Be not afraid of growing slowly,

Be afraid only of standing still.”

- Chinese Proverb

Yep, almost says it all, this does.  But I’m going to elaborate anyway.  I call this Bonsai logic.  Bear with me while I explain.

Everyone knows what Bonsai is, right?  It is a tree, usually, where it’s growth has been deliberately stunted.  The plants are usually grown in pots and are shaped by pruning and wiring branches.  What this hobby requires, above all else, is patience, as final results can take decades to be achieved.  In this day and age, Bonsai seems to represent everything modern western society isn’t and I believe it (as in our society) suffers because of this.  But that is a topic for another blog.

So, in respect of this blog, this applies to me how?

Well, to start with, while I’ve known for a long time that certain habits of mine weren’t doing my health any good, I continued to practice them until very recently.  Putting knowledge into practice, like a bonsai tree, can grow very slowly in a person.  But sometimes allowing a slow development can mean the overall resolve is stronger.

With this in mind, it has now officially been 16 days since I stopped smoking and drinking.  Am I feeling better for it?  Well, I think it is too early to tell.  But I have already noticed little improvements.

For one, my sense of smell has become a whole lot stronger.  I noticed this the other day when I was walking up to the door of our apartment and smelt bread cooking.  When I was smoking, I wouldn’t have smelt this until I was almost in the kitchen.  I also noticed when walking home and could smell frangipanis in the air even though I couldn’t see them.

My appetite has increased and I’ve already gained a little weight.  As I’m a tall and slim, a little gain won’t hurt me.  But this has also driven me to do something else for my overall well being I’ve only thought about in the past.

Yesterday, I joined a gym.

Yes, you read right, I joined a local gym.  Having been inspired by my wife and a few here at JU, particularly Roy Levosh and his journey into fitness, I decided it was time to bite the bullet myself.

My darling wife has been shaming me for some time.  She exercises most days, has been a member of a local gym for nearly 12 months and is looking awesome for it.  I never really bothered as I couldn’t see the point of trying to get fit while maintaining some bad habits.  I was one of those who’d say “yes, I’m going to give up smoking first.”  So it occurred to me yesterday that I had given up smoking and I really didn’t have any excuse (no matter how poor) anymore.  

The gym I joined recently opened in a brand new building and is really quite beautifully laid out.  I took a guided tour yesterday evening during their peak period and was surprised by the fact that although there were lots of people working out, there were still plenty of machines available for use.

My biggest concern with joining a gym was having to sit around and wait for equipment.  I just couldn’t see the point in doing this.  The guide guaranteed there would always be equipment available.

So, I have my first session tomorrow.  I going to work on my aerobic fitness first and then, after a month, I’m booking myself some sessions with a personal trainer to work out a proper regime.  And I’m surprised by the fact I’m really looking forward to it all.

I’m prepared to move slowly forward to a better fitness level and better health.  I know it is going to be slow going but it feels really good because I’m no longer standing still.