Why Your Health is The Most Underappreciated Asset: Insights from a Minnesota Winter
In Minnesota, people really know how to take advantage of good weather.
Why?
Because of the drastic contrast.
Minnesota has some terrible weather - it’s a fact.
Rain, clouds, bitter cold, and darkness… for months on end… the perfect recipe for chronic depression.
However, even in the dead of winter, when the sun pops out and the temperature rises, people are everywhere.
It might only be 38 degrees out, but the lakes are packed with walkers, the restaurants are booked, and the streets are full of commotion.
After a seemingly endless winter, I can’t even describe the pandemonium during the first few weeks of summer.
But then, as the summer weather becomes the norm and the novelty starts to fade, we start to lose appreciation again.
We no longer feel the contrast.
This is the same with our health.
We only start to appreciate it when we have lost it – when we are sick.
Go back and think about the last time you had the stomach flu and you were puking your guts out.
What mattered?
Absolutely nothing.
What type of car you drive doesn’t matter, how much money you make doesn’t matter, the stress at work doesn’t matter, what people think about you doesn’t matter.
All you want is your health back.
When it comes to achieving our goals and fulfilling our purpose in life, there's one thing that's absolutely essential: good health.
Without it, we simply can't perform at our best or make the most of our opportunities.
Think about it – when you're feeling sick or run down, it's hard to focus on anything else. You may be distracted by physical discomfort or pain, or simply too exhausted to put in the effort required to achieve your goals. Your mind may be foggy, making it difficult to think clearly or make important decisions. And if your health problems are chronic, they can become a major source of stress and anxiety, which may make you feel overwhelmed, helpless, and even paralyzed by your emotions.
On the other hand, when you're in good health, you have the energy, focus, and mental clarity to pursue your goals with passion and enthusiasm. You're able to take on challenges, make tough decisions, and push through obstacles. You have the resilience and stamina to keep going even when things get tough, and the confidence and self-assurance to believe in yourself and your abilities.
Most people view their health as binary.
They are either ‘sick’ or they are ‘not sick.’
When they’re ‘not sick,’ they are indifferent, unappreciative, and unfazed. They go through the motions of life and don’t have much appreciation for their good health and fortune. This is largely in part because it’s generally the same everyday. There isn’t much contrast.
However, when they are sick, they pray for it to be over, and for it to pass.
Sound familiar?
Needless to say, I can promise you, if you’re not moving, constantly eating like sh*t, not getting enough sunlight, not getting enough sleep, not managing your stress properly, exposing yourself to toxins, and lacking deep social connection… you are taking your health for granted.
You might not notice it today, tomorrow, or even in a few months.
But I can assure you, if you are not ACTIVELY APPRECIATING your health, day in and day out, you forgoing your greatest and most underappreciated asset - your health.
Don’t lose appreciation for your most sacred gift.
Because whether you can admit it or not, you need it.
Own the Process,
Tim
Author & Founder
