“Our health always seems much more valuable after we lose it.” -Unknown

As I was browsing the internet the other day I saw the quote above and was completely struck by how simple yet profound it was.  I immediately brought into mind all of the little bumps and bruises I have had over the course of my life time and how consuming they become, so much so that they outweigh anything else that the present moment offers.  Next I started to think about the people in my life who I have seen come under much greater physical challenges than I have ever had to face and how their whole reality was transformed and focused on this lack of health.

My experiences as I stated are small but it seems even the little things create such a mental circus in my head.  I recently chomped on my tongue so hard that it hurt for a week.  I would tell myself every time that I felt the pain while eating to never eat so unconsciously again that something like this could happen.  That process held up for that week being reminded over and over again how great it is to not experience pain when eating or swallowing.  Just as every other example that I could site, once the pain went away I completely forgot about the resolutions that I had made to live more consciously and take better care of myself, I was really just back to business as usual.

There are several experiences that I have seen in others on a much more severe scale that have been shown to be much more transformative.  The first one that comes to mind is the great change in attitude and outlook that I have seen enter some cancer survivors that I know.  Through the process of losing all conception of what health was and being forced to see the value in it, once recovery would take place, it seems an inner shift occurs as well and their whole attitude and outlook on life transforms too.  They had experienced drastic changes physically that offered a gateway to gratitude for something as simple as a pain free day.

With this knowledge I get to ask myself a few questions; Am I healthy?  Am I showing gratitude for the health that I have?  What am I doing to stay and grow in healthy ways today?  If I honestly look at these questions I can quickly say that overall I am a very healthy person, I exercise, I eat consciously and I try my best to focus on the things that are good in me today.  So in some ways I believe I am grateful but I think that I have so much room to grow in this area.  When I bit my tongue I spent so much time and focus on how painful and problematic that issue was, I have never focused that much love into the little things that my body blesses me with everyday.  When I look at it this way it seems like a complete lack of balance. I know in this moment that I don’t want to have to wait to lose something to see the blessings I have right in front of me today.

Affirmation: I am blessed to recognize the value of the health that I have in this moment; today I will focus on all the parts of me that are perfect healthy and whole.

Call to Action: Time to do some work!  My back hurts, my leg is sore, I have a blister…  These stories become our complete reality but while they are obvious concerns the rest of the machine that makes up our bodies are working in perfect harmony.  Today my back may be hurt but that will not define me, My head is clear, My hands feel strong, I breathe with ease and comfort and I can enjoy even the spiciest meal with complete comfort.  Also this may be the time to look at some of those things which are consciously taking away this precious gift of health that you can still seize.  Time to get honest, eh? What health blessings do you have today?  I have ten fingers and toes and for that I am grateful.