Our days are built on our priorities. What we do first, middle, and last is all chosen based on what’s important to us. Some have very busy, hectic lives, and some say they have no time for certain things.
What they mean is, those certain things are not a priority.
Years ago I read an Oprah interview wherein she talked about working out at 4:00am. I think we can all agree: Oprah’s a busy lady. She could have said, “I don’t have time to exercise” but exercise was important to her. So she made the time.
We can all make a choice like that.
I’ve been fortunate in my life in that I’m generally healthy. I rarely even catch a cold. However, when something is not quite right and I’m not feeling my best, I really notice it, and it makes me ever more diligent about my health.
Health is not merely the absence of disease. Rather, I believe that health is our natural state. It’s what our bodies want, what they are constantly working toward. Healthy is what we would all be if conditions were always perfect.
We don’t have control over all of the circumstances that affect our health, which makes it even more important to choose to take control over the ones we can. We can exercise. We can eat well. We can get enough rest, drink enough water, and avoid as many toxins as we can. I’m sure you’ve heard it before: you can make time for your health now, or someday your body will force you to take time for it.
I don’t believe this time and this self-care needs to be the same for everyone. You need to care about it enough to find what works for you: how much exercise feels right? What kind of exercise do you enjoy? What foods make you feel good? What foods drag you down? How do you like to manage your stress?
For my part, I want to live each day with energy, without fear, and with the knowledge that I am doing the best I can do to maintain my health and support my body as it carries me through the rest of my life.
How do you think about your health? What do you do to care for yourself?