Wordsley, Stourbridge, England: 0 degrees, very cold, but a beautiful sunny day with blue skies.
I am having difficulty getting up early here as I normally do in Rio. In Rio, I wake up at 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. and head out for morning exercise at 5:30.
Here in England, I’ve tried to replicate this routine by setting the alarm for 6:00 a.m. Sometimes I’m already awake before the alarm clock, my cell phone, but getting up and starting the day is still a challenge.
Sometimes at 7:00, I can get up; 7:30 is easier, and 8:00 a.m. is even easier. It is hard for me to imagine these times if I were in Brazil, getting up at 7:00 or 8:00 a.m.!
My first class, at 7:00 a.m. in Brazil, means I would need to get up by 6:00 or 5:00 a.m. if I want to do exercise beforehand. Since I am in England, which is currently 3 hours ahead of Brazil, a 7:00 a.m. class in Brazil is 10:00 a.m. in England.
I also think that maybe my body clock is still on Brazilian time because 8:00 a.m. in England is 5:00 a.m. in Brazil, and if that is the case, it may also be because I am getting older and finding it harder to adapt to new time zones.
A sign of getting old!
Like the resistance to alcohol, when you are young, you can drink the whole night and go to work early and on time the next day without any problem at all. As we get older, it becomes increasingly difficult until it becomes almost impossible.
As I have had classes most of the day and it is bitterly cold outside, it has been one of the very few days in my life when I haven’t stepped outside the front door. I pride myself on being active and out and about every day. Even though we are animals, and animals need sun, fresh air, etc.
I also believe that we are similar to machines; we have mechanical attributes, meaning that if we don’t move, like any machine, and physically engage in activities—not just in front of a computer or TV—we have a greater chance of becoming ill or developing an illness.
It is essential for us to move and stay in motion regularly with vitality, determination, and a positive attitude.
It’s like buying the Ferrari you’ve always wanted. If you use it every day or regularly, it’s much less likely to break down. However, if you leave the car in the garage and don’t use it, or only drive it once a month or so, it will start having problems due to lack of use.
We are the Ferraris; if we don’t use ourselves and drive ourselves around, we begin to break down. If that happens, we might have to go to the garage or, even worse, the junkyard.
For me, missing a day of going out has caused a disruption and distress in my routine and, consequently, in myself.
We can therefore understand that healthy routines are essential for our lives, shaping how we live. If we stop or interrupt these routines, or even fail to adopt a positive one, our lives can become disordered, thrown around like a rag doll in the world.
Our lives face many challenges that require strength to confront on a day-to-day basis, as the world is not always warm and sunny.
In bed by 10:30 p.m.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
