Originally posted on Facebook HERE
I’m not feeling so great today. Didn’t feel well yesterday, either. Last couple months I’ve been sick more than I can remember for a long, long time. And today I’m thinking about how much being sick can do with what our mindset is. My “normal” mindset is that I never get sick. People all around me can be sick, but I’m not catching it - because I never get sick. And sometimes I think our mindsets can totally create our realities. When I got on that super health kick during COVID - I was running 2 miles every day and doing yoga every day - my mind wouldn’t even consider the possibility of me ever getting sick. I was healthy and strong and I never got sick. So, what happened? First of all, sometimes you get sick no matter what your mindset is. And in the past, when I did get sick my normal mindset becomes “I’m going to get well extremely quickly”. Then I do. But this year, when we were leaving for Hawaii and there were a lot of people who were obviously sick on the first flight - enough for me to say to my wife “this is probably the unhealthiest flight we’ve ever taken”… in the back of my mind a small voice said “you’re going to get sick”. And I did. I had been running at an unhealthy pace - not working out like I should, not eating like I should, certainly not sleeping enough, either. So that created a chink in my “I’m healthy and never get sick” mindset. That’s all illness needs. This week, both of us were in contact with people who were sick. And, again - in the back of my mind, instead of being totally confident I wasn’t going to catch anything - I’m thinking “here we go again - around sick people, and I’m not taking care of myself. I’m gonna get sick”. And… I got sick. But sickness can be a tool, too. A tool to let us know we need to make health a priority. I’ve been saying this to myself for months now - I’m running too tight, too stressful, not enough workouts, meditation, or sleep”… but illness brings it home. So today I thank the illness that is already on its way out for hammering home what I knew, but wasn’t truly internalizing - staying physically fit is important. And it needs to move up on my “ladder of importance”, too. NOW. I wish you all a healthy and prosperous holiday season and new year. Maybe take a look at where you’re putting your physical health in the hierarchy of your own life, and make a change if necessary. The healthier we are physically, the healthier we are in everything we do.
