Gazelles and Lions

Celebrating another year, reminds me of the African adage about the gazelles and the lions:

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will die. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you'd better be running." ~unknown

Perhaps that's why my internal clock has been set for 3:30 am since I was a child. No from a point of survival -- but from a point of getting the most out of life and living. We're only granted 24 hours in a day. How much we get done in those 24 hours depends on our productivity, and ingenuity. The facts are what they are -- I'm not the most productive or the smartest person in my life. (I leave the honor of being super smart to my 3 children -- all who take after their late Dad, when it comes to gray matter). But that's another story for another day.

Back to my original point - I get up early to make sure that I get the important or useful things done before the sun sets. My health is vitally important to me -- which is why I spend at least 1 1/2 hours 4 or 5 days a week working on my body. After all, the truth of the matter is that our perfect bodies begin to turn against our perfect selves as we mature. For some, that change takes place much too early -- for others, there is a valiant fight to the end.

A couple of my co-workers does something that is enviable -- but not for me. For 6 days of every week, they eat only non-processed fruits, vegetables, and nuts and drink only water - on the 7th day, they splurge. They also work out 4 days a week. They look fantastic!

Well...that sounds good - especially the working out part -- however, I'm not that committed. My preference is to eat moderately well -- and work out religiously. There's only a few things better than the feeling that I get from working out -- however, I don't want to digress yet again, so I'll stick to my topic.

It doesn't matter if people think they're closer to the gazelle or the lion, the fact is, in order to live a healthy life, we must take care of our bodies. High blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes are top killers and life maimers for many people. We give in to the salt shaker, extra large fries, and cheesecake. While I'm not immune to the dessert tray or potatoes, however, I know my limit. When I take a bite of dessert or order potatoes, (I've never been a salt lover), my mind does a mental calculation of how many miles I need to run for that indulgence. That doesn't stop me from ordering those fattening foods and deserts, however, I eat those types of food in moderation.

Although I don't look up to people as someone to emulate (a la Octo-mom N. Suleman and her ideal of perfection), one of the greatest compliments that I've ever received from a stranger, was the similarity of my legs to Tina Turner. Even though this stranger will never know it, his comments spur me on to finish that last mile when I'm tired and want to give up.

Many times, we face challenges in life. Over the years, I've learned to never give up. Each of us must face difficulties in our lives -- the measure of who we are lies in how we accept those challenges and go on with our life. In the grand scheme of things, it's up to us to make our lives what we want them to be. For me, I choose love, and happiness. I choose not to give up on love; I choose to love myself first -- by loving me, I become lovable to others. Try it -- I guarantee great results.

Until next time.