In today’s post, I want to have a look at a key component to a successful and fulfilled life – our health! Without our health, can we do anything else? Someone once said, “Our health is our first wealth”. Smart person

Many of us, when we talk about being healthy, think about losing those extra few centimetres off our  waistline so that we can fit into that little black dress, look good at the beach, impress our partners etc. However, is that all health is?

I don’t believe so. Don’t get me wrong – I do agree that being your ideal weight is an important part of your health but if that was all there was to it, why do so many thin and apparently healthy people die of heart attacks?

Something does not add up. There are some people who tell me that since thin people can die of heart related conditions and fat people can die of heart related conditions, there is no point making the effort to be healthy. You might as well enjoy all the food you can because you only live once!

I think that’s a complete cop out!!

In fact, I believe that it is because we only live once (at least this is the only life we’ll ever remember) that we need to look after our health. After all, as I said above, if we don’t have our health, what use is anything else?

So if thin people can die early and fat people can die early – perhaps the way we look at health needs to change. Here is how I definite health – energy for living!

If you have the energy to be able to live a passionate life, to be able to perform well in your chosen career, then give energy to your relationship, your friends and the various other demands that are invariably placed on you – and you can still wake up refreshed and ready to go, that’s health to me!! If you have the energy after a big week to go and play at the beach with your kids and then take your partner out for a romantic night out, then that’s good health!!

One of the main reasons why intimate relationships get stretched over the long term is because of a lack of energy. That might sound strange but bear with me. For most of us, our relationship with our partner is the most important aspect of our lives – yet in our daily schedule it is the aspect of our lives that gets attention last! It is only at the end of the day, when most of us are absolutely exhausted that we have time for our partner, but when we have time, we don’t have the energy. So instead we choose to sit in front of the television, complaining that we’re tired and we need to rest.

Imagine if things were different – imagine if you had the energy to be able to come home and spend some quality time with your partner and your family. Imagine if, instead of being exhausted, you were still refreshed and able to really be there for the people you love. What kind of difference would that make to your life? This is why I talk about health as being energy for living!

I had a recent experience which really brought this home for me – I had been working long hours but I’d still been eating well and sleeping my normal 7 hours. So I thought I was looking after myself – I still spent time with my girl and went to the gym and did all the things I thought I was supposed to do. However, there was one tell tale sign I kept trying to ignore – I was constantly tired!! I’d wake up in the morning and it would feel like I’d barely slept. However, being a typical achiever, I just kept going – pushing myself because that’s what I thought achievers did!

However, one afternoon, I realised something had to change! I was working out with my gym buddy when my body just started to feel really weird. We were only about half through the session when I told him that I had to stop (and I never do that). I physically could not do anything more – even walking back to the change room was an effort. I felt absolutely awful and my friend said that I started to look pale as well. I managed to drive myself home and I flopped on the couch where I stayed for several hours.

By dinner time, I still was not feeling so great – so I spoke to my dad (who I still think is the wisest man I’ve ever met) and he asked me a simple question. He said, “When was the last time Niro, you took a night off to rest?” I thought about it and… I could not answer him because I did not know. I had been working so hard for so many days constantly that I had literally sapped up all my energy levels.

So, although I thought I was fit and healthy – I wasn’t! I had no more energy to do anything – I realised I had been running on empty for quite a while and my body finally said, ENOUGH!!

So the next day, I worked for about 2 hours and then I spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach. Then I also took the weekend off – which was the first time I’d done that in ages… and it’s amazing how good I felt come Monday morning. My fiancée even said that I sounded different and I looked so much more alive!

Let me ask you – how are your energy levels? By defining health as being energy for living, it makes things so much easier. Health is no longer about eating celery sticks or starvation diets, worrying about looking good at the beach or trying to trim down to fit into a smaller dress size. Rather, it’s about how alive you are – how much energy you have.

So with energy being the key requirement for health, we also need to make sure that we are constantly replenishing our energy levels as well! I realise I was sooo lucky – there are many people out there who don’t get the warning sign that I did (or at least they don’t pay attention to them). Instead they just keel over one day – dead! Don’t let that be you – what do you need to change today to start increasing your energy for living? Do you need to sleep more, rest more, eat better, work less, stress less, worry less, exercise more? What is it for you?

Remember that health is energy for living and we need to ensure that our energy levels are always topped up. Otherwise, you’ll end up like I was – a leaky bucket giving energy to everyone but never giving myself the time to top my energy levels. If you drive a car and never fill up the tank, eventually it will stop – just like a car, we’ll stop too. Look after your energy levels – change your definition of health to be energy for living and see how your whole life changes. Oh and by the way – when you focus on energy for living, it’s amazing how easy it is to get those six pack abs or fit into that little black dress J

I’d love to know what you thought of this article – does energy for living seem like a better definition for health? Please leave me a comment below and if you liked this article, please share it on Digg, Twitter, Stumbleupon or Delicious. I’d really appreciate it.