The Sacred Machine: Our Body

"Take care of your stomach for the first fifty years, and it will take care of you for the next fifty." – Dr. Steven Smith, on his 100th birthday


Our One True Home

Our body is the only place we live.
It’s where our soul resides, where our whole being exists.

Yet how many brilliant minds — people with extraordinary talents — have left the world too soon simply because they mistreated or neglected their sacred machine?

When Talent Falls Short of Time

From Jimi Hendrix to Diego Maradona to Whitney Houston, the world has lost countless icons — not because their talent faded, but because their bodies were damaged by:

  • Alcohol
  • Drugs
  • Junk food
  • Overeating
  • Neglect of physical renewal (breathing, exercise, rest)

How many loving parents have left their children too early because they didn’t know how to care for their bodies?

The Cultural Disconnect

In some cultures, the body is treated like a stranger — or even an enemy.

  • It is punished.
  • It is mistrusted.
  • It is sometimes seen as the source of sin or evil.

Yet, our body is the most advanced machine ever created — more sophisticated than any human invention.

We Are an Integrated Whole

Mind, body, spirit, and heart are inseparable.

  • Neglect one, and the others suffer.
  • A disintegrated person cannot live life to the fullest.

Sadly, our education systems rarely teach this truth. Many intellectuals and leaders damage their health because they were never taught how to make the body an ally in their dreams.

Learning from the Long-Lived

I deeply admire those — from Ethiopia and beyond — who have lived long, vibrant lives because they:

  • Respected their body
  • Nurtured their health
  • Kept their minds, hearts, and spirits engaged

The lesson? Care for your cells, your breath, your food, and your movement — and you extend not just your years, but the quality of your life.

Final Word

As Dr. Steven Smith wisely said when asked the secret to living a century:

"Take care of your stomach for the first fifty years, and it will take care of you for the next fifty."

Your body is your sacred machine. Treat it with the same care you’d give the most priceless treasure — because it is.

 

 

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