In the About section, I stated that my starting body point was that of an overweight, heavy-drinking, medicated, pack-a-day smoker with a few good decades of sitting at a desk. This was my point five years ago, but I think it is important to talk about the steps that brought me to retirement and then those that have been happening since.

3 ½ years before retirement:

 In retrospect, I can see how my life had been building up to a much-needed critical change point. I hadn’t been living a healthy life for decades and even though I had a good support system, a stable job, and a comfortable lifestyle I continued to test its resiliency with poor health choices. Eckhart Tolle states that very few people change their lives unless they have faced sufficient suffering. I believe my catalyst arrived with the onset of some unfortunate events over a short period in 2019. Death, job change, relationship end, and move.  

My approach to body health was not to quit all my bad habits at once but to change my thoughts. My Mind Star will discuss the methods I used to calm my brain in more depth.

Once I could regain control of my incessant thinking (B movies), I started to see a reduced desire to sustain my bad habits.

For drinking, I was tired of the hangovers and the blurred evenings that preceded them. I had always looked forward to the escapism but was intrigued by trying something new. Something that would mean living reality, accepting whatever came my way, and being present for all of it!

 I had been taking anti-depressants for 30-plus years and started to wonder if I could learn something from the feelings I had suppressed. Honestly, it was a long time ago, and I’m unsure if I fully remember those feelings, so I was intrigued to find out. I talked to my Dr about weening off the drugs to ensure it was done in a controlled manner. I believe the work I had previously done in the Spirit and Mind Stars was critical to this successful transition.

Lastly, I was given a book by Allen Carr on quitting smoking. His approach was in line with the impact our thinking has on our actions and how changing how we think about smoking would enhance our ability to successfully quit. I had read the book more than once when it finally clicked. I started to see quitting as a celebration instead of a punishment.

Over 3 ½ years, I was able to slay the smoking, anti-depressants, and drinking monsters. I was now prepared to face the granny gray hair and see if I could bring my body along for the retirement ride.