A Lesson of Peace Sponsored by Mr. Flu
It’s the cold and flu season! Recently my family and I had our fight with the unseen villains of the air. It started with my daughter and ended with me. I thought as the week went along I was getting luckier and luckier, but fate would have me tested anyways. The moment that I saw my daughter wasn’t feeling well, and it wasn’t just the homework, I started upping my zinc and vitamin c on the reg. I felt like superman taking care of the whole house that had now gotten sick and I was the only one not affected! Little did I know my turn was just around the corner. Not 24 hours after my wife recovered, I went down for the count.
Sipping on ginger ale, eating pretzels and dried apricots wasn’t that bad. The worst part about all being sick is the sleep. I don’t think the mental health of sleep loss gets discussed enough with sickness. Tossing and turning in my sweat, head pounding, throat itchy, I was completely miserable. A fairly healthy individual who ate well, medicated and took precautions is now utterly miserable just like anyone else. In that moment a voice gave my inner man a revelation: “think peace, why focus on all the things that are obvious to you now. Try and think about the things that are not obvious.”. I then thought to myself, it’s very quiet in the house. Its cool and dark. I could hear the faint sound of crickets singing and the wind brushing around the outside of the house. My dogs were peacefully asleep as were my children. The voice came back and said,” Now tap into that, that is you too. Speak your promise, I have peace.”
This had a profound effect on my mind that was restless just a few moments earlier. When we strive for optimization, the mental game gets overlooked because its probably one of the hardest things to do in times of pressure.
We can calorie count, optimize our nutrition, medicate, become robotic in our workout routines, but eventually we will be left with just our thoughts. Taking the time to think cost money and other resources. However, sometimes we are forced to slow down, and this can be the blessing of being ill. We never want to get to the point of bodily illness, but we all must face the consequences of this biodiverse life, of breathing air that may or may not have a dirty virus waiting to wreak havoc on our body. Any situation you are in, you always have the choice of peace. This is the lesson the voice taught me when Mr Flu provided the opportunity. Choose Peace.
