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Consider this:
We have 37.2 trillion cells in our bodies (compare that to the 400 billion stars in the galaxy!). The cells that make up your body are dying and being replaced all the time. By the time you've read this sentence, roughly 25 million cells will have died, but you'll make 300 billion more as your day unfolds. Your brain is 2 percent of your body's weight but uses 20 percent of its oxygen intake. Your brain generates 12 to 25 watts of electricity. Your brain is 73 percent water, and just 2 percent dehydration affects attention, memory, and other cognitive skills. (Hydrate!!) The average brain has about 50,000 thoughts per day…and 70 percent are believed to be negative. The brain's storage capacity is virtually unlimited. And that's just the beginning.
Ninety-five percent of your decision-making takes place in your subconscious mind, and the brain in your head isn't your only brain. There's a second brain in your intestines that contains 100,000 neurons. Gut bacteria are responsible for producing over 30 neurotransmitters, including the "happy" molecule serotonin.
Take a moment in reverence of the miracle of life that you are.
We have nothing to do with making this miracle happen; it's working in spite of us, our inexhaustible life force. Yet we take all this for granted. We worry that our breasts are too small, our butts too big, or our noses too long. If you ever feel insecure, insignificant, or inadequate, remember that there are more cells in your body than stars in the galaxy.
It takes a lifetime to become you, and it takes a lot of trust and unlearning to be happy being you. Unraveling the mystery of who you are and how to make life work is a sacred journey. I wrote my book, Wake Up to the Joy of You: 52 Meditations and Practices for a Calmer, Happier Life, to help you along your journey, wherever you are now. It's a road map to yourself.
Each chapter offers wisdom from a lifetime of spiritual seeking, inspiring stories, and either action plans or guided meditations to support you in letting go of what doesn't work and finding what does.
Honor your body, treat it with respect, and learn about it, because it is a microcosm of the magnificent universe. Serve it well, so it can serve you in your life.
Here are a few small steps you can take today to invest in your own future:
- Identify what you need to pay more attention to in order to improve your health.
- Record in your journal how you're implementing micro-steps to improve your health and energy level.
- Research anything you're curious about that has to do with your body and its well-being, for example, how food affects your body or what supplements can meet your needs.
- Get an annual physical. If there's anything that needs further diagnosis, build your tribe of doctors, from general practitioners to integrative medicine, to help you.
- Remember that daily movement, hydration, nutritious food, and good sleep are the four major pillars of a healthy life.
- Practice compassion and fully engage in your well-being. You deserve it.
