For a new plant to grow, the seed must first die and transform into a sprout. This sprout must push through the immense pressures of the soil to reach the ground above and bask in the sun’s warmth. Just like the seed must die to live as a new plant, we must die to certain habits to lose weight and progress in life. We must prepare for war.
Struggles Are Natural
One day, a young man looked out of his window and saw a butterfly struggling to get out of its cocoon. It partially came out, then went back in, and the cycle kept on repeating. It was unbearable for the young man to see the poor butterfly unsuccessful attempts to free itself. He decided to use scissors to cut the cocoon and help it get out.
After cutting the cocoon, the young butterfly finally got out. It then attempted to fly but miserably failed until it eventually died. Little did the young man know about the apparent struggle of the butterfly to get out of the cocoon. It was the needed process to help develop its wings, allowing it to fly and survive after entering the world.
I recall leaving the rural area I lived in with my mom to live with my father in the city. I was ten years old and had to grow up to several changes in my life.
Doing the Laundry
One such change involved me hand washing by clothing and bedsheets. As my mom passed by on her visits, she would look at me in pity as I washed. My dad looked at her and knew exactly what she was thinking. He told her to leave me to do what I was doing. You see, my mother wanted to cut me out of the cocoon. All that my dad allowed me to develop helped me as I moved forward in life. I recall being unable to pay to have my laundry done when I started university, so I hand-washed my clothes. This experience was just one of many things that set a solid foundation for me in life as I die to live.
Early Morning Runs
I remember those early mornings jogging with my dad before getting ready for school. He would drill me until I got in shape. Eventually, I went running on my own. He tried to join me but could not keep up on foot, so he started riding a bicycle as I ran.
Years after, I had a urinary infection that raised my body temperature sky high. There was concern about me having a heart attack. However, those consistent runs strengthened my heart and prepared me to overcome challenges like these that could have killed me. If I did not “die to live” by training my body with every morning run, I would have died.
Nothing is easy in life.
Nothing in life comes free or easily; no matter what we think, we pay the price somehow. If we want good health, we must be prepared to make the sacrifices. We must die to live by finding the time to exercise, not eating junk foods, getting enough sleep, and many more things! Our body is natural, and we cannot cheat nature without paying the price later.
You must shift your priorities!
Many foods that I disliked became a part of my diet after finding out the health benefits. Likewise, I eliminated many foods I liked from my diet after discovering the negative impacts on my health. As much as I run these days, there are days that I do not want to run. It is “too hot” or “too cold.” There is “too much snow on the ground,” or I feel sore, tired, or lazy. Sometimes, I just want to sit back and watch TV or spend a few more hours on social media – anything except running! I do find the time to do these things, but my health is the priority.
Prepare for war
I recall reading a story about some people in a region who enjoyed a wonderful life. They had no enemy and, therefore, no need to prepare for war. They spent all their energy building mansions and enjoying life. One day they were attacked by outsiders who plundered their belongings as they were helpless to defend themselves. They saw no need to prepare to protect themselves until it was too late.
Train Your Soldiers
All nations should have trained soldiers and equipment to defend themselves. Like soldiers training for war, doing the things we need to be healthy will build our body’s defence system to fight illnesses and protect us. Unfortunately, we often do not see the need when we are healthy. Usually, it is only when our body is under attack that we start being health conscious. Sometimes, it may be too late if our body is irreparably damaged.
So, we should ensure that our body is always prepared for war. It might not be a disease but a simple fall that we are not in shape to break and protect ourselves. Then we unnecessarily end up in the hospital with an expensive bill and even more so the pain of a fracture or broken bone. We can, however, change this by preparing now to live a healthy life. Like a soldier who goes through extreme training, we should also train our bodies for war.
War is Natural.
Our body is constantly at war to remain healthy. It needs us to help in the timely preparation required to fight off attacks from foreign bodies. Some of us may have heard about the flu shot. It is an injection that helps our body’s immune system to fight flu viruses. It contains small amounts, or weak portions, of flu viruses expected in a flu season. Unlike the full-blown viruses that may attack our body suddenly, the weak versions in the flu shot timely stimulate our immune system to prepare for the full-blown viruses. So, if attacked by the flu virus, we can fight. In short, the fly shot prevents us from being defeated by the flu.
Similarly, maintaining a balanced diet with all the nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and water will help us maintain good health. In addition, we should get enough sleep along with our mental and physical exercises. There will always be war; war is the nature of the life we live. So, we should always be best prepared to fight to minimize or prevent defeat.
To continue reading, I suggest going to the no disappointment post.
