There was a girl who was studying in her college. She was very serious about her studies. Her aim was to have a great "career" ahead. She worked hard, she used to study so many hours a day to achieve her goal. She would never venture out to have even a walk or some form of a stroll. She got the job she wanted. The working hours there were not fixed. She earned well. She would go out to have dinner in some high-end restaurant. Her sleep cycle had changed by then. She was unable to sleep early in the night even though she wanted to. She would go out for a trip to some hill station once in a while to "chill" herself or attend some event at the weekend like going out to see some theatre or a newly released movie. This was what she called having 'fun'.
By now she had found her charming prince. She married him and then after some time got kids too. Now more than herself she would look after her kids & family. Her husband was also doing a 9 AM to 8 PM job. They both had their own house in a posh locality in a high rise tower. As they entered their 40s they started to fall ill more often they would earlier. They would take antibiotics/ medicines as they had work-related pressures. Soon they found out that both had diabetes. Some animosity also started developing in the relationship as kids were also now growing quite fast and office responsibilities were also increasing. This resulted in hypertension. They got themselves checked in the best of hospitals, from the best doctors who prescribed them the best of medicines. Yet they both knew this was only a temporary measure.
Now in their 50s, the bills of their medicines had reached to a higher number so do their children's' expenses. Other lifestyle diseases also made a home in their bodies. They were living through the pain of diseases and spending huge bucks on something that's only controllable & not curable. Within they were dying. As they entered the 60s, both had retired but had become frail and weak, heavily dependent on medicines. Their children had married by then and were busy with their lives. They had by now spent more on medicines than they had savings from their jobs. Inside, the guilt of not looking after their health on time was bothering them too much. They couldn't do anything worthwhile even though they wanted to because their body was not on their side.
Many of us are in the same situation as in the story. We are so engrossed in building up our societal "careers", that we hardly care for our body & soul. So many pressures, so much competition, so much of unnatural living.
The couple in the story learned their lessons late, in fact too late. What do you want to do?
It is all right you earn good money but don't compromise at all with your health. Not even a bit. Can you put a price on your health?
It is priceless. Value it. Else it won't value you.
Author:
Anish Sharma
Yoga Instructor, Yoga Practitioner, and Yoga Activist
Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir,
India