When I see an unhealthy person, I recognize a soul I once saw in myself. I was unfit, unhappy, and even angry at times although the anger didn't linger and I generally found life to be joyful. Most of my fitness and happiness challenges in life seemed to come from accidents and general heartaches I got my self into. Often I chased a dream that wasn't mine; perhaps I was trying to meet someone's expectations or maybe it was due to the pop culture of my adolescence. TV, music, fashion trends; we're all affected by them, even if we don't understand or believe it. But then, not so too long ago, I started questioning my motives in life or my way of life and being determined to be different than everyone else, I set out on a quest to discover the true me. Of course this also a journey to discovering where I came from as well.
When I was a kid, we had the true American dream life...Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet(r). Really, you see commercials today showing kids of summer with the rope swing, the crush on the older girl, and the Cocoa Cola (r). That was me. I ate hot dogs and hamburgers, drank soda pop, and indulged in almost every candy available in the country. But somehow, buy great luck maybe, I didn't get diabetes, didn't get obese, and I generally stayed active and happy. Now I know today's challenge with children is staying active, especially with all the school fitness programs being cut due to budget constraints and all, not to mention the general level of parental guidance in the field of fitness and play. Most adults I know get their fitness on a Wii(r) console or through the movement of their mouse on a PC. I would have to say that the one major thing I notice from the world of my youth, and that of the one facing today's youngsters, would have to be the level of advertising and general garbage in the media.
So we all know that what you put into your body, you basically get back the same stuff. You eat cheap carbohydrates, you convert the sugars to fat; you consume highly processed unnatural sweeteners, you overwork your pancreas and you stand the risk of developing type 1 or 2 diabetes, and if you put poison into your body, you basically die. But what about our minds...could what we be putting in our heads be affecting our health overall...well duh! Of course it is...disagree, write back and let's talk about it. My hotdogs and hamburgers didn't come from a mass-production meat farm thriving with growth hormones and antibiotics. The soda I drank had sugar in it, not this byproduct of corn production called high-fructose corn syrup. And the candy, well I was just lucky that I kept my fitness and my teeth.
Now some of you out there might work for one of the major corporations, or you might be an investor, but many of us take up opposition to the theory that what we put in our minds and bodies is affecting our lives in a positive or negative way. I always love to see someone without the information become the expert on the subject or deny the obvious just because they cannot believe that it might even be true. You know the type of person. Let's say it's raining outside, clearly. And this type of person feels the urge to contradict what is common agreement, the fact that it is actually raining outside. He or she might say, it's not raining! I've seen real rain, and this is nothing. Or they might be so engrained to adversity, or have a personality conflict with you that they take opposition to everything you say. That's often the case in subjects surrounding our society or culture. Often we put our egos into the equation and take things personally.
Agreement 1: Be impeccable with your word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
Agreement 2: Don’t take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
Agreement 3: Don’t make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
Agreement 4: Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
After reading this book, I recommend you explore other Don Miguel Ruiz topics, especially The Mastery of Love as a friend recommended that to me when I endured a challenging period in my life involving my wife, Kandy. Finally, although I found it a tough read to follow and stay in touch with, Eckhart Tolle's book, The Power of Now offers an intense awakening to the force in our own ego. This book may heighten your experience in living in the moment as well as help you end your slavery to your own ego. The first couple of chapters grasped me, I struggled through the middle and found ease of reading toward the end. My other selection from Tolle, Stillness Speaks read like true poetry to my ears and flowed like the well-written Proverbs of the Bible. Those on both sides of the spiritual spectrum will enjoy this book as well.
Finally, as someone who was asleep, thought he became awake, and then really woke up, there is no one book that is the source of all wisdom, knowledge, and enlightenment. Many believe the Bible to be the only guide to living, and it has some great guidance for living that even I still follow although my walk with the Christian faith has diverted paths with those members of a church or body of Christ. If you are struggling with health issues related to diet and food, please read Daniel, Chapter 1, the part about the choice meats and spirits given to the guards and the fresh fruits and vegetables given to Daniel and his friends while they were in prison. I've seen the power of vegetables in my life, and once you move through the addiction, dependence, and generally bad habit patterns, you'll feel better, look fit, and actually be genuinely healthy.
Remember, not "everything in moderation" and more is not necessarily better. Write back, email or call me if I can be helpful in your health and fitness challenges. You are not alone and I feel you.
Don
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