What Is Health?

If there is anyone out there who doesn't want to improve their health, I'd like to meet them and pick their brain.  At the beginning of every year there are advertisements, slogans, products, etc. all aimed at telling us this is "your" year.  This is the year you're going to lose that weight, finally stop eating sugar, eat all your daily vegetables, get that promotion, run that marathon, take that dream vacation, etc.  All sounds like a tall order to me.  Have you ever met anyone who got their health 100% together and fulfilled their dreams in just one year?  I haven't.  And even if it were possible to get it all done in one year, we'd have to come up with new stuff to achieve and make ourselves look good the next year, and the next, and so on.

So that begs the question: what is health?  What does that mean to you?  Chances are your picture perfect view of health is not the same as mine.  And so it should be.  Your body is different than mine.  Your brain is different than mine.  You and I have different genetics, tendencies, preferences, life experiences, etc.  I'd sincerely hope your idea of perfect health wasn't the same as mine. 

But, there are general rules to health that are pretty basic.  It's kind of like there's a basic skeleton that is the building block, and then we get to individually fill in the flesh.  For example: I think we can all agree that regular exercise is part of that skeletal base.  Little dessert and lots vegetables are 2 more we can include here.  So anyway...

However, what about mental health?  What about emotional health?  What about those things that exercise and vegetable consumption don't immediately address?  What about those times when you literally can't get your butt out the door to walk around the block because you already feel so horrible about yourself?  What if your sleep is off?  Magazines, gym adds, and all the supplements at the front of Costco beginning of January don't address everything.

May I suggest 2 things: 1. Learn yourself.  What motivates you?  What makes you actually stick with something?  Do you need friends in on it with you?  Do you need to pay someone knowing the money will motivate you?  Can you just dive right in (this would be me)?  Do you need to research the snot out of things first (this would be my husband)?  Be honest with yourself or you're going to be a gerbel on that wheel.  2. Start where you are.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  We hear this all. the. time.  Blah, blah, blah.  But is there another place to start? If so, please share!!!  And, own where you are.  Don't be ashamed.  You are of no lesser value.  Accept where you are.  And then change it.  Believe me when I say accepting where you're at can be the hardest part.  I've been there WAY too many times, in WAY too many areas of my life.  And I probably will again, but anywho...  

And remember. ANY change in the right direction counts.  We'll discuss more aspects of health ideas, tricks, tips, etc. as time goes on.  Now, go be happy!