As I try to make my body move in a certain way, I found out something else about my body. My body hates me. It goes on an all out war with me. I told my hands to relax, but they stay stiff. I told my legs to relax, but they like tension. There has to be a reason why the body ignores the only commanding officer it will ever have. And I found out the reason. I’m not the only commanding officer.
Gregory Bateson said in his book Steps to an Ecology of Mind:
“The source of all our problems today comes from the gap between how we think and how nature works.”
See, I thought I was the only CEO of Me Inc. Unfortunately, I am just another employee in Me Inc. Me Inc. is made up of million of employees. My mind is only one of them. The obvious other employees are my hands, my legs, my feet etc. I always make them do the things that they don’t want. The not so obvious employees are the heart, lungs, liver, kidney, stomach etc. They are doing what they are born to do, while I stay out of their way. Once in a while, I find myself stepping into their territory, like sleeping less, eating more, working long hours… They will stage a protest. And I’m not even talking about picket fences. I’m talking about bringing me down to my knees, literally.
I will fall sick.
Armed with this perspective, I am now more tolerant towards my body. I will try my best to listen to them. I will heed their advice. Look, my mind has a purpose, and it has to do what it is meant to do. My body has a purpose as well. Aligning our purposes is the key to a more sustainable relationship between mind and body. We need to look out for each other. We need each other. Without each other, Me Inc. will crash unreservedly.
Shouldn’t other companies behave the same way?
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