WAKE-UP CALL
Every so often we need a reminder. A sign. A wake-up call. Something telling us to stop or start doing something which will improve our well-being, for what we have been doing up until now is clearly not working. Such was the case this afternoon.
We go through life at times in a state of hurry. Certainly here in the States it seems more the case than in Europe where the way of life is slower and people focus less on work and more on a higher quality of life. As a result of such hurriedness we neglect the most basic of our needs. Food and sleep.
In a rushed state we tend to focus less on ourselves as we hurry out the door trying to make it to the daily grind of work. We might or might not have time to sit down for breakfast. If we do, it is most often a hurried affair as we shove a piece of bread with coffee into our mouths and hope that keeps us until lunchtime.
As lunchtime rolls around we get caught up in the latest project which needs to be completed. Perhaps we skip lunch or grab something from a nearby restaurant as we ran out of time to make something at home. By the time we get home in the evening we might be too tired to cook anything. Once again grabbing something, anything to curb the hunger we feel.
In addition to the neglect in nutrition, we push sleep and exercise off to the side hoping to somehow fit them into our busy schedule. But the time comes when we can no longer delay our basic needs. The ones which sustain us. Ones necessary to keep us going.
Our bodies have ways to let us know we need to make a change. Sometimes we listen. Other times we ignore the signs and suffer the consequences in some way. This afternoon my gallstones decided it was time for a reminder. My wake-up call to return to the healthy eating and exercise habits I have neglected in the past month.
The pain of gallstones is intense but nothing new to me. I have had them in the past and every time it has been the result of eating something my body was not used to eating on a regular basis. I suspect the popcorn with oil I shared with the children yesterday was tonight's culprit. But I am guessing this was not the only reason.
The stress of everything combined from the last few months and certainly this latest move have all caught up with me. My wake-up call was here to let me know I needed to shift focus back to a healthier lifestyle. To take time to plan healthy meals, drink more water, and return to a steady exercise routine.
With a new year ahead of us comes a great time to make the changes necessary for a healthier and happier life. If we neglect to listen to the signs, that wake-up call, we might not get another chance down the road. The time to listen is now.
