I have been schooled by a common cold

I wrote a post recently about the University of Life and how you can learn from every moment you experience, especially the bad ones.

In this post I want to share an example of how catching something like a common cold can school you in what is most important in life and how you should always live it.

The last few days have been a bit of a rollercoaster. My mum and her partner have come down with covid and are struggling through. Omicron seems to be spreading like wild fire. Then, yesterday, I caught a common cold.

It has been years since I had one. I had forgotten what a runny nose and sore nostrils feel like.

Most aptly I had forgotten how a common cold teaches you what is important in life. It resets your behaviour.

A job that brings you a lot of stress becomes amplified when you do not feel well. If you have been wondering if your job is not right for you and your wellbeing, a cold will highlight the answer.

Luckily, I have a good team I work with and although our jobs get stressful, we help each other take the load. So for me I give my job a surprising 8/10 for being okay when I feel under the weather. Could you say the same about yours? If not, maybe you better brush up on that CV and start surfing the job market waves with it.

Having this cold has reminded me to reconnect with the most powerful and simple things in life that you should do whether you have a cold or not.

Quiet time ... Just finding a silent corner to get your strength back feels so important when your body is fighting infection. This is also true with the body's need to destress after a hard day's work. A cold really screams at you to stop. Look around. Take it easy. Things can wait. They really can wait! I urge you to put in your diary a 30 minute "chill" time every day, just for you to get your head around things. If you have family then sell the idea to them; there is no reason they cannot chill at the same time. Don't overthink this, sleep is one of the best ways your body can regenerate, power naps will do you wonders.

Healthy Foods ... It is amazing how when your head is aching and your sinuses are screaming for some air flow, your body naturally craves fruit. Vitamins are nature's miracle to help keep your body strong. I totally recommend these (as shown below) organic Turmeric capsules with an Ayurveda supplement boosted with Ashwagandha KSM and Ginger Root and Black Pepper Powder. BOOM! My head uncleared for a short while after taking these. Then there is Honey and Lemon! Mmm... I too often forget about this simple drink. I use Acacia honey with half a fresh lemon.



Did you know that Acacia honey may aid wound healing, improve acne, and offer additional benefits due to its powerful antioxidants?

Point is, a cold shows you that fruit and vegetables are important whether you have a cold or not. They are life saving and life generating. One quick lesson I learnt is that when you quit sugar you start to taste the natural sugar in fruit and even in vegetables. What you may think doesn't taste good compared to a can of coke suddenly becomes better than coke, I hope you have learnt or will learn this lesson too.

Fresh Air ... We take the air around us for granted. Humans have become stuck in rooms staring at computer screens (you are forgiven reading this haha) for hours on end. When you have a cold, all you want is to feel a fresh breeze on your skin. To fill your lungs with the exhileration of the outdoors. Losing your sense of smell with a blocked up nose you also realise how lucky you are to be able to taste things each day. You start to appreciate your senses. Please keep that appreciation going. If you are reading this right now and do not have a cold, then breath in, what do you smell, what do you hear, see, keep reminding yourself every now again how lucky you are to use your senses.

Friends and Family ... When you feel like you cannot stand up, having people around you who actually care, and will help you stand up, really comes to the fore. Do not take your friends and family for granted when you are well again.

Exercise ... As you start to get over your cold you start to crave getting out and about. I find myself longing for long forest and beach walks. I know when I next get out there I will appreciate every step. Again, this is how we should all live every day.

I could go on. Hopefully you can see how this common cold has schooled me. I hope it has schooled you too. Take care today.

Author: Christian Jacques Bennett*

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