Turn the principle of oneness within and realize that the health of your body depends on the health of your cells, and vice versa. Your body and your cells are completely interdependent. Neither can survive and thrive without the other. Your body and mind are intimately connected as well. Buddha said, “To keep the body in good health is a duty” because good health is necessary to keep our minds strong and clear.
You’ll have to decide whether to extend the principle of oneness beyond the human race. Will you apply this principle to other living creatures as well? For me (Steve Pavlina), that extension feels right. If I’m totally honest with myself, I must admit that turning animals into food violates my sense of empathy and compassion, causing me to fall out of alignment with oneness. When I look at a puppy and a piglet, it doesn’t seem fair to me that one is treated as a beloved pet while the other becomes a meal. Consequently, I favor fresh fruit as the largest part of my diet because eating fruit doesn’t harm the plant that spawns it. The seeds can also be planted to grow even more fruit. Interestingly, I’ve found that shifting my diet in the direction of greater empathy and compassion for all creatures has yielded many health benefits as well.
Turn oneness outward and realize that you influence others by your example. Your personal health habits affect us all. Have you ever felt more motivated to exercise after watching a top athlete? Did reading a book written by a health nut ever inspire you to improve your diet? Are you aware that you have a similar effect on everyone you interact with? By your example, you teach others how to live. What kind of example are you currently setting?
Team up with other health nuts, fitness freaks, and fanatical purists (that is, sane people) to work toward good health together. Loosen your ties to relationships that reinforce negative health habits, and favor those that encourage more positive ones. Treat your social circle as an extension of your own body.
Despite its obviously personal nature, health isn’t something to be considered in isolation. When one of us is sick, we all suffer for it in some small way. Because of the interconnected nature of human society, there’s a practical limit as to how far an individual can race ahead in the quest for greater health. It’s folly to ignore our interconnectedness.
For example, how will you escape the negative health effects of global pollution when all of the fresh water on earth is polluted with synthetic chemicals? It isn’t enough to pursue health for yourself alone. If you want to be as healthy as possible, you must help others make healthier choices as well. As your individual health journey unfolds, share what you learn along the way to help others grow and improve. We’re all in this together.
* Source: Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina