The quote “Your body is not an ornament, it is an instrument” has gained popularity in recent years, thanks to the body positivity movement. While I salute that thought process, I like to be more specific about the type of instrument. My body is not an ornament, it is in fact a 1991 Jaguar F-Type R”. It’s “a fine-tuned supersonic speed machine, and my engine is always ready to roar! Ggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Okay, I’ll hit the brakes now.
Thinking of your body as a vehicle transporting you through life is a game-changer!
Cars have always garnered a lot of respect and appreciation from men, women, and even children. it doesn’t matter if it’s a sleek car or an ‘ugly’ one. Heck, the ugly cars tend to be more expensive. The older car models are revered as Classics – typically collected by people that have crazy stupid money. Big cars are celebrated for their dependability and high horsepower. Even beat-up cars still get all the love that they deserve; their owners brag about their resilience and the memories they hold.
Let’s “perspectify” this some more…
Imagine that life is a really long car race, and every driver (human) is just trying to get to their respective finish lines.
Yes, some drivers will go through the race with shiny sports cars that may generally be considered good-looking. Other drivers might be in Minivans, RVs, or Sedans. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what brand of car you drive, or what year your car was manufactured, as long as your engine is running and you haven’t hit your finish line, you’re still in the game (of life)!
Enjoying the ride
Unlike the famous Formula One races, the goal of this “race of life” isn’t to get to that finish line fast… because that would be really bad. You want to stay in the race for as long as possible. Take the time to enjoy the different milestones you’ll hit along the way – in human terms, this could be graduating high school, getting your dream job, or having a baby.
When you spend your time focused on how janky you think your car looks, you end up missing out on the beautiful sceneries (moments) that add meaning to the journey you’re on. Don’t let the pursuit of the perfect body rob you of enjoying everything else that life has to offer.
Keeping the car in the race
Every car needs regular maintenance to stay functional, right? They all need the oil changes, tire pressure checks, waxing, etc. Even vintage cars that are tucked away in garages 90% of the time, still need to occasionally get some action to keep them in good shape.
The human body isn’t so different now, is it? Those maintenance sessions at the mechanic could easily translate to annual visits to the dentist, eye doctor, or Gynecologist. And we all know staying dormant for too long has negative effects on one’s health. You may not have control over when we do get to the finish line, but exercising your body, for example, is one thing that you CAN do to help it stay in the race for a little while longer.
“Treat your body the way Dean Winchester treats his 1967 Chevy”
Moving on to the insides. Cars also need water and the right fuel to keep their engines running. You can’t expect to get very far in your journey if you fill your car up with alcohol or even over priced olive oil. The human body also needs water & fuel generated from eating the right foods. And while it may be more resilient than a car, you can’t consistently feed on junk food and expect your body to stay healthy.
Detaching the Driver from the Car
The Driver is not the Vehicle. Translation: YOU are not your body. Meaning, your true self – the part of you that matters – is not the same as the body you were born with. Learning to separate the two can make a world of difference.
If you ever catch yourself saying something along the lines of “my body is so ugly. I am worthless and do not deserve to be loved”, replace ‘body’ with ‘car’ and see if it still makes sense.
No matter what type of car you drive, we are all in this race of life together. Focus on being the best driver you can be. Get to your milestones. Enjoy the precious moments along the way. Take care of your body as you would care for car that you value, so that it gets you as close as possible to your designated finish line.
This is one of those times when finishing too early, is not ideal (^ _ *)
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