Stop listening to everyone else and go live.
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So many people are looking to experts for this and that, quoting research studies, and saying, “the statistics say blah blah.” It’s fine to understand a baseline of information, but it’s way more important to create your own experiment. It’s time to take everyone else’s advice, yes the experts too, and put it in the recycle bin for the moment. It’s time to create your own experience.
I’m speaking mostly of exercise. We’ve become a society trying to figure out how to exercise less. There are so many workouts that are 30 minutes, 22 minutes, 7 minutes, and now even 1 minute. I’m all about exercise and you should get it in whenever you can, but it’s ridiculous that we’re trying to figure out how to exercise as little as possible! Our priorities need to shift. In his latest book, GO WILD, John Ratey writes about ‘wilding ourselves’ and biophilia, the idea that we humans thrive better when we spend time in nature. I couldn’t agree more. I always feel better when I finish my trail runs or during my hikes with my wife.
It blows my mind that people are trying to figure out the least they can do to stay healthy. I’m trying to guarantee myself a life well-lived. That’s it, it’s very simple. I also know that there is so much research about the benefits of exercise, eating right, being in nature, sleeping well, etc. I don’t understand why we’re all not on the bandwagon of doing as much as we possibly can to make our lives the best that we can. It only makes sense to make the most of our precious time on earth. But maybe I’m crazy.
I do understand, however, that we have certain needs that must be met. But those needs are food, water, and shelter. They are not a bigger house, a better car, or a more expensive education for your kids. I’m way more interested in a simpler life with peace and contentment than I am in more, more, more. It seems to me that the majority of us are seeking to fill a hole inside that is bottomless.
I’ve thought about this for years because I used to fill a similar whole with drugs and alcohol. Thankfully I turned over that leaf and spend my time bettering my life and others. Last year I a ran across the Inca trail in the Andes mountain range. My friend and I did it for fun and as a challenge. It wasn’t a race, it was about challenging ourselves. What is normally a 4 day hike, took us 8 hours. It was hard. We hiked, ran, and stopped to take in some of the spectacular ruins of the Inca civilization. It was a very unique experience and lends itself to a very special and rewarding way of life.
Find something that you enjoy, make a plan, and go after it. It doesn’t have to be super elaborate. It definitely doesn’t have to be super challenging physically, but it does have to be something you have to work toward. Maybe it’s coming up with something that you’re not thinking about right now. Somehow break the chain of the monotony. To use the word of the moment, disrupt yourself. I believe you must use physical fitness as part of your plan. There is nothing like sweating while running, hiking, or biking uphill. And when you finally make it to the top, the reward is priceless.
Stop watching the commercials on tv showing someone else climbing a mountain and go find your own mountain to climb. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” I’m here to help if you need a push. @teddymcdonald