“My greatest legacy would NOT be from my children and grandchildren copying what I did right, but them learning from what I did wrong.” – Anonymous.
Right now, think of someone you like and know well who is older than you, or perhaps a loved one who has already passed on to the next life. What did they do wrong…with regard to their health? What could they have done differently? What might have improved either the quantity or quality of their life? What can you learn from them? How can you honor that life?
Example from my life: My sister passed last year. She was 65. I wish to honor her. What did she do wrong? She smoked. She was overweight. She was sedentary. She took poor care of her spine. She tended to negativity. She only went out of the house when she had to. I can honor her by learning from the things that prematurely ended her life. It’s easy for me to not smoke. But I tend to overweight (240# at my peak) so I commit to maintaining a healthy weight (185-190#). I commit to regular exercise. I commit to regular spinal adjustments and disc-pump exercises. I commit to trying to look on the bright side of life. And I commit to the outdoors. Finally, I commit these things in the name of Sherrie. This is one way I can honor her life. Perhaps I did not learn any of these lessons directly from her, but I can still honor her by remembering them and applying them to my life in her memory.
In contrast, let me offer an example of something I have learned from my father. My father is my hero, my role model. But he made one mistake, in my humble opinion, that has led to a premature decline in his cognition, his memory, his ability to grasp complex topics. The mistake…he retired at about 55 years of age, with more than enough money and investments to last a couple of retirements. Good for him. The problem was that he just tinkered. He puttered. Did this and that. Not to say there is anything wrong with tinkering and puttering, but in his mid 70’s his mental acuity, his short-term memory, even some of his long-term memory, is severely suffering. The brain is a muscle and in my opinion he did not exercise it enough. He is still alive and is still my hero, but I am watching my father fade all too quickly.
How do I honor him? I think that when he retired he should have obtained another job, or volunteered, or taught…did something to expand his mind. I’m very fortunate in that I love what I do. I love working with you. I love helping people to feel better and to gain health using nothing but my hands and the power that made the body. So to honor my dad I will not retire until I can’t physically do this job. That should keep my mind active and learning to prevent premature deterioration. Have I told him this? Of course not. I don’t need to. But I do tell him I love him and thank you.
I could go on but we are at the end of the page. Honor someone else’s life by improving yours. Try to leave nothing for your kids to learn from your mistakes. An impossible task maybe, but one I’ll keep shooting for.
Right now, think of someone you like and know well who is older than you, or perhaps a loved one who has already passed on to the next life. What did they do wrong…with regard to their health? What could they have done differently? What might have improved either the quantity or quality of their life? What can you learn from them? How can you honor that life?
Example from my life: My sister passed last year. She was 65. I wish to honor her. What did she do wrong? She smoked. She was overweight. She was sedentary. She took poor care of her spine. She tended to negativity. She only went out of the house when she had to. I can honor her by learning from the things that prematurely ended her life. It’s easy for me to not smoke. But I tend to overweight (240# at my peak) so I commit to maintaining a healthy weight (185-190#). I commit to regular exercise. I commit to regular spinal adjustments and disc-pump exercises. I commit to trying to look on the bright side of life. And I commit to the outdoors. Finally, I commit these things in the name of Sherrie. This is one way I can honor her life. Perhaps I did not learn any of these lessons directly from her, but I can still honor her by remembering them and applying them to my life in her memory.
In contrast, let me offer an example of something I have learned from my father. My father is my hero, my role model. But he made one mistake, in my humble opinion, that has led to a premature decline in his cognition, his memory, his ability to grasp complex topics. The mistake…he retired at about 55 years of age, with more than enough money and investments to last a couple of retirements. Good for him. The problem was that he just tinkered. He puttered. Did this and that. Not to say there is anything wrong with tinkering and puttering, but in his mid 70’s his mental acuity, his short-term memory, even some of his long-term memory, is severely suffering. The brain is a muscle and in my opinion he did not exercise it enough. He is still alive and is still my hero, but I am watching my father fade all too quickly.
How do I honor him? I think that when he retired he should have obtained another job, or volunteered, or taught…did something to expand his mind. I’m very fortunate in that I love what I do. I love working with you. I love helping people to feel better and to gain health using nothing but my hands and the power that made the body. So to honor my dad I will not retire until I can’t physically do this job. That should keep my mind active and learning to prevent premature deterioration. Have I told him this? Of course not. I don’t need to. But I do tell him I love him and thank you.
I could go on but we are at the end of the page. Honor someone else’s life by improving yours. Try to leave nothing for your kids to learn from your mistakes. An impossible task maybe, but one I’ll keep shooting for.