Vessel

Perhaps the most morally acceptable of all masochistic human activities is working out in the gym.  It is hard and agonizingly painful.  There even comes a time that you cuss everything that’s good and true just to get that barbell back up.

But why do we do it, why do we need to do it?

We wrap our gifts the best possible way, we repaint our cars or houses once in a while, and we take care of even the most mundane things we own.  So the answer to why we should take care of our bodies, the one thing that we absolutely own for sure, is a no-brainer.

Don’t give me the “you-are-very-superficial-inner-beauty-is-more-important” crap.  If we weren’t all superficial, if we didn’t consider at all what other people think, if we didn't care about what we see in the mirror, we wouldn’t need to iron our clothes, nor girls would need to wear make up, nor  carefully choose what to wear before we get out of the house.  Inner beauty is MOST important, I so totally agree, because it is, partly, what would afford us a slot in heaven where everyone is going to look like Angelina or Brad.  But it is the last thing that everyone would know.  You are not going to tell every single person in the street that you are all nice and cuddly.  If you are a good person, you will effortlessly wake up in the morning with a good heart for sure, but never picture-perfect.  It takes a lot of work.  And if we could all be both, why the hell not?

I am person that is resigned to the fact that there is nothing more I can do with my face, I got the worst facial features of my parents, and I even have a disfigured head.  Unfortunately, not all of us are given the naturally dashing good looks.  Fortunately, we have our able bodies which we can do something about.

To look good is not the only reason why we should look after our bodies.  Health is also a paramount consideration.  Especially if one already has a family, which usually ironically is the reason exercise is foregone, we would love to have more years to spend with them.  But some would argue that even the most health conscious people die, so why bother.   Well at least they looked great while alive, right?

I am not at all saying that we should all be bikini-ready and exhaust all our time, energy and money to be so.  I am simply advocating that we should try to look, feel and be our best because we have only one life to live.  No second chance, no turning back.  It is our only shot at living the life we choose for ourselves.

We owe it to ourselves and to our Maker to take care of the vessel of our spirit and soul.  We are the only custodian of our bodies and absolutely no one else.