Author Matthew Heneghan

What was it our parents used to say? Ah, yes — “Always trust your gut. It’ll never steer you wrong.”

Well, I call bullshit. My gut has steered me wrong plenty of times.
Taco Bell cravings at 3:00 a.m. after a night out; six old fashioneds deep, a handful of stale bar pretzels, and one alcohol-soaked cherry gifted to me by the cute blonde sitting next to me. Try telling me my gut is some all-knowing oracle of good judgment then.

I suppose you could argue I just wasn’t listening — that when I thought it wanted Taco Bell, what it was really saying was, “Hey genius, you haven’t eaten in almost twenty-four hours.” And my stubborn ass thought, Yeah… why not eat diarrhea with onions in a soft shell and salsa? What could go wrong?

As I’ve gotten older — I know, it’s a miracle I’ve lived long enough to say that — I’ve started to believe more and more in the wisdom of the belly. Like a rounded Yoda who enjoys the occasional Big Mac and fries.

The point is, our bodies are generally more attuned to us than we realize.
Maybe that’s the problem — we’re so caught up in the noise, the deadlines, the next thing on the list, that we forget to just… stop. To listen. We treat our bodies like rental cars we can beat the hell out of and return at the end of the trip, keys still warm from the ignition.

But the truth is, the “check engine” light isn’t just for engines. It’s for you. For me. The headaches, the knots in your stomach, the way your shoulders creep up to your ears — they’re not just random glitches in the system. They’re signals. Messages. Warnings from that so-called gut we keep ignoring until it’s screaming.

It’s taken me years — and more than a few bad burritos — to realize that pausing isn’t weakness, it’s maintenance. You don’t wait until your brakes fail before you take the car in; so why wait until your body or mind completely craps out before you check in?

So yeah, maybe our gut isn’t an all-knowing oracle. But it’s still a pretty good friend. And like any good friend, it’ll tell you the truth — even if it hurts. And believe me, without Tums, sometimes it can fucking hurt.

Slow down for a moment. Give yourself that. You’re allowed. Deadlines are important, sure. But not at the cost of your health. Nothing is worth that.
…Well… except maybe a late-night Taco Bell craving. 😉