We spend our entire life surrounded by inanimate single purpose machines that have been built to standards of high reliability. Whenever we need to use one of these machines it invariably performs without error. We flip a light switch and the light turns on. We turn a key and the car's engine comes to life. We press a button and the stove ignites, or the TV turns on, or the microwave starts cooking. Only occasionally does a replaceable part break down and then we simply replace that part and the machine functions reliably once again.
These machines never need food. They never need sleep. They never need a rest, but are at our service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and they never complain. Some of us interact with our machines more than we interact with other people. We come to expect everything in our life to behave flawlessly and without fail, and we are rarely disappointed.
Unfortunately, that same expectation comes to be put upon our selves and our bodies. We take tireless performance to be the norm and not the exception. We unconsciously expect the same thing of our bodies and our minds. Unfortunately, our bodies are not machines. They are living organisms and not subject to the same laws as machines. They tire and they get worn down rapidly. Their performance is variable and temperamental. If a part of the body get worn out, we cannot easily replace it. We must wait days or weeks for it to repair itself, or we may be damaged forever. We may never heal.
All of these unconscious expectations cause us to despise the body instead of appreciating what a miracle it really is. The body is really much more sophisticated and complicated than any machine, but we do not recognize it. We are detached from life and only looking for a quick result because that is how we have been trained and conditioned. All too often, this attitude causes us to despise our bodies and our minds for their weaknesses, instead of honoring them and appreciating the miracle that they are.
And then, we get chronically sick, carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, tennis elbow, PTSD, arthritis, an infection, or some other malady. If we do not recognize the problems we can even die long before our time.
Therefore, learn to appreciate the weaknesses and unique capabilities of your body. Honor the body and the mind and take care not to work them too hard or wear them out too soon.
It is a marvel that we have so many real machines to help us perform our daily tasks, but let's always remember that:
"The Body is NOT a machine." - Mr. Atwater
copyright(c)2015
William Schaeffer
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