Sunday, October 22, 2006

Predicting The Future

In my old age (numerically) I have learned that life doesn't have to be a crap shoot. As a young man I often felt that many events in my life were out of my control. I didn't care to have a plan or a purpose regarding my future, or even my present for that matter. I sort of plodded along, living day to day, hoping that everything would turn out okay. It was a wishful thinking hand to mouth existence. I was young and pretending to be ambitious, so why did I need some kind of confining structure that would bog down my free wheeling lifestyle. Who was I kidding? I think a lot of people in the USA live this way. Many of us survive on just 7 basic things. Food, shelter, work, money, buying toys, avoiding pain and seeking pleasure. It comes down to working to get the cash to feed your face and live in your house/condo/apt, so you can buy the stuff that gives you pleasure thus avoiding pain.

It's called The American Dream. It's our life. Is it enough? People from other countries come here to find this life. Other cultures believe it's disastrous. Some folks in this country never experience it. Many in our country see it as a trap. Are we spinning our wheels in the pursuit of the American dream? When these 7 things become the only 7 things in your life then life can be loaded with lots of surprises. I'm not talking birthday surprises either. As we age beyond our mid twenties our bodies and minds stop growing and start dying. Walt Whitman wrote, "The fruit of youth is forever gone at twenty six." Time passes and life gets harder. Aging brings stress, poor sleep, physical limitations and too many meds to combat it all. Kids have it easy. Their minds and bodies are brand new and capable of anything. Adults are the ones who deal with the day to day hardships of life.

The adult world is filled with unpredictable's. Traffic, family, work, finances, relationships, illness, fatigue and the list goes on. It feels like we can't control any of it. This is because we can't. We do our best but much of the time we suffer from the weight of it all. Life will always come at you, and finding the energy and enthusiasm to succeed comes form the two things that are predictable. They are Fitness & Food. An aging unfit, unhealthy junk food junkie is fighting an uphill battle every day. The clock is ticking, time is passing and the mind and body of the unfit and unhealthy suffer and fall prey to a dreaded future. Short term pleasures will mask reality for awhile but the last 10 to 30 years of life will be filled with pain and frustration. There's no getting around it unless you decide to eat better and move your body.

The two things that you can control, (Food & Fitness) are all you need to help you deal with all the other things you can't control. Healthy food and supplementation combined with a regular exercise program stimulates new cell growth, oxygenates the heart, lungs and brain, protects and strengthens bones, muscles, skin and connective tissue and provides the energy and enthusiasm of a child. A body in motion stays in motion. A body at rest will rot away. You are what you eat and healthy food and good supplements make for a healthy mind and body. Unhealthy junk food makes for food pornographers. If you do nothing the future is bleak. If you decide to commit to a plan that gives you purpose then you can predict the future.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tony,

Two weeks ago I landed a new freelance editorial job in a hectic pharma advertising agency here in NYC. I put in nearly 65 hours the first week, literally being thrown to the lions by unforgiving supervisors...to make a long story short, the stress and pace of the job was and still is deadly. However, having studied your laws I knew what I had to do to stay in the game, and that was to take the bull (Food and Fitness) by the horns and take control of the stress and anxiety. By simply scheduling an intensive (20-40 minute)early morning workout before breakfast, I nearly halved my anxiety and doubled my job performance. A body in motion not only stays in motion, but also brings the mind with it. In addition, instead of chomping down on various artery-clogging munchies during the day, I choose fresh raw veggies and fruit to fuel my mind and creativity; and believe me, it works! Thanks for helping me cope, brotha; you rock!
Go Get It!
Nick

Anonymous said...

Tony:

Thanks for the info. I used to be one of those people chasing the "American Dream". Turned out to be and "American Nightmare" for me. It took until I got over 300 lbs before I woke up to reality. Thanks to your programs I am moving a bit more each day. Hoping one day to be able to attend one of your fitness camps. That would have to be my fitness goal for 2007. Thanks for doing what you are doing.

Andy

Unknown said...

Awesome post Tony. You always seem to know just what to say and when to say it!

Anonymous said...

Hmmmmm what would my life be like if I could drag my butt out of bed in time to workout and have a healthy breakfast? I may never know, but I committed to trying it on for a couple of weeks last month. It didn't work out. I was in really bad shape emotionally and mentally. I'm not going to give up though. I am visualizing and thinking about how great it would be and I'm starting to get glimpses of a whole new way to schedule my day. I'm writing it out and I will do it starting next week. Hopefully my mind and body and especially my ego will catch on and like it. I think planning the yummy breakfast every morning could do the trick...wish me luck.

P90x Workout Program said...

Thanks for the info. I used to be one of those people chasing the "American Dream". Turned out to be and "American Nightmare" for me. It took until I got over 300 lbs before I woke up to reality. Thanks to your programs I am moving a bit more each day. Hoping one day to be able to attend one of your fitness camps. That would have to be my fitness goal for 2007. Thanks for doing what you are doing.