Nobody else lives in your body. Literally. It’s just you and your cells in a nice little blob formed in this universe. When you think of it from that perspective it starts to make sense. It’s just cells in a specific format. Some form an eye, some form fingers, some regulate body functions. They all have a specific job to do. If they do not perform it well, the blob won’t function properly. It sounds simple, yet it’s one of the most intriguing and sophisticated engines, one that still fills me with awe every time I learn something new about it. Like hormones, for example. They play such a huge part in the whole picture that no wonder any fluctuations in their levels may have severe consequences.
Built the same, yet none of us are the same
But even though human bodies are, on a high level, formed the same, on an individual level we are all individuals. There is no other body like yours, although there most likely are very similar ones, but still your cells are your own. If we put the time perspective here we differ even more. You might have had accidents or diseases that have battered your cells, causing them to adapt. Another deviation. So I think it’s safe to say we are all different. In every way.
If we are all different it would be naive to think that the same methods apply to everyone. Then again, there are common factors, painkillers generally help with headaches, but not necessarily for all, or in the same amounts. But thinking of it all from an individual level, you cannot be sure what is good for you unless you try. You can assume, but reality is you won’t know for certain because nobody else lives in your body.
You’re the only one in here
The only one is you. You are the only one who knows when your head aches or when your nose is running. You can tell if your stomach is upset, or if you are cold or hot, hungry or thirsty. Why don’t we then pay attention? Wouldn’t it be logical, even downright necessary, to know if something is wrong? I think it would. Yet we ignore it because we are too busy performing the expectations of society. Amongst that rush and routine we forget to listen to signals and end up acting only when something is wrong.
Borrowed advice isn’t the same as your own answer
Often how we act is on something we’ve seen on TV, on an ad, or on an influencer’s feed. Great new supplement or exercise to help with something specific, and we go for it. I’m not saying it’s wrong, but is it right for your body? Your DNA is unique, and you should honour and treat it as such. Ask questions: how do I feel about this? Does my body need it or not?
There is a subtle line for when exercise, for example, becomes too much. Especially if you are already stressed, your body will treat it as another stressor and won’t let go of the cortisol, but increases it instead. That doesn’t mean you should not push yourself. You absolutely should, because that way you can reach the next level in your physical health, but find the fine line between too much and just enough, the line that is right to your body and yours alone.
And this applies to pretty much anything really.
That’s the whole idea behind Body Responsibility™. Not a program, not a protocol borrowed from someone else’s body. Just paying attention to the only one you’ll ever actually live in.
