DOES PHYSICAL HEALTH LEAD TO FULFILLMENT IN LIFE OR IS IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND?

We all have passions in life! I believe that throughout our existence they tend to evolve. What started as a love of dance and movement, has become a genuine appreciation for health and vitality. I have come to realize how fragile our bodies are, in that, we only get one of them. Lately, I have found myself worrying about my friends and loved ones. All of this concern has me wondering why the general population doesn't seem to grasp how much of our life can be altered by whether we take care of our physical bodies! So let me pose the question: "Is it possible to be truley content and fulfilled if we ignore our physical state?"
For me personally, this is no-brainer. I know that I would never be able to feel "whole" if I ignored the state of my body. After the birth of my 3rd child I developed a thyroid condition that made me lethargic and bloated. I rapidly gained weight and often felt too tired to exercise. As my bodyweight increased, my appetite for food did ,as well. It seemed like a negative cycle that kept me a prisoner in my own skin. Oddly, even though the scale didn't lie, I still saw myself as the same lean woman I had always been. It wasn't until I saw myself in a home video that my world came crashing down. I didn't recognize myself at all! Still, this wasn't enough for me to make changes. I wasn't ready. I tried to convince both the world and myself, that I was sincerely happy.
What I have come to realize is this: "If you constantly are trying to show people how happy you are, deep down, there is work to be done." My body started giving me small signs that I was ignoring it. They were whispers. I was out of breathe when holding son. I stopped wearing heels as my feet hurt all the time from trying to adjust to my new form. Then, I went to the doctor and was shocked that those little whispers were becoming screams! My blood pressure was dangerously high and my doctor explained that if I wanted raise my children into adulthood, I would have to begin exercising and changing both HOW MUCH and WHAT I ate. Of course, I hated my doctor and vowed to never go back to see him again! I couldn't believe he had the nerve to bring up the elephant in the room! Nobody talks about a womans weight! In hindsight, I know that if something gets under your skin that much, it's because there is an element of truth to it.
As I drove home, I cried so hard that I broke the capillaries around my eyes. I pulled over and started to pray for God's help. I wish I could tell you that I woke up the very next day inclined with a new zest for life, but I didn't. However, I am fully convinced that's where the clarity began. As, I was sitting in my car on the side of a road, I caught a glimpse of a bumper sticker that read: "Take care of your body, it's the only place your soul has to live!!" Why hadn't I thought of that before? Why had I thought that my life could be complete if my body was falling apart? Part of it was my youth. I had never really had any major health crises so I could easily convince myself that I was fine. The other part was that I didn't believe in myself. I would rather spend my energy on convincing myself and everyone around me about how "fabulous" I was than actually put in the work! Exercise, seemed like a good past time for aerobics instructors, not for normal people like myself!(Oh, the lies we tell ourselves! I used to tell people that the only way I would run is if somebody was chasing me)Plus, I had tried to curtail my food intake many times and always went to bed feeling defeated. It seemed like an impossible battle!
I knew I had to start somewhere so, after careful consideration, I decided consistency was of the most importance. I lived in Colorodo when I was 21 years old and I remember a local man of 82 years of age, that I met once. He was in amazing health! He could have passed for a 50 year old! He gave me great advice that I completely ignored. (I was 21! I knew EVERYTHING!)He said that the secret to his vitality could be summed up by 3 things, all of equal importance: 1)Exercise everday, rain or shine, no matter what! If you don't love it now, give it time. It will become a part of your existence and you won't feel quite right if you don't do it.2)Eat slowly, eat small amounts, and eat well. He said that our diets should mainly consist of veggies, fruits,legumes and grains and to stay clear of processed ingredients, meats and sweets.I know this sounds like a diet that only a rabbit might enjoy but, eventually it allows you to feel energized and light on your feet. He pointed out that if I ate this way my focus would become less about taste and convenience and more about how my food made me feel after I was finished eating it. He also, stressed the importance of not overeating. He said that is the quickest way to become detached from our deepest thoughts. If our digestive system is overloaded it clouds our brain.3)His last piece of advice was to nurture my close relationships without fear or reservations. He had been happily married for 52 years. His wife, his children and close friends were the relationships he chose to put his time and energy into. He said that he never went a day without spending time in their company or letting them know how much he loved them. He was also proud to share how his philosophies on wellness were being passed down to future generations within his family. Family gatherings were usually spent moving their bodies, not sitting at tables, with the focus on food. Coming from a Greek/Italian lineage, this concept seemed foreign. Needless to say, I have come to embrace it.
Happiness means different things to different people. It is my belief that if we set out on our prospective journeys through life and ignore the very vessel that carries us through it, eventually we will run into limitations. God has given us these amazing, resilient bodies to charter our existence. My hope is that, you too, will nurture yours and find joy in doing so. It can be the start of a life you never knew possible.Getting the most joy out of life is a universal desire. While, we can't know God's plan we can certainly find strength in the decisions we make everday.We must respect our physical self, and in doing so, we will have the strength to nurture our souls. In many ways, they are one in the same. They can either bind us or set us free. I hope that we can all be like the wise gentleman I met in Colorado, running with our granchildren, without breaking a sweat!