“We like to think of life as a wonderful adventure that you need to train for to fully appreciate all of its beauty and opportunity.” – James O’Keefe, MD
We all want our stories to be magical. Long happy lives, leaving a personal footprint that makes the world a better place.
We want to live a true-life adventure sizzling like a fuse burning towards dynamite—not the disappointing existence that suffers the unreality of a pixie-dust-fairy-tale fantasy. One thing we know for sure, you are the author of your own story. You determine the plot, the build-up and the climax.
The critical ingredient determining whether you have the right stuff is how you take care of your most precious resource: yourself. Your energy…your mind, body and spirit.
How well you do this, and how successful you are at being intentional about it, goes a long way in determining whether you lasso the adventure you dream of or get stuck in the mirage of a fairy tale. If you don’t take care of yourself, life-fatigue can come down on you like a sledgehammer on an acorn. A lack of dynamic health can have the outcome of a purpose half-lived—and much less than half of what you wanted, expected, and is available to you.
We’re not talking here about being healthy as just whether or not you are sick. You need more than ‘not sick” if you are going to live the life that you intend to. We’re talking about health as a dynamic energy exploding into the challenges of life. You need that. You also determine if it is so.
As a pointed example screaming the importance of health to potential, production and productivity take a look at corporate America. The smart organizations that realize their very existence is on the line have invested big in employee health. Why? Because they care? Maybe. More likely because they want to survive.
Corporate America has finally discovered and has measured the cost of bad health. According to the World Health Organization, the cost of stress to American businesses is as high as $300 billion each year. This has huge consequences that show up as high blood pressure, afflicting nearly 70 million Americans at a cost $130 billion stolen from the profit coffer. Or diabetes, an inhibitor that 25 million Americans suffer through, primarily because of self-inflicted obesity. Or —the real cost above and beyond the suffering and dollars— the lost creativity and diminished performance and productivity.
Okay, that’s corporate America. They have realized what less-than-optimal-health means to their bottom line. But what about you. What does less than optimal health mean to your dreams and aspirations. What about your bottom line. What about your footprint and legacy…and obligation to purpose.
Human beings are designed to pulse rhythmically between spending and renewing energy. That’s how we operate at our best. Maintaining the needed reservoir of energy—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually—requires care, refueling and development.
Habits. You must be habitually prioritizing the things that will put you in the position to be the best you can be. These habits aren’t just good ideas…platitudes and fuzzy niceties. These are required—if you want to be your best.
You need to plan, embrace and become intentional about who and what you are. Then you can be ready for opportunity…fit to respond…capable to invest and spend yourself.
A great exercise is to take some time to evaluate who you want to be and if your are building, bolstering and fortifying your resources…physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual resources…to live that magical story that you were born to.
Listed below are what some would say are mandatory behaviors. These are behaviors that have been identified as those that you must commit to habit if you are serious about developing and maintaining your most precious resource:
Exercise (thirty to sixty minutes everyday—a minimum of two cardiovascular workouts and two strength training sessions per week)
Move during waking hours (small movements of the hands, feet and arms every 30 to 40 minutes, and large movements such as walking and climbing stairs every 90 to 120 minutes)
Eat breakfast (including a protein source, within 1 hour of waking up
Eat good food and healthy beverages (only until you are 80% full then stop—eat natural foods & lean protein, only allow yourself to eat foods that your body can use for fuel)
Never go more than 4 hours without eating and try to eat lightly every 2-3 hours
Drink water every 30 to 60 minutes
Know your numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and blood sugar)
Get fresh air daily
Take time for quiet reflection (daily prayer, meditation, yoga, relaxation breathing)
Get enough sleep (at least 7 to 8.5 hours nightly—consistently at the same time)
Create a daily time for gratitude and positivity
Avoid tobacco (always)
Make meaningful connections with meaningful people