Get yours
Yesterday I went hiking again after a very long time and it was refreshing. This used to be my favourite hobby, but due to a lower back injury I was suffering from for more than 4 years, I had to take large breaks and refrain from going in the woods. Thankfully I am steadily recovering as the years go by, and thus I can get lost in nature more frequently and safely these days. I was quite pessimistic about the situation regarding my injury, but it seems that I have managed to leave it all behind and move on, and I can't find the words to describe how grateful I am for that.
They say that your health is your wealth, and trust me when I say that it's absolutely true. I remember not being able to walk for days, not being able to put on my socks on my own, not being able to carry anything around let alone help another person physically in any way in case of an emergency. And that's what used to hurt me the most; life can be really tough being a man who is unable to physically protect and assist his parents and significant others. The physical pain tied to the situation wasn't a big deal in itself, as I have been an athlete for over 20 years, and therefore, I have had to withstand and deal with it numerous times in my life.
I am still young and in shape, but when I was younger I had an incredibly good physical condition acquired through years of hard training and sacrifices, and that made me feel fearless and invincible. This sort of attitude helped me to achieve most of my goals and have a successful personal life, but also got me in trouble several times because even though it's definitely good to have no fear at all, it doesn't take away the danger that may be lurking around the corner. All it really does is hide the perils from plain sight and blind you so you can't spot and avoid them.
I fell for it
And that's exactly what this feeling of invincibility did to me. Apart from making me aggressive and dumb enough to risk getting in trouble with the law even for silly reasons, it also gave me the false courage to try and execute dangerous physical stunts such as extreme parkour jumps and intense breakdancing tricks that used to give me a natural high every time I performed them, but eventually took a toll on my orthopedic health in the long run. As far as I'm concerned, it is relatively easy to fall into this trap when you're young and in good shape, because it's hard to realize that your physical abilities will normally start to decline a few years later even if you keep practicing.
When you are feeling physically invincible, you tend to believe that this will forever be the case. Just like you take for granted your good health thinking it will always be given, and thus indulging in habits that harm your well-being due to this feeling of physical invincibility. It is a vital part of human nature, and we cannot do much to change that. What we can do is try to keep this in mind and always look at things from the perspective of an older version of ourselves as well. Of course this is not easy and we cannot accurately simulate the thought process of a future, much more experienced and wiser version of ourselves, but it's still possible to prevent some damage by adopting a preservative mindset when it comes to our physical health.
Of course, this principle can be applied in all aspects of life, as it always pays to try and look at things through an older person's eyes. If you find it quite hard to grasp what a future you would think about the situation you are faced with, just try to imagine what course of action an older person from your surroundings or family environment you think highly of would take if they were in your position. And if it's still hard for you to predict the answers, you can always take things to the next level and just ask their opinion on the matter. If only more people were willing to just listen, this world out here would be a much better and safer place.
Looking back
Growing older and older, we tend to value things differently, and so what seemed important to you ten or fifteen years ago may seem completely indifferent and irrelavant now. As the years go by, we learn to adapt and settle for less as it is easier than before to appreciate the little things in life that give meaning to our existence and drive the survival and evolution of our species on this little beautiful corner of this vast Universe we were brought into. As you can understand, having the ability to see ahead of time will enable you to realize the truth for what it really is without having to suffer the consequences tied to your mistakes. And as I have said before, you can learn from the mistakes of others and gain experience without having to pay a price for it.
The easiest way to do this is to just be observant. Keep your eyes open at all times, and try to understand why people do what they do and say what they say. Don't just hear their message; try to read between the lines, for there always lies the real message they so desperately need to share but can't find the way to express. It is all a matter of interpretation, and it can enable you to have a better understanding of yourself, let alone the people that matter most to you. After all, we are all the same to an extent, and our minor yet beautiful differences should not be an obstacle to connecting with each other on a deeper level and having mutual understanding.
All these thoughts just randomly pop and flow through my head whenever I take a walk in nature, and whenever I get the chance to visit the woods I am reminded again of this healing effect it has on my mood. It always feels like the first time, and I always tend to forget about it after a few days of not going to back for some preace of mind and fresh oxygen, which serves as proof that I'm a creature of habit with an incredible ability to adapt to the environment, and a success-driven mind that tends to forget and ignore the truly important things in life. My adventures in the woods do enable to me to get to know more about myself, but this doesn't mean I have been able to take control fo the situation.
Step up to the challenge
As a matter of fact I am not in control, and this makes me wonder whether I am still being reckless with my options, actions and decisions. I can't help but wonder whether a future, wiser and more experienced version of mine would approve of my habits and the way I live my life day to day. Of course I don't have the answers, and even if I try to apply the aforementioned principles, I am still in doubt as to whether the conclusions I reach are safe and correct. I guess I will never know; the more you get to learn about life and all things in it, the more you doubt everything you see and experience. Which is why some of the most intelligent people are full of doubts, while some of the most ignorant are full of confidence.
It all depends on the amount of information one has been exposed to. The more you research, seek and gather knowledge, the more you realize how much you actually ignore, and this goes on and on forever like an endless loop. This also explains why people get addicted to knowledge and seek more and more once they set out on their journey towards understanding the nature of reality. This is basically like getting hungier the more you eat, and thirstier the more you drink. Be wary of this wormhole and avoid it at all costs if you're looking to live a carefree life.
Life is for the risk takers
However, if you're not here to settle for anything less than the truth, and are not willing to fall without at least putting up a decent fight, then just know that I'm with you. You can always count on me, and we can make it through the storm together. This is one of the main reasons why I am typing those lines and sharing my thoughts with you. I want you to learn from my mistakes without having to take the losses I did. This is the least I could do to express my appreciation for you showing up here and reading this far.
I do understand that your valuable time is limited, and I mean it when I say that I'm truly grateful you took the time to read this piece. As always, I hope you did learn a thing or two reading my thoughts, and if you didn't, just know that I'm still happy if I managed to make you feel something for a little bit. That's what keeps me motivated to write more and more; I like to think I can affect your thought process in a positive way, even if you don't need me to.
I appreciate your attention,
