Have you ever done something and immediately after asked: “Why did I do that?” Guess what, you are not the only one. Perhaps you did something and thought I was out of my mind. Maybe you did it even though you knew that it would have adverse consequences. So, again I ask, “Why?”
The Answer Is Multifactorial Yet Simple
It may seem that there are many factors that come into play when we make choices; however, after forty plus years of making the same choices and asking the same questions, I feel qualified to say that it boils down to the lack of two things: love and trust.
The word love is comprised of compassion, acceptance, respect, empathy, gratitude, humility, honesty, patience, and yielding. To get to this state of love requires a willingness to commit to seeking the truth and doing so consistently daily. Then you must learn to trust love.
I was lacking both, and the results showed in my life. I got totally healthy when I gained clarity about my purpose, identity, and calling. However, I had to honestly examine my GPS, MAP, story, and foundation.
Living Abundantly Requires Self-Examination
I had to examine my daily mindset, attitude, and practices. It also required me to check the GPS I was using. A properly functioning GPS is powered by gratitude, patience, and selflessness. Then I had to reassess the story I had been sharing about me and my life. Was this a story grounded in truth or packed full of lies and half-truths. Finally, I was forced to evaluate my foundation.
Recognize that you develop unhealthy habits because you had ineffective or unhealthy coping skills. Your coping skills were or are faulty due to a lack of knowledge. Your instinct to protect yourself and your need for pleasure, which is often cloaked in fear, drive your every action.
Redefining What Health Means
Total health is a state of optimal health that is achieved when you are in complete spiritual alignment with The Spiritual being within you. It requires a daily investment of your money, energy, and time. It also requires that you be mindful of your:
- mental state, also known as your mindset [accepting or rejecting]
- emotional state [volatile or calm; loving or fearful]
- daily practices [consistently healthy or chaotic; self-control or excessive]
- story [check it for truth]
- foundation [weak or strong]
- nature [generous or stingy]
Ultimately It Comes Down To One Thing
There has to be some absolutes in life otherwise man will destroy himself. Left to our own devices without discipline and self-control we will indulge in the pursuit of pleasure to our own demise. We are hard-wired that way. While that may immediately cause your stress level to rise, know that the solution simply requires you to make a choice.
We all have free will, the freedom to choose who or what will control our actions and therefore our lives. Think about that for just a minute or two. Who or what is controlling your life? I was shocked as I said before to discover, I was not in control of my life. Contrary to my beliefs and values, I was being controlled by someone and something. Sadly, neither had my best interest at heart.
At Some Point You Have To Say “NO!”
If you want to live the abundant life, and I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would not want to live abundantly, you have to say “NO!” No, I will no longer give control of my life to someone or something that wants to destroy me. Instead, I will choose to walk in love.