Health, Self-Awareness, and Modern Misconceptions
It’s a common saying: “Health comes first.” We’ve all heard it — a cliché as old as time, and famously voiced by figures like Sakıp Sabancı. But let’s set aside the cliché itself and ask ourselves some real questions about our own relationship with health.
Getting to know ourselves is not just a psychological or financial journey; it’s also a physical one.
So here are some questions worth reflecting on:
When is your next full-body check-up?
If I had to guess, most people reading this probably haven’t scheduled one.
Honestly, neither have I — not for the future nor the past. But when occasional health issues arise, regular check-ups start to seem like a sensible idea.
Is visiting the doctor regularly important for your health?
Doctors who face crowded waiting rooms and endless daily patients might themselves say “no” to this question!
But perhaps what really matters is how we take care of ourselves day-to-day. Good self-care may mean fewer doctor visits over time.
Of course, I’m not sure how valid that belief truly is. What’s your answer?
At what point — and why — did you begin to pay more attention to your health?
For me, this shift began when I started to feel that I was aging.
Even now, I can’t say I’m as careful as I should be, but compared to earlier years — when I gave no thought at all to health — I’ve made some progress.
The reason for this change isn’t so much aging itself, but growing awareness.
In particular, meeting people from different age groups in professional life made me realize how differently people age — and how much health and vitality can vary — which made me more attentive.
How would you assess your current physical, mental, and emotional health?
This is a crucial question, especially in times when we feel tired, stressed, or down — yet can’t pinpoint exactly why.
Reflecting on this, and thinking about what we’re eating, drinking, and exposing ourselves to, can help lift our mood and energy levels.
When we consider that everything we consume affects our hormones, reactions, and thoughts, this question may seem simple but could actually be the one that leads to the most meaningful insights.
What changes do you think you need to make to achieve a healthier lifestyle?
First, it’s important to define what “healthy living” really means.
Unfortunately, today’s mainstream culture reduces it to hitting the gym, gaining muscle mass, and using cosmetic products.
Especially for younger generations, health is often confused with superficial trends and idealized body images pushed by media.
The content we consume pushes us toward uniformity — we all start to look, think, and act alike.
When answering this question for ourselves, we need to strip away those trends and ideals, and try to reach our own truths.
Unless we do, we risk falling into destructive patterns:
- People harming themselves because they can’t achieve a thin waist or wrist
- Starving themselves to the point of illness
- Becoming obese or developing serious diseases due to disordered habits
These are not hypothetical examples — they’re becoming more common.
Who or what is your greatest influence or role model in pursuing a healthy lifestyle?
As with the previous question, it’s vital to follow the right people, sources, and motivations.
But this must come after we define our own reality and our own genuine desires.
And this bears repeating: before looking outward for inspiration, we need to make sure our goals and desires actually originate from within — that they’re truly ours.
✅ A healthy lifestyle begins not with trends, but with self-awareness. The more we understand our own needs and motivations, the better equipped we are to take care of ourselves — mind, body, and spirit.
bahadirhancicek 
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