Personal Change: The Easiest and Most Difficult Life Application

Everyone knows that change is inevitable.  We can’t stop it.  Change in the world around us will happen regardless of whether or not we decide to participate.  If change is the only true constant in the world, why is personal change one of the most difficult challenges that we seem to face within our lifetime? 

It usually takes something catastrophic within one’s life to cause a reaction that is strong enough for one’s will to be able to accept that personal change is the only way to avoid an early arrival to life’s ultimate conclusion.  For any addict to realize that they have no other alternative other than to change, they must lose most of what they hold dearest in their life in order to have a moment of clarity long that is memorable enough to carry themselves through the rehabilitation process.  Many diabetics must lose a limb before they realize that Diabetes is nothing to be taken lightly, and in order to maintain possession of their remaining peripherals they must completely alter their way of eating and living their life on a day-to-day basis.  Heart patients=heart attacts, etc, etc, etc. 

What is really disturbing is that many women are more terrified to change their current eating patterns in order to increase their current fitness and health levels than they are to go to a plastic surgeon and have their fat brutally sucked out of their body with a surgical grade hoover, or to have their body sliced open in order to increase their cup size a letter or two.  

In the past five years we have had a couple of clients that have unfortunately not listened to our warnings and not taken their current conditions serious enough even though their doctors have warned them that they are on a collision course with the end of this existence.  One client (to our extreme dismay) was an amazingly successful individual who had everything going for him in his life.  He made an amazing amount of money annually, he was one of the top performers at his firm and had nothing but indications that personally and financially his life was only going to get better.  On the other hand, his cholesterol was through the roof, he had high blood pressure, he was overweight, and dealt with an amazing amount of stress on a daily basis.  We tried to get him to realize that his current path (health wise) was not one that would have a desirable conclusion.   He relocated to another state and we lost touch with him.  Of all the ways to receive an update about someone, we overheard someone at a restaurant mention this man’s old firm.  When we asked whether or not this person had known our old client he apologized and told us that he had past away a few months before due to a massive heart attack.

We recently have had another client that has the unfortunate genetic gift of serious heart disease within her family.  Her brother died at age 34 and at this point she is 2 years younger than he was when he died of a heart attack.  This young lady knows that she already has a high percentage of artery blockage at her young age and although she is at extreme risk of early death nothing I said ever seemed to get through to her.  She has recently discontinued our services and odds are that she will not continue with any exercise program therefore greatly increasing her odds of early mortality.  But even when faced with a short countdown with the inevitable change just was too much to accept at this time.  I hope with all my heart that she will survive her first heart attack so that she will have a second chance to see what a gift life is and that sometimes, the problems within us that don’t cause pain, are the most dangerous.  I do hope that I am wrong with my statement that she will not continue on with a fitness plan on her own.  What a crime it would be to have such a wonderful person taken from us so soon when it is (with all probability) avoidable. 

Change begins with a single decision, a decision that can be made at any moment of the day precipitated by something so benign as seeing yourself in the mirror or by surviving a possibly catastrophic event.  Once you make that decision and are firm in your personal commitment to change, nothing with stop you.  Change is easy to commit to, but so difficult to stick with.  Studies have shown that if you can stick to a new pattern or behavior for as little as 6 weeks (which at the time seems like an eternity) it will become accepted by your brain and body as what is now “normal”.  They have even done a study that shows you can actually change your taste buds and learn to like food that was once disgusting to you but is now delicious in 6 weeks. 

Making the decision improve your “lifestyle” can have an effect on almost everything around you.  Your productivity at work will increase, your ability to handle stress will improve, your sex drive and sexual experience will improve (not to mention your partner will find you much more desirable), energy levels will go through the roof and your overall mental health will greatly improve. 

With so much to gain and so much unhealthy baggage to finally be rid of, why do people hesitate?  It is one of the mysteries that troubles my conscience when I can’t get through to people.  It saddens me to see such wonderful individuals never deem themselves worthy enough to have a happier and healthier life.  Until we can all understand that our ship sails or sinks based on our decisions of which waters we sail I will keep fighting the “good” fight and do my best to “nudge” our clients in the direction they originally committed themselves to. 

When your happiness and life are on the line, failure is not an option!  Believe in yourself and believe that you are worth it.