“Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need,” says the unforgettable character Tyler Durden in Fight Club, one of my favorite films.
This is not an article about the somewhat dark and twisted film though, but more about the message, the burn this leaves, and the slap in the face that propels us to question how we live.
So many times, we get caught up with the daily work of earning more money, so we can buy more stuff, so we can be happier and feel more accomplished. In the process, we tend to lose ourselves, our connection with others, and our connection with our bodies. We drown ourselves in this cycle that we sometimes forget what it feels like to be alive, without having to resort to regular food binges, shopping sprees, or all-out drinking sessions.
SO HOW CAN WE LEAD FULLER LIVES?
Staying Healthy in Mind & Body
Photo from Secret of Champions
It is something very obvious, and a lot of times neglected. It might seem so easy to put off a workout in favor of catching up on work or just lounging around after a hard day’s work. Might seem easy to choose a fast food meal versus preparing your own meal.
But a lot of sicknesses and diseases that we struggle with later in life like heart disease or diabetes arise from not paying attention to what our bodies need, and there’s a growing number of 30-somethings already struggling with these. And it’s not so much about the body alone, as the mind also needs the time you take to go out for a run or swim, the time you take to prepare your own simple, healthier meal.
Living mindfully is savouring the long walk back home, the queue at the store, the “downtime”. When we get overwhelmed with the demands of day-to-day living, we can remember that we have a choice in how we prioritize our time, and that even with the smallest changes, like sneaking in a 15-minute workout, adding fruit or vegetables to our diet, we can choose to be healthier.
Creating Real Connections
Life is also about having genuine relationships with other people. We can do this by being present for other people and truly listening when they speak. It’s about having concern and desire to serve others out without necessarily being like an overbearing know-it-all who’s always ready with a solution right away.
I also feel it doesn’t always help others to indulge in drinking sessions to get plastered enough so they can whine about things beyond their control, or the inability to move on, in more painful detail. I find more value in really taking the time to listen to people and ask about how they find happiness in the present, what their hopes and plans are for the future, and in the process, inspire and be inspired by them.
Promoting Health for Happier Lives
Ultimately, we just want to be happy, live the best lives we can live, wake up in the morning refreshed and looking forward to the day ahead, and go to bed at night gratefully looking back at the full day spent. I’m probably telling you things you know already, so if you haven’t already adopted these in your life, then it might just be the time you made the choice to reconnect with yourself (in mind and body), and with others. 🙂
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The #High5Life campaign aims to help us do just that by sharing lifestyle options we can choose that allow us to lead healthier, happier lives. Save the date for the #High5Life Fair & Fun Ride on March 30, 2014, 3-8pm at Mercato Centrale, Bonifacio Global City, (MUNI will be there too), all put together to give you more choices towards a high five-worthy life!
Also check out MUNI Market Day v2.0 on October 25 & November 8, 9am-5pm at Capitol Commons for a collaborative community event for mindful living and conscious consumption with shops, food, live music and workshops. #MuniMarketDay
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