Devin Fowler
Staff Reporter
“Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.” – Denis Waitley
We are not healthy people; we are fueled by greed, gluttony, lust and other sinful desires. If it is not the junk food, it is the drugs, the alcohol, the tobacco, the unhindered sex, etc. In our current state, few of us will live past fifty, the healthcare costs will go up and those that do survive will foot the bill. Some selfish individuals ask “Why would I go through the trouble of staying healthy when it does not make me happy?” Newsflash, it is not about living longer, it is about having more time to experience the joys of life- not to indulge in temporary bursts of dopamine. If you want to be truly healthy and happy I suggest you listen to the following advice, it just might save your life.
Put down the bottle, the cigarette or whatever addicting vice you have, it is time to begin a phase of self-destruction- that is destroying your old self and building upon the ruins. If need be, check into rehab or attend an anonymous meeting. This is day one of the rest of your life. Do not look at your vice, do not talk about it, do not even think of it. Lock it in a safe if you have to or burn it if you can, just make sure not to fall back in. For the next month you will wean yourself from that vice like an infant from its mother’s milk. Self-improvement comes later as you cannot improve what is already bad, only you can destroy it.
After the month is over, the first step is training the body, for if you want to be free of the desires of the flesh then you must improve that first. Start exercising; if you are overweight then do it to lose weight, if you are skinny then do it to build muscle. Eat healthier as well; ditch the junk food in favor of more proteins, grains and vegetables. Do this for however long it takes to reach your peak. The goal is to transform yourself from a sumo wrestler or twig to enough muscle to tighten your clothes, this will take awhile so do not expect immediate results.
After you have reached this goal it is time for phase two: the training of the mind- for if your mind is strong your body will stay strong. Make time for learning new things, read some books on subjects that matter, go to a museum or an art gallery, watch a documentary or two. Learning a new language is a must, as that will fuel your desire and capacity for learning. You will have reached your peak when others around you begin to see you as “the smart one” and go to you routinely for advice. Do NOT let your newfound knowledge get to your head- arrogance will undo all the hard work you have put into yourself.
The final step is training of the soul. This is the trickier step but it will solidify the new you. For soul training, I suggest you adopt a religion, however, if you are atheist or agnostic then learn about world religions so that you can see belief pragmatically. Adopting an animal also helps as it trains you to care about something other than yourself in a way you have never known. Also, do some volunteer work; it may be hard work for no pay at all, but knowing you are doing the right thing is nourishing for the soul. The final step of soul training is to find your soulmate. With the amount of investment into your body and mind- you should be damn near irresistible. After three years of dating it is time for the final quest. Once the ring slips on the finger and the vows are said- your journey is complete. Your only goal now is to maintain that lifestyle by staying in shape, staying updated and staying in love- you owe this to yourself. All that remains now is your obligation; aiding others on their journey to living their best life should they want to. I cannot force you to heed this advice, but if you do not, then the hole will keep getting deeper until it becomes your tomb.
Image Credit: Wix.com
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