BETTER CHOICES, BETTER ADAPTATION
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
How I managed my life pre-pandemic seems distant and disconnected now – because the return to normalcy is not happening. Instead, a return to a more focused brand of charting a future of hopes and plans. Not just for me. For everyone. Some are still waking up to that; some are racing ahead with reckless abandon with fingers crossed. Some aren’t even crossing their fingers.
Some of these choices are about lifestyle. Much more is about the work/life/creativity balance question. For me, how to navigate from where I was a couple of years ago has been far less in my control than I would have imagined.
It’s a warning, is it not?
A warning that when we are not clear and determined in our path, principles, and priorities, then public policy, pandemics, and politicians can wreak havoc on our expectations.
Whether or not the 4th wave will soon be behind us, whether or not there is a 5th and 6th, we are examples of what Darwin described. Survival of the fittest and thriving by those willing to adapt. The gig-economy folks under 30 don’t have to change as much as those north of 60, to say nothing of those beyond 80 or 90.
The future is ours to see. Que sera, sera …
The future is not predictable, but it is ours to shape. How we live, where we live, how we thrive, and how we best survive should not be determined by anyone else. Yes, I’m all for getting vaccinated, trusting science, and being proactively intelligent – using the data, warnings, and guidance we are fed from multiple directions at once. But, we need to make well-informed decisions without giving up the right to make good ones and bad ones. In so many things, better choices matter more in the long run than they do at the moment of decision.
I often write my thoughts on aging, on well-being, and about that trifecta of sleep, diet and exercise. I don’t think I’m alone in my fixation on those. That’s probably typical for most people as we get older …
I don’t expect to live forever, but I want to keep feeling as if I’m able to and wanting to. [note to self: make more younger friends]
As I read more, think more, and try more to become better informed about factors contributing to (or hindering) longevity and good health, I recognize that my quest for physical well-being connects directly to my state of mental health.
It’s self-evident that contentment is more than any other single ingredient; it is a critical part of the mechanics of any brand of success.
So is my caffeine …
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