Motivate Me, Motivate YOU!!

Since I started with school and counseling people, I have been asked many questions and faced many obstacles. The first question I am asked is: How do I get motivated to become a healthier person? There are quite a few answers to this as well as different and various obstacles to hinder your path. I hope I cover all of them and if I don't, please let me know.

Now we all know that most people want to be healthy once they have a problem. All of a sudden, it's "oh, I gotta do this and that and the third". Their mind gets into the spirit but their body isn't budging. Their environment isn't helping and they go right back to the same old thing. My mother always said to me, "prevention is better than cure" but for those who are getting on the good foot because of certain issues, then I hope this is a great start for you.

DEPRESSION

Ever woke up one morning and wanted to become healthier but then once you look in the mirror, you lay right back down on the bed? How about you have the urge to start working out but then you and your significant other get into an argument and you head right for the ice cream? Depression is one of the biggest obstacles to face when trying to be healthy because depression pretty much stops everything going on in your life. For me, depression is about not appreciating yourself like you're supposed to. As a person who has beat depression only to face it and beat it again, I realized that the only thing that can help me to fight depression...is ME. If taking a pill or seeing a therapist of some sort stops your depression so that you can go on with life, that's fine with me. But for most, a positive outlook on life (and yourself) will help you to fight depression and motivate yourself to be more than you are now.

SUPPORT

Having people in your life that support you and remind you of your self-worth can help you beat depression. They can also motivate you and help you to achieve your health goals, regardless of what they are. The trick with friends (or anyone) as a support system is with YOU. If you don't want to help yourself, all of the efforts of those around you are in vain. On the flip side, once you are open to help from others, you will be that much closer to reaching your goals, in a shorter period of time (for the most part).

STAYING FOCUSED

Let's say you get over the humps that hindered you from taking the first step. You have support from family and friends to reach your health goals but it never happens. Maybe you don't have the time because of work, kids, school. Whatever is going on in your life, stay focused in achieving your goals. If you have to sacrifice something to be a better you, PLEASE DO IT. Anyone or anything that does not allow you to take time for YOU, you should dash it (or them) away. Let me give you an example from my own personal experience:

A couple of years back, I used to work to try to please everyone. I would try to be so dedicated that I would be rude to customers and co-workers and even though I was doing work on time, it wasn't up to par for my company. Finally, my boss sat me down and asked me what is going on. I told him that I'm so busy at work and I'm so dedicated to doing what I need to do, that I would go for days without taking a lunch break.

My boss looked at me with disbelief. He just couldn't believe that I didn't take the time out for myself. "How can you help anyone else if you don't help yourself?," he said. He added that since I don't take time to eat, it's easy for me to be mean and rude...my stomach is talking, not ME!! LOL

From that day on, I made it a point to get something to eat...even if it meant that the customer was upset that he/she had to wait an extra 15 - 30 minutes for their computers to be fixed. Once they found out why (I have to eat), they, too, understood and gained patience.....speaking of patience....

KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING....and PATIENCE

The first step to motivate you is KNOWLEDGE. Not knowledge of what to eat and when or what exercises to do or knowledge on the latest fad. I'm talking about Knowledge of self. To know yourself and accept who you are is happiness. Once you're happy with yourself, ALL things are possible. Nothing is impossible. So you got some rolls under your shirt? Your heart still beats and is filled with love. So you have a particular ailment and need help? Well, you're reading this blog right now and it's a start! Look to the positive within the negative and you will truly get to know yourself and be comfortable with it.

Next is wisdom. This is where research comes in...once you know yourself, you will have a good idea of what you need to do but you may need help. Someone who is knowledgeable in these matters like a Holistic Health Counselor ;), a dietitian, a nutritionist, or even a personal trainer can help you gain the wisdom to reach your goals. People always have a tip for you to follow....sometimes it's good to try at least once but having the wisdom to know which method is right for you (and not right for you) is very important.

Understanding yourself takes time. Patience is a virtue. These two go hand in hand. Once you understand what you're going through, you have to have PATIENCE in order to see it through. It took years for you to get the body that you don't want....never think it's going to take a week or two for you to make it better. Depending on how focused you are, it can take months or years to truly improve on your situation. Knowing this doesn't mean you should give up hope now. Understanding this should make you more resolved in doing the right thing for yourself. You are worth every second spent on improving yourself...even if it takes decades to improve you the way you want to be improved, be grateful that you were able to live every minute of that decade as a better person...appreciate your growth and learn from your mistakes.

Being healthy means that the mind, body and soul are in unison...helping you to help yourself. If you can't help you, how can you help anyone else? ;)


Next blog, I will probably get specific on each of these topic and move forward by showing you ways to start improving overall health. In the meantime....


stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease!