Artist. Author. Creator & Philosopher.

I have been sitting with a thought recently, wondering to myself: what if our physical health is more closely related to a real and genuine belief in God than it is to anything else we currently understand?

The Gift of Life and the Concept of Slow Suicide

I was listening to an interpretation of the movie Bird Box, and the commentator discussed why suicide is frowned upon in many traditions. The perspective was that life is a gift from God, and to take your own life would be disrespectful to Him—essentially spitting in His face after being granted this profound gift. This rings true, as many religions view suicide through this exact lens. The underlying idea is that your life does not truly belong to you; it belongs to God, who has only lent it to you temporarily. We exist in this world for a fleeting moment, and eventually, we are required to return to the oneness, back to the source.

Hearing that made me realize something deeply sobering. If abruptly ending one's life is a rejection of God's gift, doesn't that mean people who refuse to take care of their health are essentially speeding up their own deaths? By neglecting your body, you are committing a slow suicide. Failing to care for your physical form is a form of disrespect to the Creator, which makes perfect sense when we remember that the body is a temple.

My Personal Health Journey and Facing Insecurities

This train of thought naturally led me to reflect on my own current health journey. My goal is to reach a maximum of 15% body fat, though ideally, I want to live in the 10% to 15% range. For me, this started purely for aesthetics. I want to look good; I want to look in the mirror and see my muscles. Right now, I am at 18% body fat, so I am getting there slowly but surely. Last year, however, I was at 22% body fat.

Everything changed for me in January after a difficult breakup. Since then, I have been focused on my health journey and my personal "glow up." But it has also been a journey of understanding who I am as a person and what I truly want. I have had to ask myself hard questions: Why am I so afraid of being alone? Why am I afraid of losing love? My fear isn't necessarily about losing love to death, but rather the fear of falling in love with a woman, giving her the absolute best of myself, and then having her leave or break my heart.

That is a very real, deep-seated fear that I sit with. I am only just realizing the weight of it by making these statements out loud. Ultimately, that is the entire purpose of this blog post. It is an opportunity for me to openly express my fears, my insecurities, and who I am as a person—to put it all out there in the open.

Redefining "Health is Wealth"

For so long, we have operated on the cliché that "health is wealth." We tell ourselves we should be healthy because we want to live long lives, because we want to avoid dying early, or because we want to maximize our physical appearance. We strive for health for countless reasons. While others may have expressed this sentiment before, I don't think I have ever personally heard anyone say they want to be healthy because they love God.

To the people who say they believe in God, I have to ask: Do you really believe if you are not taking care of your body? If you are not eating protein, choosing whole foods, exercising, and walking as much as you can, do you genuinely believe in God? Believing in God is not just about paying your tithes or being nice to others. Believing in God is an act of self-love. It is fully and completely loving yourself.

To truly love yourself, you have to be healthy. You must strive to be your healthiest self—your best self physically, mentally, and emotionally. To love yourself is to understand that you are connected to the Divine, that you are the creator of your reality, and that you are an integral part of the Oneness. You are God experiencing Himself through your unique perspective.

These are just the thoughts I have been sitting with recently, and I felt compelled to share them.