Something of Value

Think of something of value you own. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Maybe it’s old photos, a keepsake from a loved one, a family heirloom, or a notebook you’ve filled with your thoughts.

Now imagine leaving that item out on your front porch—not just today, but every day. Imagine leaving it there permanently, rarely checking in on it or worrying about protecting it from the elements.

Crazy, right? Why would you leave something of value where it’s likely to be damaged and poorly preserved? You wouldn’t. It wouldn’t make sense.

Habits of Preservation

We intuitively grasp the concept of preservation, especially when it comes to objects. In fact, our lives largely consist of habits of preservation:

• We put groceries away in the refrigerator or pantry when brought home
• We install updates and avoid downloading suspicious software to our devices
• We close windows when it rains to protect our home’s interior

Many items brought home from the grocery store will last some time if left out, but we understand they will last much longer if properly stored. Even in the refrigerator, we wouldn’t return a jar without the lid or leave a block of cheese unwrapped. Doing so would dramatically decrease its useful life.

Now apply this lens to a different item—you.

Your human:

• Needs 7-9 hours of rest in a quiet, dark place each day
• Must be fed a diet rich in nutrients to preserve vital functions
• Should be moved regularly to maintain muscle, flexibility, and mobility
• Should be protected from toxins and harmful exposures

To maintain maximum freshness and vitality, follow the instructions on the label.

A Mindset of Self-Preservation: Adjusting our Timeline

Habits around preserving our possessions are ingrained, yet we often struggle to establish the same habits when it comes to preserving ourselves. The logic is simple:

We preserve things we value. If we value ourselves, we must take steps to preserve ourselves.

We tend to think of self-preservation as only being relevant in survival situations. As if it only matters when your life is in imminent danger. But if we zoom out and lengthen the timeline, we see that self-preservation is about survival—just on the scale of decades instead of minutes or hours.

Our habits around self-preservation could determine whether we live 60 healthy years or 80. Whether we maintain mobility later in life or lose it early. Whether we feel energized throughout the day or struggle to make it through.

Do you wait to put food in the refrigerator until it’s almost spoiled? Or do you put it in as soon as you get home to preserve as much freshness as possible?

Things Fall Apart

You might be thinking: No matter what I do, I’m still going to get old. I’m still going to decline eventually. And you’re right. Things do, indeed, fall apart.

Physics tells us that left alone, all things naturally move toward disorder. Energy drains. Structures break down. What once worked smoothly becomes less efficient. If we want something to last, we have to maintain it. Our bodies and minds are no different.

Our lifespans are finite, but without regular attention and care, the length and quality of that lifespan will likely decrease. We will decline as we age, but it can be the decline of an abandoned vehicle left out in the rain, or one that’s meticulously cared for and maintained.

Your Only You

Remember the valuable item you imagined at the beginning? You wouldn’t leave it out on the porch. You are infinitely more valuable. You’ve only got one, irreplaceable you.

We each have one vehicle to use to navigate the world. One house we’ll live in every day of our life. One mind to guide us through it all. That’s it.

The daily choices we make— how we move, what we eat, how we rest, what we expose ourselves to—aren’t trivial. They’re acts of self-preservation. They’re how we ensure this one life we have stays vibrant for as long as possible.

You don’t need to be perfect. Just care for yourself the way you’d care for anything you truly value. Not someday. Today.

Do something to demonstrate your immense value to yourself. Your only you is worth it.

As always, thanks for reading. I’m truly happy you’re here.

All the best,

Nate