Self-care has become an important part of my life now. As I mentioned in previous posts, now that I look back and have a new perspective on what it means to be healthy, I can see that I totally ignored taking care of myself for most of my adult life. And, I know I'm not alone. Many (if not all) of us are trying to balance many things: work, family, media, finances ... and the rat race of Life. We all yearn for the same thing: Balance. It is a common theme around the world.
And especially now, in early January, when our New Year resolutions are still young, we need to ask ourselves how committed we are to changing the habits that hold us back and don't allow us to move forward in the pursuit of our goals and a better, more balanced life.
Here are two statements that you might identify with. Both are true. But only one brings true and genuine transformation.
A. When you are interested ... you do what is needed.
B. When you are committed ... you do what it takes.
Can you guess which one makes all the difference? B, of course! The statement is so simple, yet so powerful.
And that's my inspiration for this post. I've been wanting to write about this ever since I heard these words in a lecture. Because they are so true! And then my inspiration turned into reflection as I pondered on key areas in my life. At the Institue for Integrative Nutrition – where I studied to become a Health Coach – there is a tool called "The Circle of Life" which helps evaluate several areas of your life to identify imbalances:
©️Integrative Nutrition, Inc.
The exercise consists of placing a dot on each line to show your level of satisfaction in each area. A dot towards the center indicates you're not happy and a dot towards the outside indicates you're happy. For example, if your physical activity is really good, then place a dot on the line somewhere towards the outside of the circle. Then, when you complete all areas, you connect the dots to see your Circle of Life. At a glance, you can see the imbalances and then determine where you need to spend more time and energy to create a more balanced life. Here's an example:
©️Integrative Nutrition, Inc.
My challenge to you this week is to find the areas of your life that need some more attention. You might be surprised, or you may not. You might even find that the ones that need attention magically coincide with the New Year resolutions you set forth this year, like increasing your physical activity, getting your finances in order, doing more cooking at home or even looking for a more fulfilling job.
The real question becomes: Are you committed to or just interested in change?
Only you can honestly answer that question. And the answer will come from that place in you that knows all things.
Doing what it takes will bring true transformation. Doing what it takes will bring the results you want. Doing what it takes will change you.
Commit to thrive this 2017 and Pay Your Health First.
-- Chris
