When I turned 40 years old (now 5 years ago), I was forced to face some very inconvenient truths. I had set some life goals for myself that I did not hit, some of them financial, some of them personal and others career related. I slipped into my version of a mid-life crisis that lasted for a full year.
Coming out of that experience taught me a few lessons that I like to call “Heavy Handed Truths”. They are very simple but they have changed my life and they have also helped those that I have coached over the years and I would like to share a few of them with you today.
Truth #1: Some things in life really matter and other things that we think are important really aren’t…
There is undeniable truths in life that matter, and it is our responsibility to take care of them to the best of our ability. I believe that taking care of your health and fitness is one of those truths.
I have also found that there are things in life that seem important, but in reality are not. To give you a quick example from my life, when I was in my 20’s I set some major financial goals that I wanted to achieve by the age of 40. I did not hit those goals. Not one of them.
The world convinced me that it was the most important thing in my life and in retrospect nothing could have been further from the truth. I spend a full year agonizing about my “failures” when in reality I was worrying about nothing. I was buying into what society says is important without being grateful for the abundance that I already had.
The take home from this truth? Figure out what is REALLY important in your life and stop stressing about the things that are not really important. Life is far too short to worry about things that do not resonate with you at a soul level.
Truth #2: Health is the most important aspect of the human experience…
People still like to fight me on this one but I can see no way out of this fundamental truth. Your health is literally the key to your happiness and success in life. Health is the foundation upon which everything else is built. Without robust health, the most important things in your life will eventually crumble or at best remain in a sub-optimal state.
Whether it be your finances, career, relationships or hobbies, they ALL are dependent on your health. Your health WILL determine the quality of life that you live. This is a heavy handed truth, but a truth nonetheless.
Truth #3: Take ownership for the things that you CAN control and roll with the punches for the things that you cannot control…
I wish I could go back and relive the times that I was stressing about things that I could not control. This is a side of our instinctual human survival side that needs to be calmed in the 21st Century. Take inventory of the things that you are stressing about that you really have no control over and then give yourself the grace of not worrying about them.
On the flip side we like to dismiss ourselves for the things that we know we should do better at but yet are not doing. Health and fitness is a perfect example. If you know that you should be taking better care of yourself it is time to stop blaming external circumstances and get to work. It is not your job, your lack of time, your money, or your kids that are stopping you from taking better care of yourself, it is you and only you.
When you begin to take 100% responsibility for yourself, you will set yourself free from your own excuses and take action towards your goals.
Sometimes it takes staring the truth in the face to get us out of our rut. Oftentimes we are so used to our own excuse-laden narratives, we forget to see the real truth beneath them all.
It is time to step into your best self and I hope that these 3 truths will be a step on the right direction. I know they can change your life if you allow them too.
Please let me know how your journey goes! I am always happy to hear your story or your own personal journey!
Life is Good!
P.S. If you would like help in your health and fitness journey we can certainly help! Give us a shot for FREE and see for yourself! https://www.llfit.com/consultations/
