What are the foundational elements of my life that provide the support required to live in a way that I find acceptable?
I’ve recognised five concepts/ideas/beliefs/values that seem to serve as the foundations for living what I consider to be an acceptable life. I’ve decided to name these items “The Pillars of Life”:
If any of these pillars become eroded or neglected then life starts to feel as though it’s falling down around me. I’ve chosen these pillars based on self observation rather than ideals because I can live without ideals but pillars are essential. They are in no particular order and I’ve given no thought towards which (if any?) might be more important than the other.
Being in good physical shape is an acceptable reason alone for daily exercise but I have additional reasons which are even more important to me:
Exercise maintains discipline: It tells my body who’s boss and who is in charge of the whole operation. My body needs this discipline like a pack of dogs needs a leader.
Exercise shows gratitude: Having a body but not exercising is like having a car and never driving it. You must use your body to its full capability in order to be fully grateful for owning one.
Exercise is maintenance: If you don’t exercise your body will become weak and stop working effectively. The human body needs regular exercise in the same way that a car must be driven to prevent it from seizing up.
Aside from the obvious and well documented benefits that keeping regular sleep patterns give you, I consider this to be like a canary in the coal mine for my overall life.
Out of all the complex behaviours that we carry out each day, the day itself is book ended by the simplest and most essential of activities; get up, and go to sleep. So I think it stands to reason that this is a good place to look for red flags warning you of pillars that might crack and crumble. And if you’ve gone through hell and are building your life back up from the dirt then this might be the best place to start.
There are some grey areas when it comes to identifying poisons (eating too much salt will kill you, while eating too little salt will also kill you) but the most dangerous of the bunch are easy to spot and should be avoided:
Many of my concerns in life are rooted in what other people think of me, and I acknowledge that caring what others think is a destructive habit which is both unpractical and illogical. Giving zero fucks what you think instantly removes such concerns and also provides me with valuable benefits.
Giving zero fucks what other people think is a challenging habit to master but I believe the benefits far outweigh all the time and effort required to acquire it.
Life doesn’t feel right unless I’m creating some kind of value either for myself or for others. This explains why I’d never be content spending my life gaming or sitting around consuming content, even if I had the other points described above sewn up.
This pillar is significant because it is fundamentally different from the others: the other pillars could be classed as behaviours or characteristics whereas creating value is an activity and an occupation. Creating value gives me a purpose in life and a destination to travel towards.
Might it be possible that this item is somehow dependent on the others? Could it be that creating value in only possible when the other pillars are all in place with full integrity?