Greatness costs you your health if you're not careful.

The late nights. The tension in your body. The pain you ignore. The peace you sacrifice.

They tell you to go all in.

But, at what cost?

Will you even be able to enjoy your success once you achieve it?

INSIGHT

I am not proud to admit, I’ve sacrificed my health for progress in key moments of my life. Sometimes, when I locked in too hard, I developed a toxic work ethic.

Your sleep gets short. Your meals become whatever’s quickest. Water becomes an afterthought. Pain becomes “just part of it.”

You start thinking: “If I just push through this season...” But seasons turn into days, weeks, months.

It’s self-betrayal disguised as ambition.

Every time I went on those long work streaks, there was always a backlash. A strong flu. A sore body. Aches in strange places. Eyes burning like they hadn’t closed in days.

We often think we’re indestructible. We’re not. We’re just distracted by the dopamine of progress. And the world rewards it. It praises the hustle. It claps for exhaustion. It romanticizes breakdowns.

But here’s the truth: What you sacrifice for success, success won’t give back. Your body keeps receipts. And they don’t expire.

Kobe trained at 4 AM. MJ played with the flu. Jobs barely ate. 50 got shot and didn’t stop. But they paid in ways you don’t see on posters.

There’s glory in the grind. But there’s wisdom in the pause. You can break records or you can break down. Sometimes you will achieve both. You will win, but you’ll also lose.

In this case, a loss that is essential: your health.

Listen to your body. It whispers before it screams. And when it screams, it’s already too late. The goal isn’t just to win. It’s to win and still walk. Win and still sleep. Win and still feel alive inside.

So go hard. But not blindly. The mind is a weapon. But the body is the battlefield. Respect it.

ACTION

Ask yourself:

When was the last time you truly took care of your body?

Not just maintained it — honored it?

Most people wait until their body shuts down to start listening. By then, it’s already late.

So here’s your challenge: Pick one act of service to your body. Not as a chore. As a commitment.

Sleep before 11pm. Stretch for 10 minutes. Drink water like it’s your fuel — because it is. Walk with no music, no distractions. Eat real food, not just fast calories.

Do it even when you’re “too busy.” Especially when you’re “too busy.”

Track how it feels. Track what it shifts inside you. Not just physically — mentally.

And when you skip it, ask yourself:

Why did I treat everything else like a priority but me?

This is the real work. The work behind the work. The foundation that makes all the hustle sustainable.

The better you treat your body, the more it becomes an ally in the war for greatness.

SPEAK

What’s something you’ve sacrificed in your body chasing success? Did you ever feel the damage? Do you think the price was worth it?

Reply to this email. Tell me your thoughts. No judgment. Just reflection.

If you have any questions or comments, just reply to this or send a message on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you.

CURATE

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