One life... Let us make it count!
Here is another Hindustan Times column that never ended up being blogged. It’s very close to my heart if I have any left. Karma taught me a few lessons.
The gift, more so in today's environment, you can give your loved ones, is to stand by them. Move with them. Even when they don't ask for help, it doesn't mean that they don't need it. At times just being there is far more important. Then together get on that crazy ride called life.
Run&Bee # 33: One life... let us make it count! (12th January 2019)
There is a story in the Bible, wherein the year 633 B.C., King Nebuchadnezzar wanted his courtiers to first tell him what he had dreamt of and then correctly interpret the dream for him too. Daniel volunteered and suggested that the king had seen a large dazzling statue with a head of pure gold, chest, and arms of silver, belly, and thighs of bronze, legs of iron and feet of iron and baked clay. Then a rock struck the statue on the feet and smashed it up into small pieces.
According to David’s interpretation, the head was supposed to be King Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, which was the best and he was righteous, but as time went on, the following kingdoms became weaker and their rulers unjust. To correct matters, God’s wrath struck at the base of the statue (feet of clay) and destroyed it all.
Whether you believe in God or not, we all need to come to terms that we all came with an expiry date. We all know it but forever live in denial expecting immortality by some magic. We need to come to terms with the fact that life is finite and we should make the most of it. I don’t understand politics or religion, but what I do understand is that the one body we’ve got right now, right here, is a temple.
That doesn’t mean we pack ourselves up like a fixed deposit and not use it.
On the last day of the year (2018) gone by, the only friend who unconditionally stood beside me in my life moved on. Immediately post-school, for years we were inseparable. He would accompany me to my races long before running was fashionable, and I would be the teetotaller chauffeur to him and other friends when they would want to go drinking. He played a massive role in me becoming what I have, and I failed him. Most would look at me as someone who is on a crusade to make people fitter by getting them moving but the one who mattered the most, me and my running couldn’t change a thing for him. His drinking took him away.
As Karma would have it, a year later, when I needed my best friend more than ever, I found myself alone.
Feet are your foundation, not only as a figure of speech but literally too. As much as death is inevitable, feet of clay just makes you more vulnerable, and you have a poor quality of life. (Read my blog Feet of Clay: What’s Your Weak-Link?)
I earnestly request you to have a resolution this year (whatever is left of it) to help your loved ones to pick up healthy habits. Mentor them to become active and give them the best gift you possibly could. The first month or two will be difficult for people wanting to get started. Your presence and guidance will help change their lives.
Like Daniel’s statue being top-heavy, most people today have an overload of information but the basics are simply missing. Below are my 10 commandments:
“You gotta put your behind in your past.”
Pumba sums up what life should be, a lot of fun. Once you have that smile on, this healthy journey will be a lot better. In any case, Pumba is actually spot on.
Most of us have spent too long sitting on our ‘behinds’. Simply getting moving will be a good start rather than trying to do too much suddenly.
Timon corrects Pumbaa by saying “You gotta put your past behind you.” Whether you were super athletic or a slob, the point is you simply need to become better than what you were yesterday.
Start with baby steps. One small step at a time. Plan is to slowly progress.
There will be days when you’ll not be able to achieve even those small goals. That’s fine. Failure will make you better equipped to handle bigger goals whether it be in fitness or in life.
Find time throughout the day to take deep long breaths in and out for 30-60 seconds every hour or so.
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”
The above video shows the first time Ali uttered those famous words. To float like a butterfly you need to start skipping. The video below shows how light he was in his feet and made him the best boxer of all time. So if you want to pick up running or become better at it, it’ll become very valuable for you too. You need to start with skipping with or without a rope for 1-3 minutes a day.
Make your calves strong and flexible at the same time. For that start doing heel raises, 11 repetitions at one go. Three times a day. First couple of weeks with both legs, and then with one leg at a time.
Think of yourself like a puppet that's being pulled up by a string at the top of the head. Besides good posture, this will help you have more confidence too.
At night, while sleeping, don't have your phone right next to you. Put it in the drawing-room. Night is for sleeping. For unwinding. To absorb everything that has happened in the day, to recover, and to prepare yourself for the next day. Also, support your neck with a pillow while sleeping as explained in the video.
