In 2005, I was 35, we were expecting our second child, and I quit my job. I didn’t know what I was about to do. I only knew that I had to gain control over where I was going. Without a plan, I plunged into the uncertainty of the unknown. My brave wife supported me, so I had at least one point of support. It was not easy because my untrained mind mixed up a lot of negative scenarios that created anxiety, uncertainty and fear. Insomnia, irritability, lack of concentration and internal stress came. It dragged on for years. I managed it through gritted teeth. Of course, it creaked at home as well, adding even more to the fire. A lot of smoke, you couldn’t breathe, life was hell. Something had to be done about it, so I started looking for answers.

First came the movement. I live near the forest, so I started running in it. Physical activity gave me endorphins and at least for a while I felt good, and I finally got better sleep here and there. Regular exercise of about 1 hour a day gradually got rid of more than 20 kg of excess weight. I’m back to my high school dress-up level. My body and its functions have improved significantly. I was starting to function. Food goes hand in hand with movement. I added to the salads and fruits that I always liked, I ate more easily digestible food to support the immune system, which is based in the colon. I did everything gradually, step by step, nothing radical so that I could enjoy steak, fried cheese, a bottle of wine or an occasional cigarette.

I gradually started to add showering in cold water to my sports. First in the morning, then after sports and finally in the evening. After a few years, I added yoga exercises to strengthen the internal muscles, to stretch the shortened attachments. All the changes were accompanied by reading books, watching videos, attending seminars and workshops. I began to understand the hidden mechanisms that in the background control how we feel, how we think, how we react. I realized that life is an adventure, a training where we have to learn to overcome obstacles in order to improve ourselves. When we improve ourselves, we inspire others and they also begin to change without forcing them to motivate. The same thing will happen. When I encouraged my wife to do sports, she didn’t want to. I pushed. Eventually, she started on her own following my example. Today she runs, hikes and cycles. Children also joined, and today we are a sporting family.

While I used to be consumed by worries, which caused internal discomfort, I now try to be sane and to observe what I think. I don’t suppress them by force, I just register them. That is enough. By noticing them, I weaken their influence so that they do not get oxygen and do not create a fire.

As I write this article, the mind generates thoughts. Why are you doing this, who will read it? You will be laughed at. In the past it would have affected me, now I know how to do it. I smile inside, I see you … and I tell myself that it’s nothing after all. I will continue writing :).