking about Ironman triathlete. We’re talking about someone who realizes the significance of being able to move her body on a daily basis and everything works without a glitch.

Yesterday, I met with a colleague who had taken a fall last year and was still using a cane for support. I had not seen her in months and when I asked how the leg was, I could tell she was pissed. Despite physical therapy, time, and nightly applications of some "growth" medicine to promote healing where her body had not done it on her own, she was still limping. Her body was clearly not doing what she was asking it to do.

And then today, another colleague described to me how she had lost mobility after she developed problems with her knees. She also had lost stamina to do the things she wanted to do. She could no longer take the long walks that are so good for mental and physical health. I sensed her yearning to once again be able to move with ease.

We are pretty lucky when our body does what we ask it to do. It’s a good thing when the spaceship launches, does its mission, and comes back to earth. For some, having their body do exactly what they want it to do is as far-reaching as going to the moon and back. I smile now when I realize, "Mission accomplished."