***video version at the bottom of the post.
For letter E in the ABCs of health we are talking about experience, as in experiencing new things and seeing where they lead. The big question here is: can you improve your health by 1%?
You probably can. You see, we tend to think that to have good health we need to be at the top of someone’s mountain… maybe it’s that doctor that only eats entirely unprocessed foods, maybe it’s that trainer that is the poster girl for every muscle in the human body, maybe it’s the nutritionist who makes all meals from scratch, maybe…. except no.
Good health comes from climbing your own health mountain. To find out how you can make small improvements in your health, it’s about knowing the mountain you want to climb, yes, but you only climb it one step at a time – so you need to look at the steps your feet are taking.
Here are the questions to ask in order to make changes in your direction. These don’t need to be done at once, these are guidelines. When you look at your life, there will be things in your health that can be improved, changed, eliminated or added to move you towards the top of that mountain. Sit with these questions for a while… pick something (always start with the ones that seem to be the easiest), get good at it, then repeat the cycle. Let’s take a look:
What can I improve?
We can usually improve something. Could you sleep better, could you vary your vegetables, could you drink more water, could you increase your weights in a workout, could you improve your self talk, could you reorganize your fridge or your pantry…
Find something you’re doing well, or something you’re doing ok at, and step it up a notch.
What can I change or eliminate?
What habits do you carry in your backpack that are slowing you during your climb? Do you need to make some changes (or possibly eliminate) to some habits so that your journey is lighter?
Sometimes the very things we are attached to, the things we feel are indispensable… are things that, when removed, set us free. For instance, this used to be me with sugar. I thought that I could never ever live without it. For me, change wasn’t the answer, elimination is what actually brought me freedom in food and the energy I was searching for.
You have your own habits that may be weighing you down… what can you change?
What can I add?
This one is GOLD because maybe you want to keep all that suff in your backpack – at least for now. Cool. What can you add to your journey to support your health? Instead of thinking of what has to go, thing of what would be a good addition. Can you add a serving of fruit and veggies to your day? Can you add a 15min walk? Can you add 5 minutes of gratitude? Can you add a glass of water first thing in the morning?
The more good things you add, the less space you will need for the things that aren’t the best. There is a natural cycle that happens when you begin to add the good, to find the positive things you can include in your life, these naturally edge back the things that aren’t as good for you, without necessarily eliminating them.
And finally…
If you think you have peaked,
find a new mountain.
No matter how high you climb… you can always improve something. There are so many nuances to our health… it’s more than just eating and exercising. When you’ve peaked… look around, enjoy the view, and find a new mountain to climb. The more mountains you climb, the more you will respect, admire and challenge the person you have become.
It’s a win win situation. The better you become, the better your life becomes, the better you serve others, the better you experience your life… and you keep climbing new mountains.
The journey is yours. Go find your mountain.
Keeping it simple,
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