In 2018 I was forced to examine my story. Looking back I will admit it was the best thing I ever did for my health. Despite the fact that I am a physician, who practiced clinical medicine for just over thirty years, I was not totally healthy. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I had healthy habits and one of my pillar was structurally healthy; however, overall, there was too much structural damage in my other pillars.
Total Health Requires Total Honesty
You have to be realistic and understand that total health is not just about your weight and eating habits. Getting totally healthy demands that you examine all your unhealthy habits. The habits you have indulged in repeatedly over the years that are now manifesting in your life [pattern recognition].
How To Examine Your Story
It takes a willingness to examine your life and it requires that you do so with c.a.r.e [compassion, acceptance, respect, and empathy]. Examine the health of these four pillars: spiritual; psychological [emotional and mental]; physical; and financial. When you are totally healthy, the story you present to the world or the story you tell yourself will reflect reality and be based on truth. One major truth: you are responsible for the current state of your life and health.
The 4 Components Of Your Story [B.E.T.H.]
- Beliefs – what you believe shapes your values and influences your decisions and choices. Unfortunately, your life is a reflection of those decisions and choices. Thus, you want to make sure that your life is reflecting truthfully your beliefs. If it is not, you need to prune out the limiting beliefs that are preventing you from living your life abundantly
- Emotions – we all have emotions. Emotions in and of themselves are not bad or good. However, emotions can control us and destroy our equilibrium when we lack clarity, acceptance, and discipline. More important, the feelings that are generated and your unhealthy habitual responses to those feelings are responsible for the current poor condition of your life and state of your health.
- Thoughts – right up there with beliefs and emotions are our thoughts. When we let our thoughts become toxic, often that’s because we are not functioning or living in a state of love. Love does not mean we allow people to walk all over us. Proper care requires love and unconditional love results in proper care. As you begin to get totally healthy, certain words begin to show up again and again: c.a.r.e., love, clarity, and discipline are four words that are important if you want to get totally healthy.
- Habits – your habits, which also can be viewed as your responses, your patterns, your behaviors, or your actions following a trigger or stimulus. Your habits are ultimately what define your state of health and the quality of your life. Yet, we know that b.e.t. [beliefs, emotions, and thoughts] influences your habits. Thus, if you want to get totally healthy, it will require you to change or get rid of some unhealthy habits, but you may also need to change some beliefs, respond differently to your emotions and for sure, question the validity of some of your thoughts.
Change Your Story To B.E.S.T.
Does this mean that when you are totally heathy you never get upset or make a poor decision? Absolutely not! It means that you maintain your equanimity and choose to act from a state of acceptance. You recognize that you are human with certain frailties which will require you to employ compassion, respect, and empathy often. Your B.E.S.T. life begins when you believe, embrace, share, and trust love daily. Get comfortable with the idea of LOVE [loving self and loving others as you love yourself]. Remember to love with c.a.re. and you will care better when you fully learn to love unconditionally.