I was going for a run in the park by my house recently and ran across something interesting. A tree that at first glance was standing upright just fine. However, with a closer look, was very near to falling over. Why? Because the nearby beavers had chewed away at it’s base!
I got to thinking how much this applies to health. It is so easy to assume your health is fine and there is nothing to worry about. However, we all have heard of someone who was going along just fine, then one day found out they had a severe health condition. Maybe they had a sudden heart attack. Or they felt a little off, went in for a checkup, and were diagnosed with something severe like cancer.
They think to themselves, “I was perfectly healthy and it just showed up, out of the blue.” However, when you understand where health comes from, you realize that the only way for a severe health condition to “just show up” is when your body’s foundation has been whittled away little by little.
Just like this tree before it falls. It looks like it’s upright and will be standing for a long time. However, each day a little of its base is chewed away. One day I’ll walk by and it will have fallen down. If I didn’t know what was happening I would think something major happened, like a big wind storm. However, it wasn’t something major, it was something minor that was very persistent.
This is why we work with people, especially kids, on a regular basis. We help to keep the minor things from becoming major things down the road. It is why it is important to have habits to help you be healthy, even if you don’t notice a big change right away. The health habits you build now make a huge difference in the future.
When you have a strong foundation, like a healthy nervous system, you can withstand much more of what life throws at you. It is the best way to prevent unexpected surprises!