It's All Relative

Sometimes when I am feeling down, I think the amount of weight I need to lose and the things I need to do to become healthier are just too much of a challenge, and at my age what's the point? Then something happens or I am exposed to new information that gives me the push to "recharge" my motivation.

My incentive today came from an unlikely source, Stephen Hawking. A story on the Internet today was about remarks the famous physicist made at a symposium. When asked about an event in the entertainment world that would be primarily of interest to a teenager or young adult, he followed his initial response with these words:

“The fact that we humans, who are ourselves mere collections of fundamental particles of nature, have been able to come this close to an understanding of the laws governing us and our universe is a great triumph. So remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes a universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.”

Immediately I realized that such moving words about not giving up are just as applicable to weight loss and getting as healthy as possible as they are to any other endeavor. If a man who has severe physical challenges can reach beyond them and succeed in achieving his goals, then surely I, who has relatively few challenges in life, can do the same.

Thank you for your wise words, Mr. Hawking.