Take Care of Your Body

Sometimes, I wonder why I never listen to the things I say. Last weekend, I was telling one of my cousins (who has become interested in sports) that if she wanted to take up softball, it would require a huge commitment and she had to get her body in shape before ever worrying about picking up a ball, but I had no problem helping her.  Not only did she have to get her body in shape, she had to take care of it afterwards. After all, this is the only body we will ever have, we don't get a new one like we do cars or houses, this is with us for the rest of our lives.

If I took my own advice, it would be smart. I probably carry around 20 pounds or more on my back each Tuesday and Thursday. The other day I complained about my back hurting (I wonder why) and my mom asked me why do I carry all of those books and I really had to think about it. I came up with three reasons.

Reason 1: I carry all of those books because I feel that I need them for class. Reason 2: the one day that I don't have one of those books is the one day that I will desperately need it. Reason 3: I must like walking around in pain from all of that weight (okay, not a real reason, but I just wanted to say it).

I told my mom the reason I carry all of those books is because I need them for class, plain and simple. I am able to follow along, plus do homework while on campus, that way I don't have to do any when I get home. If I took my own advice, I would lose some of the books and carry what I truly know I will need that day.

I need my body to take me through the rest of my life and I can't keep wearing it down with text books and bad foods. Monitoring what goes into my body will help me the rest of my life. Yes, some people can eat junk foods, foods soaked in grease or high in fatty acids and live long lives. But, I am not one of those people who even want to try that kind of diet.

Eating fresh fruits, vegetables, drinking more water, taking the stairs, not carrying so many books at one time, etc. may seem meaningless now, but it can have lasting (positive) impacts on my body. If you treat your body with respect, it can make a world of difference.

Jim Rohn said it best, "Take care of your body, It's the only place you have to live," he's right; our bodies are the only place we have to live, but will I finally take my own advice and start taking care of mine?