Neuroplasticity and Recovery: How Life’s Loops Shape Growth and Transformation

“The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change.” — Unknown

“Why run that far when you have a perfectly reliable car?”

Back in my marathon days, this rhetorical question was something I heard more times than I can count. People just couldn’t understand why anyone would choose to run long distances when a car could do the same job faster and without the “pain.”

The other day, I went out for a “long run”—not quite a marathon, but long enough to remind me of the countless hours I spent training in the past. As I ran, I found myself alone with nothing but the rhythmic sound of my footsteps, the birds chirping in the background, and my thoughts. For many, this could be described as “torture,” but for me, it’s one I thoroughly enjoy.

My favorite route involves short loops, repeated several times. That might drive most of my running friends mad, but there’s something about passing the same point again and again that I truly enjoy. 

Contrary to what you might think, every loop isn’t the same. The light shifts as the sun climbs over the horizon. The dogs and their attached humans change. But more than that, I “change”. I’m less stiff, more fluid, and with each new loop, I feel a little stronger as it marks another milestone from the starting line. Confidence builds as I see the mile count increase. 

Yet, during this run, I also understood why some might hate this kind of route—and why, instead of embracing the challenge, they might opt for the car.

Running in circles, always returning to the same spot, can feel like a frustrating exercise if you’re trying to get somewhere specific. It’s easy to see why it might be viewed as a pointless endeavor. At best, it can feel discouraging. At worst, most would choose to quit altogether.

No adventure.
No purpose.
No change of scenery.
Just a string of loops, going nowhere.

But is it really going nowhere?
I might argue the contrary.

In life and in neurologic rehab, much like in running, the loops we experience aren’t meant to take us somewhere new every time. They’re not about arriving at a new destination. Instead, they’re about the process—about who we become with each repetition. The adventure of life isn’t always about moving forward to something new. Sometimes the excitement comes from the unknown that lies ahead. A new loop isn’t just about the seemingly unchanged scenery; it’s about the excited expectation of what you will see, taste, touch, or think that might be different—maybe even better.

The purpose of life isn’t always to achieve the destination; it’s to grow in the spaces between. It’s about taking our past experiences and using them to adorn the next chapter of life. 

The nature of life IS change—and sometimes, the most profound changes happen not when we arrive, but when we show up again and again, in the same place, with new eyes and a renewed heart.

So, just like my favorite running loop(s), neurologic recovery is not much different.
You might feel like you’re progress is slowed to a standstill. Maybe you even find yourself back atstarting line, unsure of what’s next. But here’s the thing: that feeling of “endless loops” isn’t a “problem to be solved”—it’s part of the process.

It isn’t about moving quickly from one place to the next. It’s about taking the time to embrace the rhythm, the journey, and the changes that come with it.

Here’s the reality…
Recovery isn’t linear. It doesn’t move in a straight line from point A to B. Sometimes it spirals, sometimes it loops back. And sometimes, it’s in those moments of uncertainty and “overwhelm”—the feeling that things aren’t moving at the pace you had planned or on the route that is “most exciting”—that true transformation begins to take shape.

That said, maybe, just maybe, it isn’t about modifying the original route (ie: plan); it’s about experiencing the “loop” differently. Seeing things differently. It’s about showing up for yourself, day after day, even when you don’t feel like you’re making visible progress. The small shifts you make, the questions you ask yourself, the way you choose to respond to challenges—that’s where the magic happens.

So, today, take a moment. Reflect on how far you’ve come, even if it doesn’t feel like enough. The effort you’re putting in now is building the foundation for tomorrow’s “wins.” And sometimes, just showing up and putting the previous loop behind you and anticipating the excitement of repeating the same loop from a different angle can shift everything.

After all, the adventure is in the learning, the growth is in the showing up, and the change is happening within you, even if it isn’t always obvious.

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