Being afraid of being afraid
I frequently read stories about moments that people have in their life where they wake up in the middle of the night with a profound realization of some sort that causes them to dramatically alter the course of their life forever. They find it to be powerful and lasting and are eternally changed by such random moment. Other people have a more impactful realization caused by something that hits very close to home. My “A-Ha” moment is different – I didn’t have one.
On the subject of “a-ha” moments, it seems worth describing someone that lives their life plodding along, trying to do their best – and hopefully driven by some directional pull towards the positive. I haven’t had a heart attack. I have never been immensely overweight. And I am fortunate to have family members and close friends who similarly have experienced normally healthy lives.
But that’s not to say that I have let myself go. In fact, the normalcy of my surroundings has helped me have a series of ongoing mini a-ha! moments (if you will) that will hopefully allow me to stay the course towards a healthier and happier life. Think of me as the tortoise rather than the hare.
But going deeper, it’s more likely my fear of the a-ha moment that has allowed me to be proactive in avoiding it. I exercise not because my doctor told me to – but because I don’t want my doctor to tell me to. I eat healthy, whole and real foods because they make me feel good – not because I have been put on a strict diet. I have never picked up a cigarette – not because I have seen someone suffer from the consequences of the opposite choice, but instead because of much education on the subject that causes me to be smarter.
I would never want to be in a position where a drastic change is required to become healthy. That to me would be a lot more Ah! than Ha!
Hopefully I continue to be fortunate to have friends and family who are healthy, and to see more positive reinforcement than negative. But being mindful of the consequence of poor choices allows me to proactively avert a moment that I would rather not have.
Be well!
Daniel
Check out my latest posts here
