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Years ago when I started this blog I thought the mystery of health was ALL completely bound up in nutrition. I thought if I ate the right foods and drank the right drinks; if I did it all perfectly my health problems would completely disappear. Now I’ve discovered that it simply isn’t true. In that type of thinking perfection quickly becomes bondage, and perfection is one of the the greatest tragedies that we can live in. This limited view of only part of the self and not the whole self can actually damage our quest to be healthy and well.
I have found this demand for perfection to be true in every community on cyber space and on the home front. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about our nutrition, if we are using our essential oils correctly, if we are parenting correctly, if we pick the right presidential candidate or if we do everything right in our relationships. The idea of perfection quickly becomes a road block and a cause of constant stress and disappointment.
Fast forward several years. I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching and discovered that the keys to true health are not only being mindful of what we eat and drink but also the way we think and see ourselves can be transformational in your health and life. Many health conditions are believed to have roots back to who one believes they are on a daily basis. You can find very interesting books on this such as Heal Your Body by Louise Hay. This book was life-changing for me when I was struggling with mastitis 2 years after I quit nursing. I realized it was RIGHT ON in finding the root of my health struggle to be emotional!
On most days, our life stresses are events that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. We make things stressful that never need to be. Maybe you are starting as an entrepreneur and want to write a book. You can’t quite get it out there and what stops you is trying to get a perfect book on the shelf. Perfection is a bondage and you’ll never accomplish your life’s dreams when you constantly live in a state of perfection. It feels like an uphill battle that you can never quite win, doesn’t it?
The constant noise of perfection keeps us from finding ourselves because we belittle and downgrade ourselves. We quickly think that if we aren’t perfect, our real selves are not worthy to be seen. We feel constant guilt and shame when we feel like we miss the mark. And, we get defensive when we feel like someone exposes our imperfections. This stronghold of defensiveness keeps us from real conversations with real people, it keeps us from exposing who we really are, and keeps us from finding out how to grow and ultimately experience FREEDOM. Initially these actions feel safe in our minds, but instead we are bound with chains and stunted growth.
This place to live not only makes us mentally sick, but it makes us physically sick as well. It oppresses us from living the life that Our Creator created us to live. It causes us to place labels on ourselves and other people. It causes racism for crying out loud! It screams that if you don’t have all the right check marks on your list, that you don’t make the cut and there is something wrong with you.
I propose to you that true and lasting health involves much more than eating the perfect foods. Maybe you already knew this, but maybe it is a new concept to you. If you are struggling with your health, how can you find true freedom in being well?
- Eat Well because you are worth it. – Yes, what you eat is still important because it echoes, ‘I’m taking care of myself.’ Make sure you consume LOTS of fruits and veggies, healthy fats, and properly sourced meats.
- Connect with Your Creator – No matter what your spiritual beliefs our connecting with the God of the universe is valuable, after all he knows all the answers to the questions. I’m a Christian so I do this by prayer, reading my bible, musical worship, gratitude and connecting with others.
- Make Vulnerability a Priority – When we allow ourselves to be seen we realize that we aren’t alone. We realize we aren’t failures and its ok to be searching. We realize that comparing with others will just make you sick and fearful. My favorite book about vulnerability is Daring Greatly by Brene Brown.
- Take Time for Self-Care – It is absolutely INCREDIBLE how our health can change when we invest in taking care of ourselves. Find out what ENERGIZES YOU. Find out what excites you, find out what makes you feel super charged and go do it without guilt.
- Don’t Let the Demands of Others Get You Down – We often worry about what others are saying and thinking. I implore to you…it DOESN’T matter! Don’t allow others to put demands on you that are outside of your control. Most of the time others’ demands have to do with the internal battle they are facing and have nothing to do with you.
- Pitch your To Do List – What do you want the end result of your day, week, or life to be? How will it impact your influence on others? How will your end result help you to live your calling? Our lives shouldn’t be about “to dos”, our lives should be about our ultimate goals and dreams. Our “to dos,” so to speak, can flow from there and create enjoyment instead of being mundane tasks.
- Reprogram the Tapes in Your Head – You know the ones, the ones that say you should fear this or that. The ones that say you can’t accomplish your dreams. The tapes that say if you don’t hold on to your fears or hopelessness than you are living a lie. WRONG! Just the opposite is true. You were created for great things. The truth of who you really are will change your life. If you don’t believe it, just keep speaking who you want to be IN FAITH. “I AM LIVING A LIFE OF PURPOSE.”
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