The Body Keeps Score

If every decision you made came with a cost, how would you live your life? If the seemingly trivial decisions we make on a daily basis had more severe consequences, how would that affect your decision making? The truth is, every decision you make does come with a cost, and there are always consequences whether we see them now or not.

We all are gifted with a very short time in this world. A lease on life as they say. But, each day, we are all presented with a new opportunity to extend our time here. To accumulate XP or “life points” through better decision making.

It may seem counterintuitive to some, but qualities like happiness, peace, meaning, longevity, health, exuberance take effort! “If we don’t take care of ourselves physically, if we don’t align ourselves properly, it doesn’t matter how strong we are mentally or spiritually… we’ve got to move and live our way there. It will take our body — our habits, our actions, our rituals, our self care — to get our spirit in the right place, just as it takes our mind and spirit to get our body to the right place.” - Ryan Holiday

It’s all connected. Each part dependent on the other. A chain reaction. Stacking up good decisions leads to discipline. Discipline leads to a strong mind. With a strong mind we can rise above our physical limitations. With a formidable body we become more resilient. And more resiliency allows us to thrive.

Unlocking your potential starts with your decisions, it starts with being productive in ways that have lasted the test of time. If we are to capture joy, purpose, and robust bodies each of us will need to:

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• Develop reliable, consistent routines
• Find work that excites us
• Chip away at our fitness daily
• Spend time in nature
• Seek challenges and goals
• Find hobbies that replenish us
• Prioritize sleep (7-9hrs) daily
• Find stillness and perspective in solitude (meditation)

This all may seem like common sense, but if it’s so obvious, why are so many struggling to do any of these things? Why are mental and physical illnesses at an all time high?Why are YOU allowing any of these things to affect your life? We should all be stacking the chips in our favor, buying ourselves more time, committing to causes bigger than ourselves, finding out what we are capable of!

My greatest epiphany in life is that if you don’t like where you’re at, what you’re doing, how you feel, get the hell out and start stacking up the healthy habits, the rock solid routine, find a community that improves your life and find out how you can contribute to it. Life is so short, how can any of us stand here and waste it when it is such a gift to be here. How can we live with so much purpose it’s almost sickening for others to watch you go through your day to day with so much enthusiasm.