Of My Health and Happiness
Ah, Health.
It is such a simple word yet it encompasses so very much, subject to application in a variety of different contexts. From an emotional state to a fitness level, from your nutritional intake to a form of habits -it’s a set of responsibilities that reaches far into finances, relationships, surroundings, and personal progress. Your health defines a large part of who you are. As my mother would say we humans strive to maintain balance - to be emotionally sound, physically conditioned, mentally focused, and spiritually seeking. I strongly believe the same.
During the previous four years, I was guilty of the complete opposite. Ignoring the utter importance of my own well-being. I had a horrible diet and a massive absence of exercise. Smoking cigarette after cigarette, drinking until I went wild, and all the drug induced late night parties; health certainly wasn’t on the priority list (if I even had a list at all). And no, it didn’t end there. There was also the constant turmoil of a relationship since passed, the blatant disregard of my education, pushing my friends & families’ tolerance to the limits, and giving good jobs the middle finger for no apparent reason. Yes indeed, I was screwing myself along with everyone else. If “unhealth” was a word, I would use it to describe myself back then.
You see, we as a species are about as confusing as it gets. Deep down we know exactly what we are doing at all times -regardless if it is for the good or bad. Often we weigh the pros and cons on something and ask ourselves if the result will benefit or break us. Then we choose accordingly (and usually abruptly). All of us have experienced bittersweet victories and preventable failures. What we solemnly see though, is that our preparation and ability to make the better decision on most situations is largely dependent on our current health. Since these are the backbones that balance us, neglecting the state of your mental, physical, and spiritual health will ultimately lead you down a path much less desirable and much more miserable. It’s hard to truly stay on track and easy to get distracted from it.
All this coming from my own experience, of course. It wasn’t until recently that I took a good, long, and hard look at my own life from an honest perspective. What I found was definitely unsatisfactory and well below my own personal expectations and standards. Disarray, discord, and failure presided well-over my own happiness, health, and success. Stark realizations kicked in with crystal clear clarity. I was sick of being sick and tired. After hitting so many dead ends and feeling so drained, I was bored and almost ashamed of whom I had become. It didn’t even feel like I was myself anymore. I knew then that I was ready to grow up, man up, and move on. And so, I made the full commitment to change and build a better me.
I am still in shock to see how quickly the results begin to show. Your body is an amazing thing, to feel how rapidly it can grow in terms of strength and agility if you push it, how much better it performs when you take care of it. How clear and focused your mind becomes when you lock in a drive and apply yourself devotedly to it, when you start to rid yourself from the things that hold you back. The harmony, peace, confidence, and sharpness that begins to surface within your inner-self is astonishing. It’s actually almost overwhelming. I thought that perhaps the changes I was feeling were only limited to the initial stages of change. I was wrong. They seem to only be accelerating and grow in intensity, it’s like a snow ball effect.
Honestly, I feel great. I wake up every morning looking to the future and feeling absolutely positive about it. Finding myself happier, fitter, and more driven to succeed than ever and thus I am completely sold on this lifestyle (as if a sales pitch was even needed). I’m not quite sure why I waited this long to kick myself into full gear, but I don’t really care anymore because there is no going back for me. The only way for me is now is forward. And damn does that feel fucking good.
Kyle
It is such a simple word yet it encompasses so very much, subject to application in a variety of different contexts. From an emotional state to a fitness level, from your nutritional intake to a form of habits -it’s a set of responsibilities that reaches far into finances, relationships, surroundings, and personal progress. Your health defines a large part of who you are. As my mother would say we humans strive to maintain balance - to be emotionally sound, physically conditioned, mentally focused, and spiritually seeking. I strongly believe the same.
During the previous four years, I was guilty of the complete opposite. Ignoring the utter importance of my own well-being. I had a horrible diet and a massive absence of exercise. Smoking cigarette after cigarette, drinking until I went wild, and all the drug induced late night parties; health certainly wasn’t on the priority list (if I even had a list at all). And no, it didn’t end there. There was also the constant turmoil of a relationship since passed, the blatant disregard of my education, pushing my friends & families’ tolerance to the limits, and giving good jobs the middle finger for no apparent reason. Yes indeed, I was screwing myself along with everyone else. If “unhealth” was a word, I would use it to describe myself back then.
You see, we as a species are about as confusing as it gets. Deep down we know exactly what we are doing at all times -regardless if it is for the good or bad. Often we weigh the pros and cons on something and ask ourselves if the result will benefit or break us. Then we choose accordingly (and usually abruptly). All of us have experienced bittersweet victories and preventable failures. What we solemnly see though, is that our preparation and ability to make the better decision on most situations is largely dependent on our current health. Since these are the backbones that balance us, neglecting the state of your mental, physical, and spiritual health will ultimately lead you down a path much less desirable and much more miserable. It’s hard to truly stay on track and easy to get distracted from it.
All this coming from my own experience, of course. It wasn’t until recently that I took a good, long, and hard look at my own life from an honest perspective. What I found was definitely unsatisfactory and well below my own personal expectations and standards. Disarray, discord, and failure presided well-over my own happiness, health, and success. Stark realizations kicked in with crystal clear clarity. I was sick of being sick and tired. After hitting so many dead ends and feeling so drained, I was bored and almost ashamed of whom I had become. It didn’t even feel like I was myself anymore. I knew then that I was ready to grow up, man up, and move on. And so, I made the full commitment to change and build a better me.
I am still in shock to see how quickly the results begin to show. Your body is an amazing thing, to feel how rapidly it can grow in terms of strength and agility if you push it, how much better it performs when you take care of it. How clear and focused your mind becomes when you lock in a drive and apply yourself devotedly to it, when you start to rid yourself from the things that hold you back. The harmony, peace, confidence, and sharpness that begins to surface within your inner-self is astonishing. It’s actually almost overwhelming. I thought that perhaps the changes I was feeling were only limited to the initial stages of change. I was wrong. They seem to only be accelerating and grow in intensity, it’s like a snow ball effect.
Honestly, I feel great. I wake up every morning looking to the future and feeling absolutely positive about it. Finding myself happier, fitter, and more driven to succeed than ever and thus I am completely sold on this lifestyle (as if a sales pitch was even needed). I’m not quite sure why I waited this long to kick myself into full gear, but I don’t really care anymore because there is no going back for me. The only way for me is now is forward. And damn does that feel fucking good.
Kyle