You’re almost always told to DO what you love like this will help solve your current problem or make you happy. Does it really work like this? Do what you love to make yourself happy. Let’s explore this using me as N= 1 example.
What You (I) Love
Take a moment to write down or think about what you love to do and what you love to eat and drink. Here, I’ll get started.
Drinking Coffee
Cleaning (I’m a freak for it)
Having a few alcoholic beverages
Wearing tracksuit pants
Jerky, potato chips, and candy
Are any of these on your list? Just because I love to do (eat and drink) all these things doesn’t mean they all agree with me or are the best for me.
Don’t Do What You Love
In my previous life, I loved to smoke cigarettes and pot. Not only was I addicted, but I loved the act of it, the way it made me feel, at least for a moment. There wasn’t a day in my late teens and early 20s when I went without both for long.
Living a life of excess with no responsibilities was fun until it wasn’t.
My health rebelled against me, and I found myself getting sick often. Back in 92’ the flu got me, and I was laid up for over two weeks and hardly ate a thing. I lost about 15 pounds (6-7kg), was weak, and was close to being admitted to the hospital. Yes, I was doing what I loved, but it hurt me.
Fast forward to now.
Anybody who knows me knows I love the occasional drink. Not to excess anymore, but a few friendly beverages to relax and knock the edge off. But unfortunately, the beer didn’t love me back. No matter if I drank one or more beers, I’d wake up the following day feeling like doggie do.
But I kept sucking it up because I love beer, but it got to the point where operating with a cloudy and aching head was unbearable. Push came to shove, and I have pretty much given up drinking. Drinking was fun, and I loved to partake in a few beverages, but my body had different ideas.
Because doing what you love doesn’t always work out the best for you.
A Quick Exercise Example
Lifting weights is my jam because, like many personal trainers, I’m a freak for exercise.
But this didn’t stop me from trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. Like many people, there are things I love to do but are not the best for me, one of which is barbell deadlifts. Now I’m not going to nerd out on exercise techniques and stuff, but barbell deadlifts hurt me.
And no, it didn’t hurt so good.
My hips, lower back, and left hamstring hurt like buggery, as I could barely move around without hurting. Something had to give, and even though I loved to deadlift, my body didn’t feel the same because you cannot always do what you love.
Is there something you love to do, eat, or drink, but your body doesn’t feel the same way? Maybe then, it is time for a change.
Sometimes You Have To Do What Your Body Loves
Many readers out there don’t love exercise as much as I do. Many find it uncomfortable, time-consuming, painful, inconvenient, and irrelevant. Most do it because they feel they must like what they see in the mirror. Some think of the vanity benefits and not the health benefits.
Some don’t like eating fruit, vegetables, lean protein, or drinking enough water to stay hydrated. They would like to continue eating as they did in high school because it tastes good, and they are only here for a good time, not a long time.
Although inconvenient and uncomfortable for some, the body needs essential nutrients and movement. You might not love to do it, but your body sure does. Sometimes you have to do what you DON” T love to continue what you do love.
Wrapping Up
You cannot do what you always love to do because, let’s face it; you wouldn’t always be productive. If it were up to me, I’d drink coffee, eat jerky, and do biceps curls and barbell deadlifts all the time.
But that wouldn’t be good for me or my body.
I feel life is a balance of doing what you love and what you don’t so you can lead a quality, healthy life where you can occasionally indulge. So, try to give up on the things that hurt your body, and do the things you don’t like but are good for you so you can adult better. Well, at least in theory.
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