Health and Its Absence

Our bodies are strong, capable of doing amazing things. We have two legs that make us able to walk, jog, run, squat, and climb. Our arms can pick up things for us, hug our loved ones, and prepare our food. We each have a pair of eyes, making us able to see all the beauty of the world around us. Our intestine is able to turn food into fuel for our cells. Our brain and senses cooperate to enable us to feel love. Our bodies are also able to heal themselves when necessary. Some things you can see things happening with our bodies, but most of these miracles are hidden under the surface. Sometimes we don’t even realize and appreciate them until they fail us.

Watching an athlete perform may leave you amazed by what our bodies can do. When you imagine the huge physical challenge that women go through during childbirth, you cant help but admire that. Just the simple fact that a human body is able to CREATE a new living body within itself, starting with just a couple simple cells, we can surely call that a miracle. But our bodies are also very fragile and can easily break down when not treated properly.

Scott talks about his health crisis while experiencing kidney failure and his story really makes you think about the value of life, the value of health, and how you can never take anything for granted, because sometimes even though you are sure you are doing nothing wrong with your lifestyle and diet, you just never know what’s coming. The way we treat our bodies, the way we live, eat, and move, has a huge impact on the quality of our health. When we are young, around twenty, we think the world revolves around us; we are the center of the universe, nothing can stop us, we can drink as many vodkas, gobble up as many donuts and smoke as many cigars as we want, because hey, were gonna be old one day so lets enjoy life a little before our hair goes white and our teeth start falling out.

Our bodies are our homes. We ARE our bodies. When our body is hurt, we suffer, both mentally and physically. We cannot separate our bodies from our minds, everything is very tightly interconnected. And the good old my grandpa used to smoke 20 cigars a day and was perfectly fine mantra is not going to protect anyone from the consequences of poor lifestyle decisions. Many people are not able to wrap their heads around this, but what we eat influences not only our physical health, but also our mental state. Drinking coffee might get you energized, but also shaky and distracted. Binging on donuts might bring you into depression or sleepiness after a short feeling of euphoria. It is not just your gut you are hurting, it is your brain too.

We have to realize that the way we act now will influence our well being in the future and if we want our lives to be long, happy, and healthy, we have to make a change RIGHT NOW, because tomorrow might be too late. Of course, one McDonalds cheeseburger will not make you fat, just as one salad wont make you skinny. But its that everyday choice you make that creates the difference between a sick, sad man unable to walk without a cane and a vital fellow hiking the mountains with his grandchildren, both aged sixty five. Scott’s story is very inspiring and makes you wonder: Am I really doing the best I can to live the best quality life I can have and deserve? We should see these stories as wake up calls, reminders of the fragility and value of our health. Its only up to us, whether we want to thrive, or just survive.