Health: Endure a Little for Great Gains
A healthy lifestyle requires effort, learning, dedication, restraint, and avoidance of poor habits. These challenges are bearable compared to suffering from illness.
(Photo: shutterstock)If you are not willing to endure small hardships, you will face greater ones (R' Nachman of Breslov). This significant statement essentially encapsulates the purpose of one's existence in this world. This world is a corridor leading to the next, where life is an ultimate pleasure beyond our understanding. To earn a good life up above, one must toil and endure some hardship here. As Rabbi Natan, a student of Rabbi Nachman, expressed, "In this world, there is not a moment without a challenge," which is so true.
When it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, this aligns with the verse: "And you shall greatly protect your souls" - always maintain a healthy lifestyle, protect yourself from diseases, heaven forbid (if you achieve 80% success, that's wonderful). Once diseases manifest, it might be too late and the suffering can be overwhelming. Sometimes recovery isn't easy, and there are situations where the damage is irreversible, heaven forbid. Not everyone has the strength to uphold and endure everything "to protect oneself" to prevent diseases, but knowledge is empowering. Once a person fully understands aspects of moral conduct or health and its maintenance, they have greater strength to make the effort, endure a little, and prevent greater future suffering.
A healthy lifestyle involves behaviors requiring effort, learning, time dedication, restraint, and avoidance of improper conduct, which are bearable compared to the suffering from illness.
How many of you can say "no" to a creamy Belgian chocolate cake when you're hungry? Few. Yet if someone is in a detox and diet program, understanding that a little restraint now will prevent greater suffering in the future, such as diabetes or obesity leading to further illnesses, they will find the strength to say "no" now because it is beneficial in the long run. They are willing to endure a little now to avoid much greater hardship later in life. This thought pattern applies to many other areas.
Take responsibility. Learn about health, personal development, and everything needed to lead a better life here, and may you have a year of complete health, while eagerly awaiting the coming of Mashiach ben David soon.
To book a home workshop with the naturopathRuth Liat Pelz(free of charge), call 073-2221290
