Sustenance

Most of us immediately think of food when the word "sustenance" comes up. However, I have found that true sustenance comes from a daily practice which builds stamina. This is the sustenance which sustains the mind when the body is infirm. This is the sustenance which sustains personal morale under duress. 

A bag of potato chips can sometimes act as a quick fix for feelings of hunger and deprivation. However, that will not sustain the mind and body in prolonged periods of difficulty. Drugs can bring periodic relief from disease, but they may become ineffective or unavailable. Change inevitably erodes the predictable. What can sustain me when change melts away my usual defenses? 

I advocate humanist practice as a form of sustenance. Developing my mind and body during periods when I have energy and health sustains me when I am fatigued or ill. My humanist perspective enables me to access science whenever I need new information for my practice. I have taken ownership of my mind and body. They comprise what I consider to be my human being and becoming. Learning how to sustain myself in the most difficult of times has given me great peace and joy.