One of the mistakes I’ve made coming up to 40 is the total disregard I’ve held for my body. I’ve gone out of my way to push my body to its limits and punished it. Perhaps worse is that I’ve hardly paid it any attention to the point of neglect.
Part of that is the fact that very little has gone wrong physically. I never had a laundry list of ailments or required much intervention. My body just ticked along, occasionally had to deal with a cold or a hangover, but other than that it’s been good. Yes I need glasses but that’s the hand genetics hands you, and to be honest they helped make me look smarter.
The contrast is that my mind is where in I invested the bulk of time. I went out of my way to learn and connect and understand the world around me. I immersed myself in big ideas, systems thinking as well as adapting and challenging my own beliefs. I’ve never been afraid of an argument – and that includes with myself.
As I’ve crept closer to 40 the body hasn’t quite held up as it once did and the years of neglect have done some damage. I know more than ever I need to show it some love and attention. The move to Adelaide has resulted in me being more active and more conscious of my body. Throughout covid and even during winter I’m still seeking to close out my “circles”. The passive nagging from my Apple Watch it is paying off. My daughter has started to enjoy hiking and we’ve started traipsing up and down the hills now. I can feel my body change and benefit from this attention. I can probably move more and eat better – and for the sake of future me – I’ll try to do better.
Heart | Soul | Machine 