Health is Wealth

Today in Puerto Princesa, on my way to the university, there was a huge traffic jam, police were everywhere and we were rerouted to take another way to the school. Upon our arrival to school we asked what was happening to cause such a traffic problem. I was shocked to learn that a man, a journalist, was shot minutes from where we were and in broad daylight! I was very grateful to have missed the shooting and glad I did not witness anything but the havoc of police and multicabs being rerouted.  Just insane! However this started to make me think about life and how really lucky I am to not have been a part of that crime, I was honestly minutes from it and that I am from a place where there truly is freedom of speech!

So this blog post has nothing to do with my travels or my internship here in Palawan, rather it is an entry on health and life! Life is so precious, I have learned through many hard trials, losses and experiences that you can have all the material things in the world but you are absolutely nothing without your health and family. I have had friends, colleagues and relatives who have all lost someone they love to a horrible disease or terminal illness. Just in the past year alone I have lost my grandmother to Alzheimer’s, two of my friends aunts have passed away because of cancer and so many others have become ill due to some sickness plaguing the body. Well simply put enough is ENOUGH! I don’t know if it was the new year celebrations and talks of resolutions and the bigger and ‘better’ness of 2011 or being meer minutes from seeing a man shot in the head but the motto of health is wealth has never meant more to me. I am not saying everyone needs to be the next Olympian but just think, you want the best for your mother, brother, sister, lover, friends, kids right? Well give them the best! YOU have the power! Life can be sucked away from you in a heartbeat so why not LIVE to the fullest! You are only given one body for this one life and guess who controls it? That’s right, you! I do not mean to get all Oprah on everyone but I am tired of seeing dealth and illness when it is so preventable! Everyone of us has been impacted by diabetes, obesity, cancer, and the list goes on! So why not face all those things and just tell them, I have a family, friend, love worth dying for but I would rather live for them. You don’t need to hit the gym 7 days a week or give up all the foods you enjoy just start treating your body and your life how it deserves to be treated! With respect and love! Put down the cigarettes and the deep fried French fries!! These are horrible addictions! Go out for a walk, change your food habits, make time for you! DO IT!!! I know some of you are thinking oh well that’s easy for Jen to say. Young, no kids, blah blah but I tell you what I still wake up everyday and go to work, pay my bills and clean my apartment but I also make time to get my butt to the gym so that I can become an old happy and healthy sister, daughter, mom, grandmother and maybe even an aunt! (No rush Mark!!!)  I just hope this inspires someone to just take a moment to be grateful and happy for the life they lead and maybe start to live it a little better and fuller. As Ghandi says ‘Be the Change you want to see in the world’.  Love to you all :)

Some people that make healthy living worth it! :)