Desire
is born of the Spirit. It is felt by the heart and obeyed
by the mind, which then commands the body into action.
What is the key that unlocks the energy, the drive and the
incentive from within? What motivates us to get physically
active and, more important, to stay committed to a lifetime
of exercise and a healthy diet? Only 16 percent of adults
exercise semi-routinely, while less than 3 percent work out
3 to 5 times per week, 52 weeks a year.
You may wonder why someone you know, perhaps a close friend
or family member, just doesn’t seem to care. Is it because
they don’t understand the benefits of training? You
question why they need to be convinced. Isn’t the truth
out there—isn’t it obvious? Perhaps they don’t
believe in the significance of optimum nutrition or dietary
supplements as a defense against disease. Many people still
believe the lie that environment and lifestyle play little
or no role in the disease process. You may feel that it’s
just plain ignorance, or these people live in denial.
How can you make someone appreciate the many health advantages
of living logically, a concept I refer to as “The Science
of Living Well”? The answer is that you can’t.
You can preach the message all you want to the ones you love,
but they still have to choose and take action. They ultimately
have to do the work. The prime directive of the health industry
is driven by accountability. We can’t plead ignorance
before the law, and even if we don’t know, it is still
our personal responsibility to seek out the knowledge. That
ability, after all, is what makes us human.
Whatever the reason that some people are apathetic while
others appear to be highly disciplined and committed, with
very few exceptions, it boils down to choice. That is very
difficult for some to swallow. Like it or not, your body is
genetically designed for physical movement and is dependent
on a micronutrient-rich whole food diet. How do we know? Simply
look at what happens to a human body when it feeds on non-nutritive
food and stays inactive for long periods of time. Now compare
that outcome to a person following a whole food diet and routine
physical exercise. Muscles, nerves, bones, blood and the brain
all function far more efficiently when conditioned and supplied
with optimum nutrition.
Today, exercise and proper nutrition require a unique form
of discipline that goes far beyond following orders without
question. It’s a special kind of discipline that creates
order by living in accordance with lifestyle principles that
are based on the science of wellness. In general, discipline
is a very important and necessary thing. Without it the mind
and body become soft. Live soft and you’ll go down hard,
slowly. Balance is the key word here. Too much discipline
can rob a person of the joy of living, while no discipline
at all causes erosion of mind, body and character.
Influence Matters
Influence is a form of power that is able to produce an effect
or change without noticeable exertion of force or direct command.
Positive influence can produce positive changes in an individual.
Influence can stir the emotions and stimulate the mind through
logic. Influence has to do with association. The people you
work with, play with and chum around with ‘rub off’
on you. Are your friends winning in life and pursuing excellence
in their own personal development, or do they lack motivation,
direction and goals? Are they demonstrating evidence of progression
and maturity? Are they showing any signs of personal evolution?
Be careful how and with whom you spend your time. High-energy
people can lift you up and encourage you not to waste your
life. The best kind of influence comes from optimistic people
who exude enthusiasm and exhibit a natural talent for seeing
the best in everyone and everything. They also model success
with a balance of pride and humility.
Knowledge
We can define knowledge as a range of accessible information,
the condition of knowing something with familiarity gained
through experience, the ability to apprehend truth or fact.
Knowledge is associated with logic, numbers and science.
Knowledge is power, but only when applied. We know for example
that physical activity and a wholesome diet are essential
to the economy and health of the human body. If you don't
use it, you lose it. Loss of vitality, energy and life is
the result of longstanding inactivity and poor eating habits.
So why do so many continue to ignore what seems so obvious?
Without application, knowledge it is limp and powerless.
Like a bow without a string, the arrows will never fly. This
is demonstrated by the fact that even intellectual eggheads
who know exactly what to do may still have zero follow through.
Thus it is clear that simply knowing what must be done to
stay well and free of degeneration throughout life (although
essential to the process) is not enough. There is a philosophy
in the message of wellness that must be embraced.
State of Mind
Napoleon Hill wrote a fabulous little book called Think and
Grow Rich. Throughout the book, Hill frequently eludes to
one of the most important keys for successful living, "We
become what we think about." Williams James, the great
American psychologist said, “If you think in positive
terms, you will get positive results and conversely, if you
think in negative terms, you will get negative results.”
All action is preceded by thought. Action is pulling the bow
all the way back, pointing the arrow at the target and letting
go. If we set worthwhile goals and follow through with action,
chances are we will accomplish those goals. On the other hand,
if we think about nothing concrete and allow worry, fear and
doubt to control our thoughts, our potential to excel in life
will be hindered.
Our greatest limitations are those we create within our own
mind. We are the captain of our own ship, we are at the helm.
If we’re not then who is? If we decide not to work out,
eat better or get into shape, so be it, but this decision
is not based on a rationale of logic or science. How can it
be! Functional medicine is based on a scientific paradigm
of health and healing. It’s designed to extend our health
span, compress morbidity, and save life, not destroy it.
Negative emotions can play a powerful role in our decision
making process. Often, they are an expression of how we feel
about ourselves and how we define our purpose in life. Each
one of us must find the courage not to conform to the wrong
percentage group that is failing or suffering needlessly.
Think clearly about your goals and share them with positive
people who will support and encourage you. Be cautious not
to seek approval from the wrong people.
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