Love Yourself First

No one is going to get you to where you want to be but you. If you don't do it, nobody else will. Yes, these are both cliches, but cliches often contain important truths. In this case, the important truth is that if you fail to take care of yourself, both physically and mentally, you may find yourself facing an insurmountable setback.

I faced this reality several times in my life and know the absolute truth of it. For most of us, if you want to achieve something, design a plan and develop actionable steps to get where you want to be.

What if you were unable to reach your goals because of your physical or mental condition? It's something to consider. 

A House With Four Rooms advocates for visiting your four rooms (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) every single day for complete wellness. This advice is foundational to overall success. I'm focusing on my physical room as I establish some new routines.

Like many things, we tend to take good health for granted. It's the kind of thing that's there until it's not. Few people consider the prospect of reduced capacity brought about by poor health. I know I didn't; I just assumed I would be healthy...forever. Yet, it's one of the most common impediments to achieving success. It goes without saying that if you can't perform at full capacity, you can't reasonably expect to reach your full potential. While overcoming the setback of poor health is difficult, preventing it from occurring is much easier.

One of the best ways to achieve long-lasting good health is through a program of regular exercise. Conversely, one of the easiest ways to ruin your health is to neglect your body's need to move. Getting enough exercise isn't difficult. It's simply a matter of making it a priority and setting aside the time. If you can't find a half hour every day to exercise then you are essentially saying that you can't find a half hour every day to succeed. You also don't need fancy equipment or a gym to meet your fitness needs. Oftentimes, a simple vigorous walk will clear your head for the tasks at hand, as well as giving you the exercise you need. I try to get 10,000 steps per day, and as I continue to heal from a broken ankle, I am getting closer to my goal.

Another way to take care of yourself and avoid the pitfall of poor health is through proper diet. Eating correctly is just as important to your wellbeing as exercise. A first step to improving your diet would be to avoid all fast food.

Fast food often contains high amounts of fat and sodium, things you should be trying to eliminate from your diet. It is also very dense calorically. The average fast food meal is giving you way more calories than you need unless you're training for a marathon. (Even then, there are healthier sources of caloric energy.)

Another step would be to switch out processed foods for fresh foods. Instead of opening a can, reach for something natural. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a perfect choice. 

The best part of making exercise and meal planning a priority is getting your family involved. I enjoy taking my grandson to the park or zoo, and as I try to keep up with a two-year-old, I'm getting in some cardio and steps!

The takeaway here is that most health problems are preventable. Because these problems may represent the ultimate setback you will face on the road to success, why not start taking steps today to avoid them while you still can.

What are you doing to "air" out your physical room? Have you started any new routines? Go over to the Facebook post about the physical room and let us know what things you are doing to love yourself first...to keep yourself healthy.

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I'm going to start my walk...have a great day and don't forget to share your comments on the Facebook page.

Cheers!

Lisa