With major accomplishments and hundreds of miles in the rear-view mirror, the retirement of my old running shoes seemed a good junction to write.
The last year and a half have been a journey. My quest has taken me through an ocean of frustration, contemplation, revelation, and triumph. It has taken me to the depths of exhaustion (and others too), and the elevation of personal accomplishment. The journey has been in most ways more about life than one specific journey or accomplishment.
There is a lot of talk these days about the global obesity epidemic, nutrient deficient food, and genetically and chemically modified agriculture. It’s frustrating to hear so many news stories about how big business is poisoning populations. The fact is, big business isn’t poisoning us, convenience is. Or maybe, it’s just perceived convenience.
In my opinion, being healthy is more about mindfulness than convenience. Choosing healthy unprocessed (and good tasting) food isn’t difficult. In-fact, it’s not any more time-consuming than purchasing unhealthy processed food. Every day I go to the grocery store, bring something from home, or stop at a select few coffee or fast food joints that offer healthy unprocessed alternatives. But the key, is that I have done the research, know the facts, and have educated myself on how to make smart purchasing decisions when it comes to food. The biggest obstacle (and time consumer), is re-learning and replacing old buying habits with new ones.
The same idea extends to exercise too. A friend once told me that saying ‘you don’t have the time’ is not an excuse… at least not a good one. When you think about it, it really makes a lot of sense. We spend so much time every day doing things that waste time. For instance, we probably spend a bit too much time looking at our favorite websites, watching our favorite TV shows, and simply ‘hanging out’. Now of course these things are important for a bit of digital or social stimulation, but in my opinion, should never be a replacement for real world activity. Afterall, you’re saving yourself from a world of discomfort later on in life (joint pain, disease ,etc).
The fact is, weight loss is not an end goal, the end goal is health. Healthy body, healthy mind, and healthy living. If you don’t have your health, other things in life are really much harder to enjoy. I say, focus less on your progress towards a number, and focus more on leading a wholly healthy life. Stop making excuses. You wouldn’t spray chemicals on your food before you eat it, and if you had the choice to die young or be infirmed for years of your retirement, I’m guessing that wouldn’t be a choice you’d make either.
Friends, acquaintances, and strangers have reached out asking for help and inspiration from me as I’ve journeyed. As time allows, I plan to write more to deliver at least a little help to those interested in shifting their life paradigm to a healthier one (techniques, apps that help, dispelling certain myths, etc). While this post is a bit fragmented, expect some laser focused posts on steps YOU can take to make positive changes in your life (with very little effort).
Until next time… be active, be strong, be passionate, be healthy.