Some lessons that we learn in life only sink in years after we’ve been taught them. For example, in college, I had the privilege of being a member of the Georgia Alpha chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp): a brotherhood designed to make individuals better through community. Part of the philosophy behind SigEp is the concept that a sound body helps make a sound mind.
This lesson didn’t sink in while I was an active member of the fraternity. However, six years after graduating, while raising a two-year-old, weighing 300lbs, working endless hours for Tesla, and facing a global pandemic, I couldn’t ignore the imbalance my profession had in my life. While pursuing "professional development" via late nights pouring over information, it became clear that all that challenging work would be lost if I didn't invest in my health bank.
To the point of my last blog post "The Alchemy of Making", my partner, who is also in the midst of her career development and who actually made our child, has never wavered in her self-discipline. In that example, she made me better by making herself the best person she could be. She has been playing the game of making me better by being disciplined for as long as I've known her.
Today, 3 years after beginning my physical transformation, I have slowly changed my health habits by incorporating small changes. I started with low-intensity breathing practice, added walking 10,000 steps per day, and gradually increased the intensity over time. Incorporating long-duration endurance exercises like cycling, timber harvesting, and land clearing has helped me lower my blood pressure from 160/90 to 110/60, increase my nightly sleep from 5-7 hours to 7-9 hours, and change my body composition from 30% body fat to 15%. Hopefully a lesson our little ones won't have to learn as adults.
The biggest surprise in these results has been the mental strength, self-confidence, and professional advancements that were catalyzed by simply finding a better balance between my body and my mind. This brings me back to the lessons that SigEp's Balanced Man program attempts to impress on young men's development. It took me over six years to fully learn this lesson, but it's worth sharing with anyone whos well-being you care about. For me, that includes anyone who takes the time to consider my perspective. And those who haven't, so please like and share.
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