Pay Up

6.8

Whatever things we place a high value on become the most influential things in our lives. Do we truly value our wellness? Do we realize the investment it takes to maintain a healthy pantry, and a level of physical wellness in our bodies?

I'm a fan of the Spartan Race and CrossFit, and appreciate the valuable teachings that come from their programs. One elite CrossFit athlete, a former Navy Seal, has a very insightful view on our health: "we rent our wellness, we don't own it... every day we have to 'pay the man'."

The point to regularly paying up, is to realize that we can invest in great wellness approaches and garner the health those lead to, or we can pay the medical community to keep us alive (although not truly living.) Either way, it is our work to pay up.

If we follow a wellness lifestyle the payment is several hours of physical activity a week. It is shopping in a discerning way to eat whole foods instead of processed foods. It is taking others along with us on our wellness journey, and collectively committing "to live until we die."

The payment is up to us. We can start simple and lose weight, or have a five-mile-a-week walking goal, or cut out all the sugary drinks and sodas. Once we see the value of genuine wellness goals, maybe we get the bug to go further and improve more. Do we run a 10k? Do we join a CrossFit box or schedule a Spartan Race? Do we commit to a Mediterranean diet?

Let's go all in to make our investment in wellness every day, paying the rent on genuine health and wellness. We'll have a better chance of living fully throughout our whole life.

By the Way

Last weekend was the peak of my training for my Spartan Ultra (coming up late April). I did a 28 mile workout run, peppering in burpees, rowing, monkeybars and rope climbs for a great 6 hour investment. And the payoff is, having paid the rent, I'm feeling ready for the Ultra and I'm literally healthier than I've ever been.