I guess I could be defined as a health nut. I’ve been called “cra-cra” and a “freak” because of my workout schedule and eating habits. And I don’t have a problem with that. In fact, I wear it as a badge of honor.
I live by a creed that I’ve been given this amazing opportunity and I need to take advantage of this journey. While that means being a good steward of the planet and contributing to the welfare of others, it also means being the best “me” I can be. That includes my mental and spiritual development and working on the stuff on the inside (and how it’s expressed on the outside). It also means optimizing the physical me. I love pushing my body, eating clean, and being a bit (ok, a lot) zealous about my health and fitness.
I’ve witnessed first-hand how our health directly impacts the quality of our lives in dramatic ways. I’ve also seen, as we all have, how people are limited by their unhealthy lifestyles. Whether it’s not having the energy to play ball with their kids, constantly fighting aches and pains or being burdened by prescriptions for maintaining control over cholesterol, diabetes or blood pressure. While I recognize that there are some health issues that we can’t control, I would argue (and the scientific evidence supports this) that 90% or more of what ails us can be controlled.
I’ve been told throughout my life that it must be “easy for me.” And here is where I burst the bubble. I come from what I lovingly call “large stock” not to mention a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and other maladies. In other words, I don’t have genes that are helping me out here. So I have to be extra vigilant.
I know that what I do is MORE than what most would consider rational, normal or practical. I see it a bit differently. I learned a long time ago, like we all have, that there are short-term and long-term benefits and consequences of our actions.
The sad news is that we’ve become a culture of immediate gratification. And we ignore, scoff or underplay the long-term consequences of our actions. Or we rationalize that one good action balances a bad one. In other words, I can order fries at lunch because I had oatmeal for breakfast. Of course, there are countless psychological implications in our choices and our willpower, or lack thereof (some of which I’ve shared in other articles).
But there is a bottom-line here. The energy we put into our health now will impact our future. Every choice we make matters. Emphasis on “every.” So we need to think of our choices in a new way and not go into a default mode of “it’s the holidays” or “it’s the weekend” or “I’ll be better tomorrow.” Those are merely excuses we use to justify our poor choices.
For me, it’s a no-brainer. I’m selfish. I want to enjoy this ride as long as I can. And I can only enjoy it if I have the health, vitality and physical ability to do so. The 90-year old me will be thankful.
