Please! Don’t Take Care of Me!

During my holidays in Hong Kong, I’ve met up with friends, family – people.  Like Shanghai, it is a bustling city with tons of opportunities and innovation going on.  While meeting up with people that I haven’t seen in a while, including my family from Canada, I noticed a slight trend.  As I get older and older, which is an inevitable process that we all share, I will continue to hear and experience more tales of friends and family getting bogged down by illnesses, diseases, and just general un-wellness.  Perhaps, since I am in the health and wellness industry I may have a more sensitive ear for these anecdotes than the common person, but this puts a dampener on the holiday season nonetheless.

Although, they weren’t completely dire situations, the accumulation of these unpleasant accounts have definitely been building up on my sub-conscious.

I met up with my family whom some have ‘aged well’, while others not so much.  I have met up with some friends whom have also ‘not aged well’.  I have heard my friends and family talk about their friends and family whom are also struggling in the health department.

It almost seems like health problems and ageing go hand-in-hand; and will be an ever increasing phenomenon as time goes on.

Luckily, these people suffering from some illness or disease are being looked after by their loved ones.  I think it’s great that I know so many compassionate people, some of whom have flown halfway around the world to be with them.  But when I reflect on myself and imagine one day that I’ll be old and fighting a disease of my own, that I too, will be putting my loved ones through an incredible burden – a burden filled with emotional pain, anguish, despair, maybe financially as well, and lasting for weeks or months even.

Maybe some of them had no choice and couldn’t do anything about it, but for me, I’ve taken the perspective that I will do whatever I can to reduce the possibility of having them take care of me by making myself as resilient as I can, for as long as I can.

A quote from the late Jim Rohn that captures exactly what I mean:

“The greatest gift you can give to somebody is your own personal development.

I used to say, ‘If you will take care of me, I will take care of you.’

Now I say, ‘I will take care of me for you, if you will take care of you for me.”

Sometimes, shit happens – car accidents, an unforeseen cancer diagnosis, a new food scandal – whatever.  We may not be able to prevent all the misfortunes of life hitting us.  But if we can minimize them from occurring, then that’s time and energy worth spending.  I hope more people can also adopt a more proactive approach to their health.

I have spoken to some of you about my HK trip, and although it wasn’t a relaxing beach holiday, it gave me the stimulus needed to recharge my commitment.

I am determined to help you and the community in which I am in.

I’m doing this for you.  Now do me the same by training your ass off and staying in the best shape of your life.

And you can do that by signing up for this week’s class.