Life is a workout. There are the gym rats (the adrenaline junkies) and the couch potatoes (still the couch potatoes). People find worth in the ratio of effort they invest to the results they obtain. Some are content to live their lives at a relatively low level of productivity, while others overwork themselves.
Like the thousands that seem stranded on a treadmill for the greater part of their lives, these people seem have a 'life metabolism' that doesn’t quite put them in the same category as the so-called winners. We witness hundreds of fellow humans being put through the ringer on a daily basis; whether it’s your Starbucks Barista, the divorcee behind you in line, or Lindsey Lohan’s haggard face staring out at you from the front page of the paper, everyone gets tested. Yet, for the most part (Miss Lohan aside), we endure. Why?
The answer is in the protein shake we drink every day.
Well, maybe it’s not just the perfectly-concocted beverage you ingest after your workout that’s keeping you alive, but also the rich blend of human contact that enables you to accept, face, and embrace the not-so-warm reality found in your life.
Let’s begin with a brief analogy. A staple of any serious athlete’s workout is the protein shake. Stereotyped as an expression of narcissism and a self-centered lifestyle (like this guy), the lengthy train of amino acids does its part in holding humans everywhere together.
Similarly, friends are like protein in our lives. We build chains of interactions that provide us with meaning. Whether these lead to spiritual or relational discovery, they are the roots of our existence. With their help, we can drink it in and enjoy every moment.
However, as men, we must examine our everyday relationships with as much care as we take in achieving a healthy existence. Do we take friends at their face value, or do we tend to sugar coat our interactions with them? Sure, a good milkshake really takes the edge off on a carb-loading day, but is that what we need to be ingesting on a regular basis?
As a good friend of mine once taught me, protein provides the most efficient benefit ratio when combined with a simple glass of water. Unadulterated, pure, and significantly less appetizing, this solution merely serves its purpose (without serving up a spare tire).
True friends are hard to come by, and it is important to treat them as contributors to your life, rather than members of your entourage. Before you know it, you'll be Mel Gibson and they'll be the lowly paparazzi. Instead, consider this: when life really gets to you, do you take your protein with water, or with a double scoop of Chubby Hubby and a ungodly amount of caramel sauce? One may taste better, but you know where it leads in the long run. Choose wisely, my friends.
Godspeed,
MOTMB
