First, you probably need to know that these are a small handful of the things that Ricardo Lau, our latest guestagrammer at instagram.com/thewellnessalmanac, loves to do: fishing, shredding, mountain biking, shooting.

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Just a few hobbies we've picked up since moving out West. I feel the same adrenaline when I hook a fish as ripping down a mountain. But building, maintaining and shooting firearms, calms the nerves and teaches me to slow down once in awhile. These addictions are a lot more expensive but at least I get to teach and spend it with the family.

A post shared by The Winds Of Change (@thewellnessalmanac) on May 22, 2019 at 11:10am PDT

His images are exuberant, cheeky, and full of amazing light.

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Flipping into the weekend!

A post shared by The Winds Of Change (@thewellnessalmanac) on May 25, 2019 at 12:58pm PDT

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I'm a night owl. I usually spend them by driving around and finding clear skies to take pictures of the stars or finding vantage points of cities/towns. I'm not very good at it but its the serenity I enjoy.

A post shared by The Winds Of Change (@thewellnessalmanac) on May 23, 2019 at 11:01pm PDT

Then, you’ll understand the power of his final confession:

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A year ago, I busted my ankle in the park while skiing and I've been on multiple waitlists to get scans, and to see specialists. It's been rough having to take a winter off. Working was even more difficult with all the hiking and it was starting to affect my mental health. On top of that, the winter blues wasn't helping. I've been second guessing myself on why I'm even out here when I cant experience any of things I enjoy. Finally, for the first time in over a year, my bones are starting to heal and I can feel my ankle getting stronger every day. Wellness to me, means being mentally healthy and having optimism. It can get rough but that's the point. Life ain't easy. How else do you learn and become a better person? Thanks Lisa, and everybody for having me as a guest. Feel free to follow my journey. @cardobear -Ricardo 🐻

A post shared by The Winds Of Change (@thewellnessalmanac) on May 26, 2019 at 5:52pm PDT

Being injured, especially in this community, can really do a number on your mental health.

This community is full of people in various stages of rehab, recovery, brokenness and grief and we need to let each other know it’s safe to not always be “winning” and that even if you’re out of commission or reconfiguring your relationship with your body and your expectations, you still belong here.

Thank you, instagram.com/cardobear, for showing up, sharing your images with us, and sharing some of the other pieces of yourself that are harder to put out there but that might open a doorway for other people to do the same.