The book The Power of Full Engagement, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, 2003, uses an enlightening analogy from their studies of world-class athletes. They remind us that muscles are grown most effectively by stretching beyond limits of comfort and then allowing them to recover. Alternating activity with periods of rest is a training method used by elite athletes throughout world. To quote Loehr and Schwartz, “The key to expanding capacity is to both push beyond one’s ordinary limits and to regularly seek recovery, which is when growth actually occurs.”

What are you doing to ensure optimum stretch AND recovery of your mental muscles?

Looked at this way, it’s not that difficult to buy-in intellectually to this principle. It makes sense that our creativity flows best when we are refreshed. It’s logical that our ideas are more focused when our minds are sharp. We know that we are better able to “pour it on” in times of crisis when we have energy reserves to drawn on. So what gets in our way of acting on this principle?

Water and weight loss go hand-in-hand. Let me give you an illustration. When you empty pot of oatmeal into sink it just sits there. If you didn’t do anything with it and allowed it to sit, eventually it would ferment and rot, and become infested with flies or maggots. Imagine if you eat a meal and don’t take in any liquids, your food would just sit there and ferment and rot causing constipation and other digestive problems.

Once you’ve thrown oatmeal into sink, if you wash it down drain with water, it will easily go down pipes and your sink will be clean and fresh and healthy. The body is same way. You’ve got to wash that meal down pipes (your esophagus) with water to keep your system clean and fresh and healthy.