#SoG112 - Health and Attention
#SoG 113. Health and Attention
Note: This is more of a personal rant. So you may want to skip reading this.
I missed SoG111. And I knew what I was going to write about. Nelson. And other things that people consider unlucky. And thus, superstition and other such things. But as luck would have it (or maybe it was some ill omen), I fell ill. And I could not write the letter. Two days in a row. And thus, I missed SoG112 as well.
So, with 113, I will talk of two things.
1. Health.
2. Attention.
Read on.
1. Health
I write this letter from a room at the Indore Tennis Club that overlooks a few tennis courts where the rich and famous from Indore mingle and rub shoulders. They wine and dine at these greatly subsidised rates. And yes yes, they do play tennis once in a while - after all, this is the Tennis Club. Oh, I have just had some poha (what else do you eat here?) and jalebi (which had so much sugar in it that you could squeeze me and pacify a thousand babies in the aeroplanes).
Anyhow. Last two days were hell, to be honest. I would've made a thousand trips to the loo and I think every drop of fluid in my body probably went out. Till I got some Electral and got back on my feet. If you care, I am doing great!
So, as my head started to function again, I realised the importance of good health. I mean I always knew it. But it was something at the conceptual level. It was a thing that did not happen to me. It was a remote possibility. I've never been so unwell that it affected my work. And if it did I had others in the team that could work on things. This time, the entire team fell sick and we lost on 2 out of 4 days that we had planned. And that meant 50% of the time and money we put in! What a colossal loss!
The point is, in life health has to be made a priority. Everything else fades away. I will pick some sport (I am starting to learn swimming on the 12th). I will need to create better eating habits (read Keto / lo-carb food that is homemade, no more Diet Coke etc). I will try and spend more time with nature (no AC, greens etc). And I will get back to that apparently insane routine of sleeping at 9:30 PM (come what may) and getting up at 4 AM.
Once I get these in place, I will get back to working out. I may even pick up Crossfit!
What else can I do?
Oh, and I hereby make a promise to myself that I will do whatever it takes to ensure that I don't have to get admitted to a medical institution ever. Last time around, it was for a Nasal Polyp operation in 2017. And the second, if I do live to a ripe age and I become a vegetable, I really wish I have enough left to be able to walk into the mountains.
That's it.
2. Attention
This is a short one.
I read somewhere that attention is the most precious and most priceless gift that you can shower on someone else. For this project I am on, I am meeting so many new people, from so many walks of life. Since this is a new project to me, I am in that absorption mode where I don't really speak a lot but just listen quietly to things happening around me. This is very unlike me but it is interesting, to say the least. When you are not talking and merely observing, you realise how the other person is talking to you. And this is when I realised the subtle and thin difference between people who give you attention. And the ones who don't.
And once the difference became apparent, my entire life flashed past by me. I could see all those people that I gave all my attention to. And all those that I did not give my attention to. And then I put myself in their shoes. And I realised that it sucked to not get attention.
So, the other takeaway from my trip is that I will accord all the attention I could to each person I am interacting with.
Phew. You know what am saying? Do I have your attention?
The lesson for the day?
Just one. There is nothing as important as health. And its something that we take for granted. I mean if you buy an expensive car, you ensure that you clean it inside and outside thoroughly and with the most expensive detergent available. Why would you not take care of your body like that? Inside and outside?
Maybe start with some sport? Spend more time in nature? Stop sugar?
Oh, I know I am probably the most unqualified to paddle this - I am as unhealthy as they come. But I can use this opportunity to make a promise to myself. I can start. No? Just hope that this is not one of those million false starts that I've had :(
Thank you for reading,
@saurabh
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Streak: 1
Tags: Health, Interpersonal Relationships, Attention, Indore, Sports, Nature.
Notes
PS: Remember I said I will start tracking these streaks? Resetting it to 1 today.
PPS: Like I said, I am as unfit as they come and yet I am paddling virtues of great health. This is what virtue signalling typically is! See #SoG99.
Further Reads