Every cell in your body is a descendant of free-living organisms that developed on our planet billions of years ago. Even with the passage of that much time, your cells harbor powerful survival programs inherited from the first primitive unicellular creatures. Learn what this program is, how it evolved, and how you can use it to be healthier and live longer.

We now know that our cells tend to overreact to mild stresses, and that activating these response programs increases our ability to handle whatever the universe throws at us. Humans were made to move, change, and adapt. We are the species that walked out of Africa and spread to every corner of the globe. Our ancestors survived blazing deserts and long periods of hunger on great journeys full of uncertainty. Over the millennia, our cells, tissues, and bodies have learned to interpret these discomforts as purpose. To nature, a lack of challenges is a powerful signal that we are no longer needed.

The key takeaway is this: make yourself uncomfortable. Hike in the snow. Run in the rain. Laugh at the comedy of life and cry during times of sorrow. Climb a mountain, bathe in a hot spring, shiver in an icy river. Explore your world to its fullest and embrace change and uncertainty. We are the kin of mighty explorers who sacrificed the comforts of hearth and home for the thrill of discovery. We settle into our rocking chairs at our peril. You were meant for greater things.