I was reading an article written about my grandfather John M. Davis.
The article was about how he's spent his life serving others and living by the oath of the boyscouts.
He was a boy scout growing up and took it all very seriously. So seriously that he vowed never to swear ever in his life when he was just 9 years old!
The boyscout oath:
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.
The article was a grand explanation as to who my grandfather is and I'm proud to be a part of his family.
However, what struck me hard was reading the oath and knowing how much he's done physically in his life. The man has climbed Mt. Rainier 6 times and in two summers with my grandmother he climbed all the major mountains in the Pacific Northwest. The man kept himself physically strong throughout his life and now I'm beginning to understand why.
Growing up, I never made the connection between doing good and keeping yourself physically strong and mentally awake because it will help you. I understand remaining mentally awake and morally straight and to help people - I do those very well. But staying physically strong? Nope, I never learned that one early on. I enjoyed sports and being outdoors, but I've been overweight as long as I can remember. Putting effort and focus into staying physically strong was never understood by me until now.
I read that article and got it. It's a love for yourself, not a punishment. It's an outlook, knowing the physical self is a direct extension of the mental self. Instead of doing physical exercise and punishing myself and thinking it's hard. I now love how it feels and am so thankful I can move and give my body a gift that will then in turn help me. Be good to the body and the body will be good to you. I'm in that loving place with food and nutrition, I'm there with sleep, I'm there spiritually, I'm there morally and now my last little key to my own happiness has been realizing I can be there physically.
A gem of inspiration and knowledge from my own family will propel me into my future with my new family. I want to use this blog to journal and grow this inspiration into a roaring fire inside of me.
