Life is not under our control
I was chatting with a friend the other day and she mentioned someone’s upcoming knee replacement. She chided him for not taking care of himself. All that running! He must have worn the wrong shoes.
I see all of these articles promising to reveal the recipe for perfect health:
the optimal amount of daily walking for longevity
eat these 7 foods to prevent Alzheimer’s
this is how much time with people you need for a happy life
We know this is not how the world works.
Life is not a recipe with steps to follow. We do not make life choices to optimize this or that. And we shouldn’t.
There is no perfect diet or exercise routine that can promise you longevity or offer up a cure. Needing a knee replacement isn't a sign that someone did something wrong. Not everything is preventable. We do not understand how these things work. We don't have that level of control.
There is no one-to-one correlation between people who smoke or eat fast food or whatever lifestyle we’re currently vilifying and becoming disabled.
Life is complicated. Be skeptical of simple solutions or miracle cures.
Be skeptical of anyone who's assigning blame.
There's no need to blame anyone or take on responsibility. Sometimes things just happen.
Skip the blame and offer support instead. Including to yourself.