Health Is a Vehicle, Not a Destination

Health Is a Vehicle, Not a Destination We often have a misguided, binary view of personal health. Case in point: a  reader took umbrage with a sign  in our recent essay, 11 Signs You Might Be Broke. She didnt like what we had written  about health, stating, Im normally a huge fan [of The Minimalists,] but this article really annoyed me just because [it] came across quite judgmental of sick people. The article might have been better if theyd stuck to ten points. But, dear reader, health is the most important aspect  of the whole article! Without health we have nothing. Although of course health is a continuumâ€"it is different for each of us. Personal health is, by definition,  personal. The statement in the articleâ€"Unhealthy equals depressionâ€"does not suggest that we  should compare our  personal health with everyone elses  (in fact, comparison in general is  pernicious and should be avoided when possible), and it certainly is not  a judgment of anyone whos sick. Rather, we all  want to be in the best possible health given our unique  circumstances. For example, I broke my back while playing basketball in the eighth grade, 20 years ago, and I still have a broken vertebra today, which, besides being terribly painful, significantly limits my range of motion compared to, say, a gymnast or an athlete or just your average 33-year-old guy. Hell, I can hardly tie my shoes at times. However, that doesnt mean I shouldnt strive to be as healthy as I can be given my constraints. In this sense, health is perspectival, and so if we want to be happy, then we all must strive to be the healthiest versions of ourselvesâ€"broken bones, sickness, warts and all. In fact, the Internet is filled with shining examples  of people with diseases, disabilities, and broken backs who are able to live  meaningful lives because they live as healthily as they can according to  their individual situations. Its also  worth noting that when Ryan and I talk about health, were not talking about vanity muscles or improved statistics or competing with others. Those are end resultsâ€"destinations. But  health is not a destination; it is a vehicle. So, OK, maybe Ill never make it to  the NBA with my bad back (not to mention my mediocre ball-handling skills), but that doesnt mean I should feel defeated, broke, broken.  No, it means I must take care of the vehicle I have, providing it with regular tune-ups (daily stretching, regular exercise, and occasional  chiropractor visits, as well as a good diet, adequate sleep, and daily meditation), which will help me better enjoy the journey ahead. Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.