100 Business Days Out: Day 59 - Manual Labor

Today was all about lifting, moving, pushing around, climbing stairs, leaning over, reaching up, squatting, bending, pulling up....it was about moving into the new summer house in RI. While not mindless, it is not about the mind, this work is about the body. And guess what, we don't use the body as much regularly as we think we do otherwise there wouldn't be that feeling of exhaustion and tenderness at the end of the day. But, oh what a sleep after a day like today. That is is the good part huh? Today reminds me that we are to think more holistically about mind, body and spirit. Our body and being is a set of muscles and if we don't exercise them all then they atrophy and when called upon they don't respond to our liking and if they do we pay the price of pain later. A few years ago a doctor told me that I had to start thinking about upper body muscle tone. He said, while he as sure that when I was 80 I would be able to run through the airport to catch a plane with the best of the them, that unless I worked on my upper body strength, I would have to have someone help me lift my bag into the overhead compartment. That was a low voltage shock but one that has stuck with me. Today was also a good reminder that while the time at the computer and at the desk is productive and necessary that we all should be sure and balance that with time in the garden so that the bending, squatting and lifting muscles stay as firm as the mind that we work so hard at building up. A good dose of manual labor is also great for clearing the mind. As I was working my muscles today I found myself working out things in my head and praticing conversations with myself. Somewhere in unpacking and breaking down all those boxes I had a couple of interesting thoughts that helped move along the agenda in some areas of my life. So all in all, a good day of manual labor turns out to be a good day overall.