Crystal Ball

         You ever wish you had a crystal ball that you could glimpse into the future and see what your life will be like?  Would you like what you see?  Would you make changes to improve your future?  We talk a lot about training sustainably; would you still be able to train into old age?

        My crystal ball came in 2016, with the pericarditis and subsequent finding of the heart defect.  I saw what my future held, and even though I know corrective surgery will be inevitable, I also knew that I needed to make lifestyle changes.  Would I have made some of these changes regardless?  Maybe, but maybe not.  It was a strong catalyst for me to make changes, for I want to live a long and healthy life.  Folly of youth is to live like there are no consequences.  Why would there be?  When you're young injuries and illnesses typically don't last long and you recover quickly.  As you age, less so.  Being a healthcare practitioner I also have the privilege of treating an aging population.  Some are doing okay, but many are suffering the consequences of how they lived.  

        SO what if you could peer into the future, and see that you're less mobile?  Would you train differently?  Would you change up your diet?  Get more sleep and stop trying to pull off all-nighters?  Knowing my future and knowing there was little I can do about the outcome didn't stop me from making changes for the better.  It lead me to better dietary habits.  I became a lot more aware of what I was fueling and poisoning my body with.  I noticed the changes in my training, the changes in the health of my skin and hair, the changes in my energy levels, as well as the changes in my recovery.  I started training with more purpose and started training smarter.  I started working with a personal trainer and built strength and mobility.  I joined Kung Fu (part of that was it was something I always wanted to do, but was too afraid to join before).  Kung Fu has done wonders for the health of my joints.  I made changes to my sleeping patterns, because I was the person who would stay up till 1, 2 or even 3 in the morning, even if I had to get up early.  I made these changes partly because I know what's in store for me, but also because it was a wake-up call.  I needed to start making changes and investing in my future now.  For context, I was 29 in 2016, so still older than a few of you that are reading this.  Nevertheless, I encourage you to take a look at your habits, because the earlier you start, the more it will pay off in the future.

        As much as it was hard to learn about having the heart defect, I'm glad it happened.  Kind of wish I had the information sooner, because then I maybe would've made changes to my health a lot sooner and saved myself some grief.  We often get caught up in short term goals or gratification, but what about what happens after?  Goals are great to have.  They can motivate us and give us something to strive for.  Like a black belt.  Great goal, will no doubt be a great accomplishment, but what after?  I’ve pondered this question.  My conclusion is that it’s like my health.  I train for sustainability, so that I will hopefully still be training on Kung Fu into my 70’s, 80’s.  As for what’s after Black Belt?  More Kung Fu hopefully, is the short answer.  More learning, more exploring, more adapting to an ever aging body.  Finding better more efficient ways to move.  Creating stronger bonds with my instructors and teammates.  Learning more about myself along the way.

          The truth is you don’t need a crystal ball to see into your future.  It’s woven into the changes you make.  Sure there are always going to be unexpected things that come up that are far out of our control, but the majority of it is on us.  We all have a lot more control than we think, what changes usually is just our perspective of it.  Knowing I have a heart defect doesn’t give me any less control than I had before, it just gave me a different perspective.  So what do you see?