A few months ago I was reading a most interesting book by an Indian author Rohinton Mistry titled, 'A Fine Balance'.
It is not the book, however, that this article is about. It is the title of that book - because I believe that in those three words is summed up what every one of us as human beings is trying to achieve in our lives.
From the day we are born it is in the natural order of things that we are destined to grow physically. From childhood to adulthood we get taller and heavier; once we reach adult life we no longer grow taller (although some of us do continue to grow heavier!). It has even been said that most of us, when we stop growing at both ends, start growing around the middle!
Intellectual, Spiritual and Moral Growth
But as we grow physically, we owe it to ourselves to grow intellectually, spiritually and emotionally - not just through school and early adult life, but right through what is called 'old age'. Two of the most interesting men I know are a couple of my patients - one aged 95 years and the other 91. I have known them both for the past ten years - and I am constantly amazed at the curiosity and interest in learning that keeps their brains young. Jim, the 95 year old, is a retired family physician and even though he no longer practises medicine and has stopped seeing patients, he still reads a lot and keeps himself up to date. On more than one occasion he has taught me about some new medication of which he has been reading which I in my 'busyness' have neglected to inform myself about.
Harry who is four years younger than Jim is constantly on the move. His latest project is writing a book about his family and its geneology. This involves visiting family members, undertaking research in various libraries, analysing and typing out his findings - and even using a computer to look things up on the internet!
Achieving Balance in Life
The common feature about both Jim and Harry is that they have led balanced lives. While both men worked well into their seventies, they both took pains to look after their physical health. Eating in moderation, drinking in moderation, exercising regularly and taking time off to spend leisure time with their wives and family. It was Jim who taught me the value of taking a day off work in the middle of the week.
"When you have to earn your money as a physician by seeing patients" he told me, "there is a temptation to work as many hours as you can because every hour worked means more money in the bank. When I decided to work only five days a week and take every Wednesday off, my colleagues thought I was mad! But I reckoned that by losing a day's income once a week, I would be nurturing my health and gaining a few more years of good health in the long run. I have been able in fact to work much longer with less stress. Every one of my contemporaries who used to work seven days a week has since pre-deceased me!"
Commented Harry to me one day, "The only certainties in Life are Birth and Death. We can do nothing in our power to alter the timing of either of these events in our lives - so the only thing we can do is to enjoy the journey.
If death is going to be our final destination, why hurry to get there?
Sanjiva Wijesinha - Dr. Sanjiva Wijesinha, Associate Professor at Monash University medical school, writes on health, travel and medical topics.
