Road to Employment and Health Lies in Virtue

Virtue has always been conceived of as victorious resistance to one’s vital desires.

James Branch Cabell (1879-1958), Author of fantasy fiction,  in Beyond Life

Smoking,  eating badly or too often,  growing fat,  having a waistline above 35 inches,  being hypertensive, or having an elevated cholesterol or blood sugar can be hazardous not only to your health, your health care premiums,  but  to your present and future employment. 

These are all factors in the culture of wellness. 

This culture is sweeping the country – smoking is banned from more and more public places, on planes, at work,  in casinos, at sporting events,  in apartment and condominium complexes,  even in homes and cars;  employers are testing for nicotine in your urine;  your body mass index, based on your height and your weight are being recorded; your waistline and your blood pressure is being measured;  your health care premiums are being raised if wellness measurements are exceeded;  you’re being hired on meeting wellness criteria; and you’re being fired if caught smoking or smelling of nicotine.  Such is the fantasy  culture of wellness.

So resist any desire you might have to enjoy or indulge yourself – to drink caloric alcohol, to sneak a smoke, to frequent any place where smoking is allowed,  to eat fattening and flavorful foods, to relax on the couch, to salt your food,  to ingest processed food or snacks between meals.   

So be  fit, exercise 30 minutes each day, eat only plant-based foods,  avoid sitting before the computer or TV, park a block away from your destination and walk the rest of the way,  take the stairs rather than the elevator or escalator, go veggie,  go organic,  go gluten-free.

Be virtuous.  And don't forget to live a little along the way.

Tweet:  In wellness culture, hiring and firing and health may depend on the virtues of not smoking and on lean and hungry and fitness criteria.