When you’re young your body can consume your soul. People notice your body, you’re proud of it and carry it in that way. You train it, dress it, preen it people notice and you are flattered by their attention. You only exist in the eyes of others and they notice you.

Social media ‘selfies’ bear this out.  The gym pics, the 6 pack pics, the bathroom selfies, the desperate need to be noticed, how you look on the outside is who you are. Martial Arts clubs pander to this, meditation and a deeper, holistic health are pushed to the side as gym type exercises and flashy suits and equipment become the norm. ‘Lose Weight’, ‘Look Good’ and ‘Defend Yourself’ are the advertising slogans because that’s what the public can relate to.

If you are a girl with natural beauty and you do sexy exercises nearly naked you get loads of followers on social media and eventually sponsors for very basic stuff as long as you are prepared to flaunt your body.

Martial Arts instructors trade on their youth, looks and fitness.

But the rub is that you will get old, sick and die, some far younger than others. Then you become invisible. No-one notices the grey, wrinkly person on crutches. so what do you have then?

You can prolong it as long as possible, but no amount of training, dressing, botox or plastic surgery will stop you from looking like a parody of what you were and get sick or injured at your peril.  It happens to us all, there is no escape. There is nothing sadder than an old person trying to look or act like a young one.

This is why it’s important to access the deeper reaches of who you are, why it’s important to broaden your perspective. Nothing wrong with fully engaging with every part of your life but it is enhanced by a full understanding of who and what you really are and seeing it in other people. This builds respect and understanding for all others and prepares you for what does and what may happen to you.

Youth and youthful beauty are fleeting, but there is a far deeper beauty and dignity in those that carry wisdom and understanding, it’s not about giving up and acceptance but about working to gain a deeper understanding of the truth of who you are, what life is about, what sits behind the fabric of our cultural theatre.

You are not just your body, most of it functions without ‘you’ having any input, your hair  and nails grow, your heart beats and your internal organs function without ‘you’ having any control and it will age, get sick and die and you can’t stop it. You are not your name or identity given to you by others, so you have to plumb deep inside to discover who and what you really are and why this body and theatre are playing this game. If you don’t make this journey you will surely suffer.

You need to start this journey as soon as you can because the more you become indoctrinated by the theatre, the harder you will find it to release yourself from its shackles.