"Guarding Capacity"
You can only redline it for so long before the engine blows. The human body is no different. Injury and suffering are inseparable from the act of pushing boundaries and personal growth. Sometimes our greatest achievements come from skirting along that very thin line between safety and inevitable self-destruction. But, as time moves on and youth fades into the distance, the limits of physical potential become more defined.
The body is a machine for expression. It is the means by which our choices are manifested in the world. However, it is true that all machines need maintenance. The body is no different. This is not to say that growth is no longer possible or that pushing against the edge of our own possibility is no longer desirable. Rather, it must be done with a far greater degree of care and intention than in years past. Mistakes become more costly over time; our spines become less forgiving than they were in the invincibility of youth. Recovery takes longer.
The chosen road ahead is long and the bodily trials which underpin our efforts at liberation of the spirit require a commitment to mechanistic precision. Only this will ensure durability. Thus, longevity entails an understanding of an ability to moderate intensity. If you choose the red line too many times, then you won’t find the finish line in the end. Embracing middle age requires shedding the delusions of youth. Responsibilities necessitate that we make wise choices more often. So, we move forward beyond pain, tempering our suffering with the realization that a balance must be struck between an all out effort on the one hand and the guarding of our capacity on the other.
The body is a machine for expression. It is the means by which our choices are manifested in the world. However, it is true that all machines need maintenance. The body is no different. This is not to say that growth is no longer possible or that pushing against the edge of our own possibility is no longer desirable. Rather, it must be done with a far greater degree of care and intention than in years past. Mistakes become more costly over time; our spines become less forgiving than they were in the invincibility of youth. Recovery takes longer.
The chosen road ahead is long and the bodily trials which underpin our efforts at liberation of the spirit require a commitment to mechanistic precision. Only this will ensure durability. Thus, longevity entails an understanding of an ability to moderate intensity. If you choose the red line too many times, then you won’t find the finish line in the end. Embracing middle age requires shedding the delusions of youth. Responsibilities necessitate that we make wise choices more often. So, we move forward beyond pain, tempering our suffering with the realization that a balance must be struck between an all out effort on the one hand and the guarding of our capacity on the other.