Life has been going relatively well thus far for myself. Sure, I have my share of bumps and bruises, but in general it’s been going smoothly these last few months.
I always try to imagine what life would be like for me in ten years, twenty years, or thirty years. How can I best prepare myself now so that I can finish my career and retire as early and successfully as possible? How can I insulate myself from all the various problems in life that may swirl around me and around others?
The problems are endless if you watch the news. There are financial problems, relationship problems, health problems, career problems, existential problems, geopolitical problems, and much more! So how do I make my life as pristine and clean as possible to minimize all these issues that can come up? And how do I make sure that my friends and loved ones similarly minimize their problems so that they can live peaceful and fulfilling lives?
The answer I guess is not that simple. I’m sure all of us try our best to insulate ourselves from the pains and struggles of the world. We go to the gym and exercise in order to keep ourselves in good health and shape. Yet as we age, poor health will come for us eventually.
We try our best to make money and invest properly so that we can build enough wealth in our golden years to have a comfortable and happy retirement. Yet there will still be financial anxiety here and there and we are still prone to the inevitable volatility of the stock markets.
It’s hard to keep track of current events as well, since the news usually broadcasts the problems of the world instead of the good things that happen. So, my mind is naturally wired to see the what ifs of when things go south.
Right now, I am blessed to be financially stable, in good health, with a good career, and great relationships. Sometimes, I catch myself waiting for the other shoe to drop and negative thoughts start streaming into my head. Like what happens when I age and I come across inevitable illness upon old age? Or what happens if I lose a large portion of my investment assets in the stock market?
The what ifs are endless. And I kind of realize that it is near impossible to insulate ourselves from all the pain and stressors of the world. We can exercise, eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep, surround ourselves with supportive people, yet there are still humbling moments when life hits us in the mouth. We don’t have it all together and we never will.
So, what happens when those inevitable bumps and bruises occur? Well, just roll with the punches and realize that sometimes it’s okay to feel not okay. It’s okay to be anxious, agitated, stressful, remorseful, and sad. It’s okay to keep in touch with your “negative” feelings. Because chances are, many people all over the world have similar things that they are going thru as well.
For me, I encountered a health scare earlier this year and it kind of hit me in an unnoticeable way. My health deteriorated the least that I expected. Even though I was exercising, eating right, and getting enough sleep (basically following all the advice on online forums), I still managed to get in poor health for a couple of months that required medication to get me back to a sense of normalcy.
It was a very humble experience and it made me realize that I am not superhuman. I don’t have a perfect life. I can have the best habits in the world. I can work out like Chris Heria. I can be rich like Elon Musk. I can be a self-help guru like Sadhguru. I can be a socialite like Leonardo di Caprio. I can be all those people all rolled into one.
And yet, life will still hit me where it hurts the least that I expect it. So, in those cases, it really is just a matter of crawling your way inch by inch thru the dark tunnel to find whatever light comes your way. And for me, that light came to me in the form of medication.
I know that society likes to bust pharmaceutical companies for their corporate greed and that the health care system in the USA is far from perfect. But honestly, I don’t think I would’ve been able to function properly without the medication prescribed to me by my doctor.
My well-being depended on others and was out of my control. All the sleeping, working out, and good relationships didn’t make much of a difference. Only the medication helped nurse me back into a sense of normalcy. And again, it was just humbling to know that.
Having said that, I continue to exercise, eat a healthy diet, and get enough sleep each day. I continue to practice good habits – like reading, writing, socializing, and cooking. I continue to spend good time with my loved ones to nourish my soul and build my strength within.
I continue to do these things because I know they are great habits that allow me to live a fulfilling and healthy life. I also know that those things are not the end all be all and that I am not fully insulated from the inevitable pain that may or may not come my way.
And I’ve come to fully accept that life will hit me whether I like it or not. Or whether I’m ready for it or not. And whenever that hard time comes again, I just need to accept it, let it flow, and take it as a valuable learning experience.
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