Thought

Last weekend, I went on a short backpacking trip.

Carrying even the barest necessities on your back for a few miles is a ton of work.

The uphill sections will have you questioning everything.

Will it ever end? Why am I doing this to myself? Why God, why?

It’s in moments like these that you must remember:

Challenge is good.

It scares the softness away. It keeps you sharp.

You finally reach the top of that ascent, sweaty and out of breath, but with a firm sense of accomplishment.

It’s a natural reward for persevering through difficulty.

Story time:

On the final morning of the trip, we were packing up our camp when an elder gentleman passed us by and struck up a brief conversation.

He was in his 70s and was training for a 100 mile hike later this summer. He said last summer he and his crew had done a 200 miler.

“We want to do it while we can still handle the technical stuff.”

You don’t get into your 70s hiking like that without earning it through a combination of good choices and a touch of luck.

One tragedy of life is that no one stays healthy forever. When the time is up, it’s up.

But there’s a second tragedy here that is completely avoidable: not getting the maximum mileage out of your body.

A person can forfit their right to health through inaction and bad choices.

But more importantly, you can earn the right to be spry and active well into your twilight years.

If you haven’t been paying attention to your health, this is your call to make it a priority.

An ounce of prudence today is worth a hundred pounds of effort 10 years from now.

Today is the easiest it’s ever going to be.

So get on it!

Tactic

I love thought exercises that help me shift my perspective and better focus on what truly matters.

One that I’ve been dwelling on recently is this:

20 years from now, I’d trade everything I own to be as young and healthy as I am today.

What’s amazing about this statement is that it’s true almost no matter what age you are. A 70 year old looks like a spring chicken to a 90 year old.

It’s an eternal reminder to be grateful for what your body is capable of now as well as to never trade your health for money.

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Tome

If you found this week’s edition valuable, forward it to a man who will benefit from this message.

Hint: every man will benefit.

May your T be ever increasing.

In Victory,

Alexander | Valor Disciple