“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”
— Jim Rohn
Estimated Reading Time: 5–7 minutes
🧭 Author’s Note
This Compass Point is the engine behind every other point on the compass. Without vitality, purpose fades. Connection wanes. Curiosity dims. This is a heart-to-heart about energy, resilience, and the sacred responsibility of caring for the only vessel we’ll ever truly own — ourselves.
I’m glad you’re here.
🧭 The Spark of Vitality
I came up in the 1970s, when health didn’t come from apps or wellness influencers. It came from grit, movement, and old-school discipline. For me, that spark was lit by the movie Rocky.
Watching Rocky and Apollo Creed train — running, sparring, sweating, pushing through limits — I knew one thing for sure: to be a champion, you had to respect your body.
I was just 12 when I decided I wanted to be a marathon runner. Part of it was Bill Rodgers flying down Beacon Hill in the Boston Marathon. But deeper still, it was seeing African runners from Ethiopia and Kenya absolutely dominate the long-distance world. Henry Rono. That man didn’t just run the steeplechase — he devoured it.
So I studied. Training regimens. Nutrition. Hydration. Discipline. I didn’t call it “vitality” back then — but I was already chasing it.
That chase stayed with me. Through my Air Force career. Through corporate battles and entrepreneurial climbs. Having a strong, responsive, energized body didn’t just help me survive — it gave me a competitive edge. It helped me manage stress, think clearly, and rebound fast.
Vitality became the unsung fuel behind everything I built.
🧭 When Vitality Means Fighting for Your Life
What most people don’t see is the cost of vitality. The war behind the wellness. Between 2006 and 2013, I had four spinal surgeries — one in my neck at C3/4, and three at the base of my spine, including two lumbar laminectomies at L5. At 47, I was told I might never work again. That I’d have to accept a life of limitation. But I refused.
I begged my pain management doctor to take me off the meds. The opiates. The muscle relaxers. I didn’t want sedation. I wanted my life back.
In April 2013, I underwent one final procedure: a spinal cord implant. That surgery changed everything. It didn’t just relieve my pain — it restored my strength. My clarity. My belief in what my body could still do.
Vitality, for me, isn’t about six-packs or sprints. It’s about refusing to surrender. It’s about reclaiming power over your own body, even when the odds are stacked against you. It’s about choosing life — again, and again, and again.
I didn’t just choose vitality — I was born into it. Into a legacy of people who knew how to suffer and still sing. Who turned pain into rhythm and motion into prayer. This isn’t about fitness. It’s about remembering who I am.
🧭 Why Vitality Matters More Than Ever
The previous Compass Points — Purpose, Gratitude, Growth, Presence, and Connection — are essential. But let’s be honest:
If your body’s breaking down, it’s hard to access your best self.
Without energy, even the most inspired plans stall. Without physical strength or endurance, resilience becomes harder to embody. And without honoring the biological side of life, even the most spiritual goals remain disembodied.
🧭 The Science Behind Vitality
Recent research affirms what I learned through lived experience:
“Vitality refers to a sense of aliveness, energy, and motivation… It is both a physical and psychological state, not fully captured by traditional health or wellness metrics.”
— Logan, Berman & Prescott (2023), International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Vitality isn’t just about avoiding fatigue. It’s about feeling fully alive. And it’s one of the most powerful predictors of health and longevity — independent of age, fitness level, or even lifestyle habits.
- Vitality is dynamic — it rises and falls with diet, sleep, movement, and stress.
- It’s deeply tied to purpose — the more direction you have, the more energy you tend to feel.
- It’s both a cause and effect of healthy habits.
- And it’s often missing in clinical health assessments — even among people who look “fine” on paper.
🧭 A Little Exercise We Can Do Together
Pause. Breathe. Scan your body gently, without judgment.
Ask yourself:
- Where is my energy today?
- What activities drain me? What activities replenish me?
- When was the last time I felt truly alive — strong, capable, ready?
- What’s one thing I can do today to honor this body I live in?
Write it down. Or better yet — act on it.
One of my own vitality rituals? I hydrate first thing. No screen. No rush. Just water, meditation, and presence. Sometimes I stretch. Sometimes I play Jazz. But every morning, I check in with my body before I check in with the world. It reminds me who I am — and who I refuse to neglect.
🧭 A Bridge of Reflection
Vitality is not just a personal asset. It’s a sacred responsibility.
Your vitality doesn’t just serve you — it impacts everyone who counts on you. Your spouse, kids and circle of friends. Your team. Your community. Your legacy.
In a world that’s constantly draining us, choosing to nourish your energy is a revolutionary act.
🧭 Looking Ahead
Next, we’ll explore Resilience — because once you’ve reclaimed your energy, it’s time to learn how to protect it.
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🧭 A Bit About Me
I’m Eric “Jazz” Rinehart — a veteran, tech entrepreneur, business strategist, and educator with a background spanning technology, healthcare, consulting, and business development.
Beyond my professional journey, my insights are shaped by deeply personal experiences — including navigating the loss of a child, evolving from traditional religiosity to a spiritually grounded philosophy, and continuously reinventing myself through life’s biggest challenges.
Through Living By The Compass, I’m sharing what I’ve learned about navigating life with clarity, purpose, and resilience — not because I have all the answers, but because I believe we each carry wisdom worth sharing.
But more than that, I’m a man who’s endured deep loss, rebuilt from nothing, and chosen to turn pain into purpose.
Living By The Compass is my gift to anyone navigating this world with courage and curiosity. I don’t have all the answers — but I know how to ask the right questions. And I believe you do too.
“True freedom comes not from having no broken pieces, but from transforming those pieces into a mosaic of wisdom and compassion.”