“The harder I work, the luckier I get.” For the month of March, that’s an incredibly appropriate expression, with all the leprechaun luck that falls on our verdant aspirations. Where do you leave your wellness dreams? With luck or hard work?
That four-leaf clover got you to the finish line of that marathon last fall. You wore it around your neck as you jostled 26.2 miles through the streets of Chicago. Without that luck, you would have had to rely upon other guiding forces -- maybe the 16 weeks of training, the early-morning romps through the park, the dietary changes, and the forgoing of some festive frolicking? What really had you breathing success on the 27th mile?
That lucky number 15 emblazoned on your jersey was all you needed to help your team win the softball tournament last year. Your father had the same number when he was the big man on campus back in the day, his team winning championship after championship. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, though. Just like your old man, you never missed a practice, you worked extra hours on your batting technique, and you always gave that 110 percent on the field. You so sure about the 15?
Your rabbit’s foot has been missing from your key chain since that car-door incident many months ago. After that talisman met its unfortunate fate, you blossomed from welterweight to too much weight. That lucky charm was your little buddy, keeping you healthy and happy. However, your mother died at the end of last year, and you have been eating to forget. Bad luck, or just a bad idea to replace your mom with second and third helpings at the table?
That amulet you picked up at an Indian reservation nine years ago has been protecting your health. You haven’t been to the doctor for the longest time, but strangely there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with you since your mystical acquisition. Your convivial ways make you the life of the party, but your blood pressure, triglyceride count and cholesterol level make you potentially murder on the dance floor. What a blissful state you’re in when you have your amulet … and ignorance!
Last St. Paddy’s Day was full of mirth and mayhem. You were dressed in your dashes of green and wore your Guinness beer proudly as you raised your glass with all those gathered for the bacchanalia. You sang “Danny Boy” atop a table as a sea of emerald outfits reflected back in your glossy eyes. Your bar tab carried the weight of a dozen lads and lasses, plus a leprechaun or two. However, the most important moment of that day was the one that you can’t recall. You flipped your car three times and landed in a ditch ... alive. The only hard work you had from this episode was staying out of jail. You survived because of luck. Dumb luck!
Luck never hurt any of us. Just don’t depend upon it. On your way through life, grab a lottery ticket or carry that picture of your grandmother in your pocket. Just make certain you’ve got those shirt sleeves rolled up and you’re ready for some hard work. Here’s to a happy and healthy St. Patrick’s Day to all of you!
This wellness article is brought to you by that guy with the wind of a bagpipe. That guy with dreams of Dublin is Ron Blake, and you can glimpse his pot o’ gold at myblakefitness.com.
