yourself

“He who goes about to reform the world must begin with himself, or he loses his labor”

Ignatius of Loyola

You’ve got to take care of yourself.

It’s common sense, but often ignored.  Everybody knows that you fix your own oxygen mask before anyone else’s.  But why?

Time after time I hear patients worrying about their family or friends.  They cry, they stress, they lose sleep. They worry about all the little details that they have absolutely no control over.

I do not mean to minimize their pain or suffering. But often in these situations, there is nothing that they can actually do to help.  They can want in one hand and piss in the other. And what have they done to help the one thing that they have control of — themselves?  They still smoke, they still drink, they still mindlessly consume TV.   They eat junk food.  They don’t exercise.  They don’t pray or meditate.

But how does helping yourself help your loved ones?  Their son’s marriage problems? Their brother’s alcoholism?  Their grief over the loss of a parent?  Their own spiral towards financial ruin?

The answer is maybe nothing.  Maybe it has no bearing at all.  But that doesn’t matter.  That is not the point.  What matters is that you take care of yourself for the sole benefit of YOU.

Taking care of yourself will make a difference to those around you.  Don’t believe me? Try it.  I am not talking about living a self-absorbed life.  This doesn’t mean you ignore others hurts or trials.  It means you open yourself up to health/improvement/growth.  You become free to be you.

It is strange that I should even have to point this out.  But it seems to be forgotten.

You are not dead.

Do something worth living for.

Do something worth dying for.

Try it.  Try to make one change that you know you need to do.  Try it for 6 weeks and see what happens.  Don’t let others stop you.  Be you and make the change for yourself.

Here’s 3 easy steps to start NOW

1.  30 minutes of exercise a day.  Do this at least 5 days a week.
2.   Eat real food. Make sure at least 2 of your meals per day are real food.  Nothing processed.  No fast food.
3.   Clean out your junk drawer.

You can start on these today.  Will these things completely change your life? No.  But it will get you started.  If you can’t do these 3 things, then I have nothing to offer you here.  Good luck on your journey.  But, if you are looking for a positive in change in your life—  Start with these 3 things.

Now go and live free.