dailynewsnblog
Thought for the Week: Here’s One Absolutely Necessary Resolution
Why So Many New Year’s Resolutions Are Doomed
Because they’re pie-in-the-sky (for diet resolution-ists, make that celery-sticks-in-the-sky); they’re not perceived as absolutely necessary. In other words, they’re a nicety, not a necessity.
But health, the number one resolution subject, is a necessity. We’re complex creatures, and deteriorating physical health can decimate everything we have: Our emotions, our ability to think clearly and make good decisions; our careers and financial stability; our relationships; our spiritual well-being; and eventually our lives.
I Once Saw a Doctor for Back Pain
Amazingly, the very old-school M.D. told me, between heavy smoker’s hacks, to “avoid using it.” “How do I avoid using my back?” I asked. “Well, then, just live with it,” he replied. So I dropped him (he probably didn’t have long to live, anyway). And in his place, I found an exercise-friendly doctor who advised me to tak a lifelong zero-tolerance policy toward health issues. And I’ve never forgotten that advice.
And Now?
Last year, I was succesfully tested and treated for near-record-level tachycardia (extra heartbeats). But keeping the condition at bay requires an active schedule. Don’t “just live with it,” I remind myself. Zero tolerance, remember? So I take a daily exercise break. But it’s not enough.
Problem: I’m a writer, and my heart doesn’t like me sitting at a desk all day. It wants me to stay constantly active (in its heart-of-hearts, it really wants me to be a construction worker). And my whiny tailbone agrees. So I’ve started taking 10-minute “think walks” every hour. In other words, I keep writing in my head while I walk. I also do a few on-the-hoof therapy stretches. I’ve come to love those breaks. And the results are palpable.
So, I’ll Keep At It for as Long as It Takes
Which will be the rest of my life. Because there are some things you can “just live with,” but dying isn’t one of them.
