We think sometimes we have unlimited energy, or capacity to keep on going. Sometimes we need this kind of thinking as it enables us to plow on through some tough obstacles. There is the potential though of engaging in this pursuit of endless energy and its use as a default way of living.
It is possible to do this, I suppose, though more likely it is only possible to do this effectively for a short period of time without ensuring some negative consequences. We are not wells of infinite energy and capacity. At lease we are not without some renewal. The well can run dry and then there isn’t anymore to call up. What we do manage to squeeze out of that energy well has to come from someplace, and usually it comes at a much greater expense to some other aspect of our lives.
There are two images that come to mind one is that of a coiled spring or a wilting flower. The image I’m using here can be looked at in both ways. Horizontally it is like a coiled or uncoiled spring. If you look at vertically it could be seen as a wilting line.
As we consume more of our energy or capacity to get things done we deplete that within us as I have mentioned. Some consequences of this are stress, which would be natural since our body is trying to tell us we’re running low and the needle will soon be on E. Our stressed self is frequently manifest in our nature and also in our appearance as well as a gradually diminishing capacity. If we ignore this long enough it might have long term consequences.
I look at images of Barack Obama, or any president recently who’s had a lot of photos taken of them during their time as president. In every case you can see how much they aged in 8 years, or sometimes even fewer. When Mr. Obama came into office his hair was nice and dark. Perhaps there were a few grey flecks but mostly it was dark. You look at the photos of him when he left office or even now and he is completely white headed. The same can be seen on all previous presidents. The demands of the office are unrelenting and I can only imagine the stresses felt.
It’s true I’ve not been a fan of many of the past presidents, or at least not an ardent supporter, and yet in every case I have great respect for the energy they devoted to doing what they felt was in the best interest of the country. I’ll withhold comments about our current president Mr. Trump. I’m not sure I’ll ever respect him, just as I will not every forget Nixon’s time in office.
Well guess what folks, the same thing happens to us, we age faster when we are stressed and the degree to which we keep stressing will manifest in our appearance. You know the usually suspects, grey hair faster than what might have been normal, increased lines on the face, tightening of muscles in back and shoulders.
An interesting book titled Back In Control: A Surgeon’s Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain by David Hanscom, MD, talks about this surgeons shift in his treatment of chronic back pain away from surgery. He details how now he will not perform surgery on anyone who does not follow his course which includes keeping a detailed journal for six months among other things. Whereas previously in his practice surgery was the first go to solution, now it is journalling. Through this process he has helped people see how the stresses of their lives, the lifestyle they have engaged in are more often than not the culprit of their pain. He admits it’s a tough sell at first because no one wants to admit it and surgery sounds like such a quick fix so why not do it, since life is mostly about quick fixes right.
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