I have spent the last four years figuring out how the systems of our bodies work and how best to unlock hidden potential. One of the reasons I have this blog is that I feel like I have much to share with people who may have similar interests. Our minds and bodies are more powerful than we could ever imagine. I spent most of my life oblivious to that fact and believed that our bodies are here to serve our needs and desires. We arrived at the end of our lives with a well-worn but fragile container. Not a great notion.
A quote often attributed to Eubie Blake rings true: “If I’d known I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.” I don’t believe that I did too much damage to my body throughout my life; in fact, I would say that I was a fairly good steward. However, if I knew then what I am learning now, I would have done so many things differently. For example, I would have prioritized quality sleep, I would have eaten a whole foods (anti-inflammatory) diet, I would have paid closer attention to stress, I would have avoided junk food, and I would have put a higher priority on exercise.
So it is with that passion that I decided to reinvent myself into a health and wellness blogger and start spreading the information that I have learned. To the extent that you find it helpful or interesting, I am glad to have you along for the ride.
Before I had this nifty website, I used social media to promote what I learned and what I was doing. This included rucking, cold plunges, 75 Hard, walking for health, reading, etc. In doing this, I would have people routinely message me directly with a request for more information. I gladly shared what I learned and helped people with their own 75 Hard, or pick out their rucksack, or start cold plunging to improve their health.
Those of you who know me know that I have no shortage of opinions and am not shy about sharing them; it’s one of my special talents. My teenage daughter noticed I was getting traction with my social media and told me that I am a “Micro-Influencer.” I reveled in that idea and have adopted it as a guiding principle. I am perfectly content in knowing that I may have some small influence on improving the lives of the people closest to me.
I am inundated with offers from various social media sources to really explode my audience and expand my reach. The ego side of me is tempted, but the ego side of anyone is rarely very helpful, so I am focused on producing content that I find interesting and helpful, and if others agree, they will let me know. I will stay true to my message and focus on what I have learned. I will never pander or patronize.
When I was a wee lad, I remember wanting to be famous someday. The ego side again. As I get older, I see the joy and freedom of being under the radar and anonymous. I would be lying if I told you that I don’t care how many subscribers I have. I would like to have more, for sure, but that speaks more to the message I am sharing and how it resonates than anything else. If I am the only one who finds what I am learning valuable, then I will quietly shrink back into my cage and stay in my lane. But I am learning from the best in their respective fields and am deeply invested in this new information because I see the results in real time.
In the coming weeks, I am committing to a new approach to long-term health and wellness by adding a new supplement to my protocol. If it works as the science suggests, you will be the first to hear about it. But you need to know at the outset that I don’t believe the answer lies in pharmaceutical solutions. My body is not deficient in synthetic medicines that are designed to address one problem for one system. Our bodies are one organism and not 41 different systems supported by specialists for each one. That being said, medicines have their place for sure, but too often we turn to them first because they are easy, cheap, and available. Not to mention the estimated $30 Billion spent each year on advertising these solutions. “Ask your doctor if _____ is right for you.”
Remember the quote from the post, It Turns Out My Dad Was Right, “Food is the most powerful form of medicine or the slowest type of poison.” My approach will always be science-based, but with the understanding of just how perfectly our bodies were designed to operate at our full potential. Food is the single largest input to determine our health and longevity results. Many of us focus entirely on exercise and/or fitness while paying little attention to the foods we are consuming. This is a mistake. The vast majority of our health and wellness is directly correlated to the food we consume.
Per usual, I find myself a little off topic and inspecting a rabbit hole. But I’m back. I live in a world where we have far more influence and control over our circumstances than we could ever believe. Being awake, alert, and intentional about how we approach life is a prerequisite for creating any change. Consider me to be that alarm clock. I don’t have it all figured out, but I know enough to know that life is too short to focus on arriving at death as safely as possible with the least amount of effort.
I consider myself to be the messenger of hope and vitality. The website is “Brian on Purpose” for a reason. I want to help inspire people to live with intention and on purpose. If I do that for a couple of hundred or a couple thousand (or even a couple) I will be completely happy. Because I am a micro-influencer with a mission and a message.
If you happen to be reading this on a social media channel, please go to the website and subscribe. Each Tuesday morning around 9:00 am, you will get inspiration and insights in your email inbox. Be forewarned, subscription is only for non-robots; you will have to prove it. Read it, if you like, share it if you think someone else may like it.