“A peak state helps you handle adversity.” – the Wealthy Gardener
Physical exertion improves your mind. It turns your worry into confidence and your fatigue into vitality. No other remedy does more for the spirit.
I had a friend who faced a midlife crisis so awful that he later admitted to me that he ONCE considered suicide.
He tried antidepressants, psychotherapy, religion- you name it. Nothing worked. Despite a loving family, he was miserable. He figured it must by his job, or his life condition. He felt overwhelmed and trapped.
But then he found his solution.
It turns out, he didn’t need a new career, but he did require a stronger on-going emotional state to keep up with the increasing demands of his life.
He joked about it later. “Everything was different since the day I decided to take care of my physical animal.” He focused on his body to strengthen his mind.
He told me that nothing in his world changed around him, but he changed himself in the world. He began every day with vigorous exercise. .
He started walking, jogging, and finally running. He set a goal to finish a half marathon and then he did it. He slowly restored his physical strength––and what followed was more mental energy, and spiritual vitality.
If your life is perfect, then you get a pass. But if you need a boost, if you feel inadequate to meet your challenges, if you feel doubtful over your ability to endure life’s trials, exercise may be the cure to unlock your full powers.
“I go for a face sweat,” said Steve Young, “as a minimum daily workout.” If sweating doesn’t appeal to you, then at least aim to stimulate deep breathing, go for a walk, or try daily yoga. A peaks state helps you handle adversity.
“I believe that when the body is strong,” Henry Rollins said, “the mind thinks strong thoughts.” Cicero told us, “It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor.”
Beyond the obvious physical benefits, exercise provides clarity of mind, increased cognition, higher energy, quicker thinking, greater stress-handling capacity, more self-confidence, more poise, and steady composure in the face of stressful problems.
Arthur Dobrin said, “A good sweat, with the blood pounding through my body, makes me feel alive, revitalized. I gain a sense of mastery and assurance. I feel good about myself.”
“Sweat cleanses from the inside,” said George Sheehan. “It comes from places a shower will never reach.”
Of course, you don’t absolutely need to exercise. You can exist with less than full energy and still be productive. You can survive with less than your best thinking. You can operate from a position of weakness. In fact, you can even take comfort in knowing that you’re like most people.
But if you choose exercise to cultivate a daily peak state, your days in the world will be better . . . because you will be better in the world.
Buddha said, “To keep the body in good health is a duty—otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”
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