A New You

It's a new year already: 2013! Time is flying right by us. Before we know it, it will be 2020, and then 2040. Time has a way of accelerating as we grow older. When we are kids, Time takes its sweet time. When we become adults, Time no longer bides its time, it blazes a trail of glory. At least it should - the glory part I mean. 

This may not surprise you, but we are only here, on this earth, for a short while in the grand scheme of time. Here today and gone tomorrow. Because our time on earth is so short, we really should make the most of it. We should leave our mark on this world and go out in a blaze of glory. Instead of waiting for a new year to start and plan our resolutions, we should be resolute and live the way we want to live now - today. Why do we wait for a new year to improve our lives? Why do we wait for a new year to only say that we resolve to make changes and improve our lives. Many of us only make the resolutions, we don't even actually engage in them. In other words, many of us only wait for a new year to roll around so we can entertain the thoughts of making positive changes so we can imagine who we want to become in our dreams.

We need to stop this insanity. We need to bring the person we want to become out of our dreams and into our reality. The only way to do this is to stop waiting for tomorrow, or  the new year, before we make a change. We need to start being the person we want to be today, right now. There is no tomorrow. If you keep waiting for tomorrow, life will race right past you. You will wonder where all the time went and how it is that you ended up like you have. 

What would happen if you took advantage of each day? Of each moment? You could build the life of your dreams. Only it wouldn't be the life of your dreams, it would be the life of your reality. 

Let's look at this from a health standpoint: You were made to move. If you engage in movement each day, you will nourish your brain and your body. You will ward off the effects of time, aging, and decay. You will retain your youth, strength, and vitality. Simply moving deliberately, on purpose, each day can keep you out of a rest home or a dementia care facility. Movement retains your youth, both your physical youth and mental youth. (though I don't know that you can separate the two)

"Really? What kind of movement?" 

I'm glad you asked! Any kind of movement helps, but moving and exploring your world like a child would, like a youth would, can really increase your vitality. Getting down on the floor and rolling around and tumbling can really improve your health. Crawling, marching, skipping and hiking can improve the health of your brain while at the same time improve your strength. When is the last time you skipped across a field of grass? When is the last time you went hiking through the woods or a hill-side? How wonderful would you feel, how invigorated would you become, if you went hiking for an hour or two only to try to find different kinds of flowers, or birds, or even rocks? Combining curiosity and fascination with movement is a great way to add youth to your body and brain.  

The point is, embracing the day, taking advantage of now, does not have to be that hard. It is the simple things in life that bring the biggest rewards. Deliberately moving, engaging in activity, each day can help you enjoy this life and become the person of your dreams. It can even help you stay forever young. 

Don't freak out, but time is flying by. You have today - you have right now. Tomorrow, the new year, may never materialize. You were meant to live a life of strength and vitality. Do it! Start today. Don't resolve to do it next year.