Don’t underestimate me, and don’t devalue me, just because I live with limitations.
Nicole Cody
Hey, Lovelies.
I received a newsletter in my inbox yesterday, that really p*ssed me off.
It was written by a friend who has a huge following in the entrepreneur and wellness industry, and it began with a photo of athletic, beautiful people and then this quote:
When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.
Herophilus
The writer then went on to talk about health, fitness and nutrition, and how without good health our lives have no meaning. They said we must do everything to create ‘peak fitness’ in order to give our best to the world.
Second best? Well, second best was not an option.
They then went on to say that those people who were overweight, unwell and/or suffering from illness were simply lazy and unfocused.
It made me angry, because it’s not true.
There are so many people in the world who live well WITH ILLNESS or despite illness. We survive and sometimes even thrive while living under the shadow of cancer, auto-immune diseases, chronic fatigue, degenerative illness, aging, loss of a limb or a sense, cystic fibrosis, transplants, mental illness and all other manner of physical or mental health issues.
Despite our lack of perfect health we can still make art, or apply our intelligence, we can still make money, we can still love, create, function, amass wisdom, share our gifts. We still matter. We still contribute. And yet we may never know good health.
In fact, I love this Leunig cartoon, because I think it speaks so truthfully of the real state of the world:
Here’s to all of us who are a little bit unwell, or a long way from ‘peak fitness’ and yet are living meaningful lives and getting things done.
We matter. Don’t ever let yourself forget that!
Much love (and just a little big of indignant cranky), Nicole xx
