Left or Right?

All living things have only two directions from which to choose. They can seek pleasure or avoid pain. Often these are one and the same.

That’s great for amoebas, but higher life forms get to think about such things.

I’ll go out on a limb here and call humans “higher life forms”. Subconsciously, it’s still about seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. Every time we shift in our chair, that’s what we’re doing. But consciously? We get to choose. A million times over throughout our lives, we make decisions, one direction or another.

Should I have that drink or smoke? That piece of cake? Should I go for a run? Should I take that job and make money now or get more education in hopes having a higher earning potential later? Should I buy that car, or marry that girl? Have children now or in a few years?

Lots of choices to make along the way.

When it comes to our health, it’s pretty obvious what we need to do, and just as obvious that often, we simply don’t. I plan to quit smoking, we think. Not right now, of course, but tomorrow for sure.

We only get one body on this journey. Yes, our parts are increasingly available for replacement or overhaul. Knees, hips, livers, even hearts and lungs can be transplanted. But none of that lets us off the hook. By age 45 or 50, we are no longer protected by our youth. It behooves us to pay more attention to our diet and exercise, especially if we haven’t done so in the past. If we are what we eat, we are also a product of the way we live. Couch potato or marathon runner, the result of our lifestyle walks a mile in our shoes or maybe rides in a complimentary scooter at the grocery store…in our shoes.

This is where we talk about short term pain for long term gain. It almost hurts to pass on that fresh doughnut and go for a jog instead, but the long-term results are worth it.

We are not alone. Like it or not, we all lead by example. Aside from any responsibility to ourselves, don’t we have a responsibility to our co-workers, our kids, friends, wives, husbands, everyone we know or meet?

It’s never too late to embrace a healthy(er)  daily routine for improved life and longevity.

My mother had always been quite active, but certainly had never done any weight training along the way. With a goal of regaining some strength lost due to old age, she started a few weekly weight training classes when she was 88. By age 89, I remember her calling me into her kitchen: “Look what I can do!” she boasted while lifting two plastic bags filled with groceries, one in each hand. “I can open jars again too!” Mom said as she unscrewed the top on a large jar of pickles.

She felt supercharged by her daily exercise routine and weight resistance training. That lady lived another 5 years in good health before her candle simply winked out in her sleep.

At age 71 I’m more focused than ever before of the choices I make and have decided to outlive Mom by one year. 95 and I’m done. But I know I’ll never make it if I don’t get my fat ass into the gym in the mornings. The sad fact is, I would rather stay home and have a double vodka instead, but I know that plan wouldn’t even allow me to hit 75, much less 95.

Eat a moderately healthy diet, do regular exercise, get enough sleep, and be generous with your attention and care for others. Right? I’m preaching to myself here.

Most mornings, I’m huffing away on one of the cardio machines that look out into the parking lot of “Anytime Fitness”. There's also a popular breakfast place  next door. Cars pull up and empty out. It’s shocking to see so many people who are not young, routinely carry the physical weight of their poor decisions into the diner for breakfast. Soft, gelatinous humans, walkers and oxygen tanks, canes and wheelchairs, huge bellies that lead the way. All turn left. The rare few that turn right, into the gym, generally come in by way of their own power and generally look good for their age. 

We don't need to read the countless studies that tell us that group will live longer. more active and better lives.

When drivers and passengers step out of their cars and stand up, I can tell you which way they will turn simply by looking at them.

Left or right. It’s always a choice.