Living the Hard Life

“Necessity is the mother of invention.” 

We don‘t know who said this.  But - little bit of trivia - It came from Plato’s “Our need will be the real creator.”

Inventions were first created out of need. Like, needing to stay alive.

Inventions helped us get food, shelter, warmth, and protection.

As surviving got easier, the new drive for invention became doing things faster. This served the growing population, and of course, made people money.  

Then, inventions made things easier by making less work for us humans to do. Hard jobs weren’t as hard anymore. We liked that.

Marketers quickly jumped on this, convincing us to make life easier by buying newer and newer stuff.

We all wanted to toil less and have more leisure time. Relaxing, or just not working, felt so good that it became our new obsession.

That’s when the problems began for us and our bodies. 

In this century, work is switching from grabbing a tool, to pushing a button. “Working Smarter” has turned into not working at all.

Society thinks this is a good thing.

But is it?

Letting something or someone else do your physical work, stops you from using your bodies for its intended purpose. 

The results are catastrophic. 

Walk down a beach or through a mall and you’ll see masses of overweight and frail bodies. Most of us function at our lowest level of physical potential.

This happens because we get the closest parking spot so we don’t have to walk. We use the elevator instead of taking the stairs. We sit on our butt to mow our lawn when we’re capable of walking to do it.

We avoid working hard, then wonder why we're overweight and out of shape. 

Since our bodies run on Survival Mode, they will always adapt to their environment. Not working hard quickly turns into..... can’t work hard anymore.

The “Smarter” we work, the less real work we can actually do. I find this sad, because most of my favorite life moments require physical work.

White water rafting, rock climbing, long hikes the through the mountains - crazy sex. These are some of the best experiences life has to offer, but they all require your body to work.

This was made crystal clear snowboarding this year. While riding up the lift, my 19 year old said, ”Dad! There aren’t any fat people on the mountain. Everyone up here is in shape !” 

I started paying attention, and low and behold, he was right.

Snowboarding and skiing take a lot of effort, and this naturally excludes everyone who lost the ability to work hard. 

When we got back to the bottom, we saw the “Work Smart” people taking pictures of their kids coming down the easy slopes. They had no ability or intention of gearing up and going up that mountain. How sad to lose out on such exhilaration.

The easy life we’re living is so foreign to our bodies, we actually have to pretend that life is harder to be healthy......by going to the gym. 

Cardio, weight training, HIIT, Yoga, Pilates, swimming, whatever - are all doing the same thing. They’re tricking your body into thinking life is difficult by activating your Survival Mode DNA.

To become 2nd50strong, we must make the switch from always working smart, to working hard. Because actually, working hard is working smart. Using your body as it was intended is a very intelligent thing to do.

Adapting to and overcoming hard life situations is how we’ve survived over the millennia.

In other words, a hard life made us better. 

It still does.

We humans thrive on struggling and succeeding. Accomplishing something hard is healthy, and it feels right. Difficulty makes grow mentally, emotionally, and physically healthier. Which makes for a much better 2nd 50. 

We don’t have to work construction or hunt our own food to work hard. Really, we just need to stop taking the easy way. 

Walk instead of drive short distances. Stand more and sit less. Replace T.V. time with  learning new skills. Use stairs instead of the elevator. Do your own work.

And of course, exercise.

These changes will connect you back with your hunter/procreator/warrior/protector DNA. Which is exactly the level your body wants to function at.

You’ll also start seeking out new adventures and physical opportunities. Your mind will sharpen and new eyes will open. The world will be your playground once again. 

Waiting in the lift line at a ski resort, I saw a man with a grey beard, also on a snowboard. I got excited and wanted to high five him, but my teenagers’ look of death stopped me.

I didn’t show him my admiration, but I won’t forget him either. He had to be in his late sixties. He’s already what I strive to be: 2nd50strong.

So start working harder, and don’t ever limit yourself. That snowboarding gentleman didn’t, and neither should you. 

I guarantee his high fitness level shows in every area of his life. 

It’ll show in yours too. 

Now it’s your turn.

Grow or Die,

Ken Kowalsky