What I really wanted to call this one was:
“If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.”
…but it felt a little long for the studio boards (LOL).
Still, it’s true.
Most of the time, we think we have a lot of problems. We want more money, better food, more time, a bigger house, a different job… the list goes on. But the moment you become unwell or injured, everything changes. Suddenly, you don’t have a bunch of little problems anymore, you just have one big one: Your health. And you realize… it was the only thing that really mattered all along.
I hurt my shoulder last month. Not from anything dramatic; no big moment or injury. Just slowly, over time, from carrying around a 20lb “turkey” in my left arm in the most unergonomic way possible for the past 9 months. (The turkey’s name is Mikaela, and she just turned one.)
Add in a few heavier days at the gym, and… WHAM. Shoulder pain. Real shoulder pain. The kind that wakes you up at night. The kind you cannot. stop. thinking. about. all day long.
And that’s the thing about pain.When you don’t have it, you barely notice your body. You move through your day freely, without a second thought. But when you do have pain? It becomes all consuming. It takes over your thoughts, your focus, your energy. And in those moments, you would give anything – any amount of money, any job, any material thing – just to feel normal again. Because when your health is compromised, nothing else really matters.
This is where the idea of lifespan vs. health span comes in. Lifespan is how long you live. Health span is how long you live well, feeling strong, independent, and free from pain. This has become one of my biggest motivators when it comes to how I live. Every workout, every yoga class, every choice I make is an investment into my future self.
Health is the ultimate wealth. The ultimate flex. Protect it. Prioritize it. Don’t wait until you’re forced to appreciate it.
Written by Prestonne Sehn