Prioritize priorities!!!

“What if you find out that your priorities are all set wrong?” his words hit me like a thunderbolt. I don’t even know his name. He must be at least 80 years old. We are members of same gym and I have seen him many a times on the floor. And even exchanged greeting nods a few times; but we never spoke. Yesterday when I was standing near the barbell and thinking of picking it up he came from the other side and he wanted the small step stool from behind my barbell bench. I helped him in getting that and that’s where the conversation started.

“Do you come to gym daily?” He asked

“No, but I have been trying to be regular on the weekends at least.” I replied

“Do you have kids?” he asked

“Yes 2 boys, older close to 6 and younger just turned 2”

“Is your wife regular in gym?”

“No she is typically once a month schedule, at an average.” I smiled

“Tell her it is important. You know I met this cyclist a few days back, who was in excellent shape. And I asked him if he workout regularly. He said he does cycle for at least 1 hour daily and then goes to gym at least 4 days a week. When I suggested that I am struggling on how to work around the other priorities like family, work, and social obligation etc to make time for this? And he replied ‘what if you find out that your priorities are all set wrong?’ And that made me think.” He just re-lived the whole conversation without waiting for me to react. And he continued.

He continued talking, but my ears were shut to hear any word after that, my mind was replaying the line again and again; “What if you find out that your priorities are all set wrong?” It flashed to me that my priorities were certainly not aligned right. And then another line flashed in my mind, “secure your oxygen mask first before you help anyone needing assistance…” Common wisdom retold as soon as you board any flight.

In order to fulfill anything at work, home, with kids, wife, parents, and society even my own dreams, I must be there 100%. Bad health, chronic (or acute) ailments and all the related things that bad health brings, make sure that I am anything but 100%.  So, good health should be kept even before priority number one. And then another statement dug itself out from the million folds of memory. A line that my parents used to say when I was a kid and they even say it now, “पहला सुख निरोगी काया read as Pehla sukh nirogi kaya” (Bliss starts with a healthy body). Well I have been hearing things like this for many years but could never relate to them. May be I never wanted to. But now all this not only make sense, but also seems the most important thing to do. And now it flashed, that healthy body is the beginning of bliss as body is the door to all experience. And one can be doing good for family or kids or office only if one is healthy, fit and 100%. One with oxygen mask secured 1^st will ensure that he or she doesn’t pass out due to lack of oxygen before even completing assistance to others.

Setting my priorities right is the top priority for me this week. And my friend from gym, I don’t know his name and I don’t know why he spoke to me in the first place. But I know for sure that he had valuable information to share with me that day and a valuable lesson to teach. (When the student is ready The Teacher appears) I will ask him for his name when next time we meet on the floor; so that when I am his age and sharing this lesson with someone at my current age; I will be able to ascertain that his legacy continues.

But for whoever reading this, my family, my friends you all know that for the most part your priorities need some shaping up too. I hope I won’t forget what I have learnt and stick to this regimen. And I hope many years later we do talk about this day and feel good about this decision. Stay Healthy!!