Things are what they are. But then they become something else based on how they are presented to us and the world. Some things are hyped up and made to seem like something much more special than they are. And other things are minimized and underappreciated, often overlooked for the value and power they truly have.
Behind the over- or under-hype that comes with products, people, and places, is usually an agenda. If there is money to be made, the hype will often be overblown. If something is free, easily accessed, or unpatentable, don’t expect too much attention or hype.
There is no more hype-driven market than healthcare. There are a few reasons for this. One is that there is nothing more valued than our health. Confucius had said… “A healthy man wants a thousand things; a sick man only wants one.” When we are sick or struggling with a health ailment, we can’t focus on, appreciate, or enjoy anything else. We will do anything, or buy anything, to feel better. That makes us great prospects for those that are selling products. We are a bit more vulnerable and susceptible, and we tend to fall for anything offering us relief, solutions, or a cure.
This has created a huge market full of gimmicks, companies making false claims, and billions of dollars being spent on products that simply cannot fix your health problems. The health industry continuously over-promises and under-delivers. Products and services are way overhyped.
On the flipside of that, the most powerful tools and interventions are underappreciated, and thus underutilized. Think about the human body for a moment. You have a heart that pumps blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels, beating over 40 million time each year. Our brains generate over 6,000 thoughts per day. We eat food, which gets digested and turned into muscle, skin, and organ tissue. We breath in 11,000 liters of air each day, giving our cells the oxygen we need to keep our brains and bodies functioning properly. Our bodies are the most complex and wondrous things on the planet. When we cut our skin, it heals. When we break a bone, it mends itself. When we are exposed to bacteria, our immune system launches an incredibly well-designed attack on those invaders.
So… the most powerful health sustaining and building tool we have access to gets very little credit or attention. And the things that have the most powerful impact on the function of our bodies are pushed aside, overlooked, and underhyped. The impact exercise has on our bodies is tremendous. With too many benefits to list here, just know that if exercise were a drug, sold by the pharmaceutical company, it would be hailed the greatest drug on the planet, with far more benefits than any drug in history. It would also be super expensive. But guess what? Exercise is easy to do, comes in countless forms, can be done almost anywhere, and… oh… it’s FREE!
Other amazingly impactful interventions, like eating whole, real foods, meditation, gratitude exercises, and getting ample sleep, have a way bigger impact than the pills, potions, lotions, and drugs that you see in magazines, on television, and online, yet are extremely underhyped.
Pay attention to the hype. Don’t let that hype mislead you. I am a big fan of nutritional supplements and health-improving products, and I recognize the critical role medicine can play, but there is much too much hype placed on these things, and far too little hype placed on the more natural, safe, and free interventions you can take advantage of. Don’t under-hype your body’s innate ability to heal, grow, and adapt. Spend more time, energy, and money on these things and you’ll see that you will turbocharge how you feel and function.