A Letter To Saz (What He Taught Me About Being Healthy)

Dear Saz,

It’s been a long time since we got to talk, and there is this one time that I remember vividly:

And it had something to do about your body.

Being Healthy Wasn’t Important For Me.

It was our first activity for work together, some years ago, and it was an activity that forced us to identify, and then choose what were the four things we valued most.

I can’t remember what I picked.

I can’t remember what you picked either, but I’m sure one had something to do with being healthy, physical health, and along with that, appearance.  Or maybe not, memory is fallible.  And by that, I mean, mine.

From all these years of knowing you, one thing I’m sure of, is that they must have been good and meaningful too.

Fast forward how many months, and we were sitting side by side, talking about our lives in general, and what we were doing then.  We also briefly talked about what we used to do and enjoy, but were not able to do anymore.

And I remember, for you, it was physical activity.  Exercise.  Maybe serious, committed, focused exercise.  Kind of the ones you used to do when you were a full-time student-athlete.  Full-time jock.

I remember you saying that your physical health was important to you, and you wanted to do things you used to do easily, as well as the great feeling that comes being in shape, and how good your health would be.  That and how good you’d get to look as well.

I told you that was nice, and that it wasn’t for me.

I thought to myself then: that physical fitness, being in top shape, and having a good-looking body just wasn’t for me.  That there were more important things on my plate.

That it was nice to be healthy, but I didn’t have to work at it, and I didn’t want to.  I didn’t see the point in being healthy and in tiptop shape since I wasn’t engaged in any athletic activity.  I wrote, walked, thought, and talked for a living.  I figured I’d just maintain where I was, and just coast all the way to the end.

I Was Dead Wrong About Being Healthy.

Fast forward to a number of years, and now I’m getting regular exercise in my schedule, and am more attentive now to being healthy.

I thought that even if I didn’t do any exercise, I’d still be ok, and that my body would still function the way it would when I was younger.

But one hard truth I had to confront was: If you don’t use it, you lose it.  And that was what happening to my health, flexibility, strength, and energy.

I became sluggish, weak, and fat.  I found it harder to walk long distances, carry stuff, and even stand for long periods of time.  I even found it harder to interact with people, keeping sustained attention, energy, and focus.

It all came to a head when I injured my lower back.  That was a bummer.

Not being healthy, contributed to a weaker mind.  I wasn’t able to think straight, and kept thinking of the same solutions to the same problems.  Solutions that were not effective, and just plain didn’t work.

Being Healthy Requires Believing In It.

In the same way you believed that being healthy had a ton of benefits to you and your life, I had to believe it too.

I used to believe that being in top shape, and being really, really healthy, was the realm of jocks and physically gifted people such as you.  It turns out I was wrong.

It’s in everyone’s right and capability to be healthy, and to gain and use the benefits that comes with being in shape.

I then had to change.  To start believing that I could do it too, that I can put in the investment and get some return from it.  That being healthy wasn’t a waste of time, and putting in the effort was actually worth it.

Also, I had to first admit that I wanted it.  I wanted to be healthy.

Being Healthy Creates Self-Confidence.

And now, Saz, I get you when you say you want to be healthy and have a good physical appearance.

Because being healthy creates confidence.

Not only can looking a bit better give you a little boost to your ego, but it affects how you move, how you think, and how you interact with others.

Taking the time and effort to invest in yourself regularly creates not only physical strength, ability, and comfort, but mental strength, ability, and comfort as well.

I used to run regularly back when I was studying in college.  That helped me recover from some setbacks I experienced, made me feel stronger and lighter, got me in better shape, and I felt more confidence in me.

And now that I’m recovering from setbacks again, deeper and darker than before, I actually turned to exercise to give me something to do, because I was at my wit’s end.

It ended up not only training my body.  More importantly, it trained my mind and spirit.  To push on through the pain, to keep myself accountable for what I would set out to do.  To finish what I start.

It also felt good to receive a compliment or two.

Being Healthy Improved How I Live My Life.

I’m a self-confessed nerd, and I never was a stellar athlete.  But that’s not going to stop me from improving my life.

The feeling from being able to do 50 push-ups straight, when a few months ago, I could barely do 5 clean ones, was phenomenal.

I also started to watch what I eat, and to make more thoughtful and meaningful choices.  Meaning eating more fruits and vegetables, sleeping earlier, less processed foods, and making time to do exercise.  I was making little choices that lead to big results.

I used exercise and road to being healthy to pull me out of my dark and lost moments, and provide me the energy, strength, will, and focus to keep going forward, even without seeing immediate results.

It’s now easier for me to do what I do best, and at a higher level than before.

Being healthy is a choice.  It’s a commitment.  I see that now, thanks to you.

Thanks Saz.

 

Have you ever thought being healthy was not for you?  Or that it was too hard?  Please share in the comments below!