Yep…Healthy Choices Finally Cleared Up

Like many things, being “healthy” can be very different to each of us. Healthy, to me, is not skinny, muscular, a gym rat, or even a vegan. I have known them all, been a few of them…and they are not all “healthy” in my book.

For me, healthy is a mix of feelings, including the ability to love who you are, give grace to yourself when needed, feel content, and go through challenges, knowing that you are strong enough to make it out the other side.

Let’s get real… challenges, bad days, disappointments, loss, and rough seasons, don’t go away…so let us prepare ourselves to have the strength, clarity and endurance to make it through, and not lose ourselves in the process.

Let me be clear…over the years, I have had friends and clients that worked out more than enough, and they still didn’t feel good about themselves.

Personally, when I worked out the most, I was not my healthiest.

I also have had clients who have their eating mastered, but their head is a mess.

My point is….fitness and nutrition by themselves, do not make you feel good and healthy. Yes, they are important…and yes, exercise and eating clean are a component of healthy, but not the complete formula.

Our mind, heart and soul need, and crave, nurturing and growth to truly feel our best.

I believe our mind is the foundation for our health and happiness, and our mind health comes from so much more. It takes courage to choose good for your mind.

Over the years, I have worked to shed my unhealthy layers bit by bit. I have had many unhealthy habits over the years. I still have plenty that I work on every single day, and some of my old ones try to resurface often. Some days they even succeed…but I give myself grace, and start again.

Everyday I am deliberate about my choices…for my heart, my mind and my soul.

This is why I promote one day at a time…one choice at a time. My grandma always said…one day is God’s gracious plenty. She was absolutely right.

Be deliberate about all of your choices.

Here is my list of healthy choices that I have worked to adopt over the last few years, and these habits have brought much needed peace, health and happiness to my mind, heart and soul, that just exercise couldn’t do. We can’t just talk about it…we have to truly choose it.

• Pray and practice gratitude every single day.
• Embrace the fact that you can only change yourself. Yep…accept others and change yourself.
• Lower, yes lower, your expectations of others.
• Assume good intent from others. When you begin to create a story in your head that is upsetting you, pause and seriously ask yourself if you honestly know the motive and intention of who is upsetting you. Usually we don’t, so assume good intent, especially with your spouse and your family. This is unbelievable peace.
• Give, serve and help freely, even when it is uncomfortable and unpopular, because so often, it is uncomfortable and unpopular.
• It is the small acts of giving that make the biggest difference.
• Be kind. To yourself especially.
• Give yourself grace and forgiveness every single day, all day.
• Give others grace and forgiveness. This is for you. Let it go, move on, and above all, learn from it. Especially with your family.

We don’t change these habits all at once, nor are we ever perfect. We take one at a time.

Stop getting upset over the small things. This is a lesson. If you continue getting frustrated with things that really aren’t big, you will eventually get something really big, and then…you will realize how small those things were.

• Stay away from gossip and constant complaining. This is a dark cloud. You have to seek out the sunshine….I promise, you can find people that don’t gossip.
• Be understanding and accepting. Everyone is going through something, including you.
• Look for good. If you are looking for faults, and disappointments, you will find them. Find the good, especially with your family and your spouse.
• Get outside every day. Take in the air, the sky, and every bit of nature around you.
• Put your phone down. PUT IT DOWN for goodness sakes.
• Pause and look in your family’s eyes, especially when you talk to them.
• Give hugs, especially when you don’t feel like it. I read somewhere we need at least 7 a day.
• Play music every day.

Start becoming aware of what could be affecting how you feel.

Quit comparing your life to others…spend quality time in yours. Becoming present in your own life, with your family, under your roof is so powerful in feeling happy and content. You will likely find resistance, both inside and outside your family, at first, but do not give up.

• Stop scrolling social media. We have become lost and almost obsessed with everyone else’s world. So let me say it again…stop scrolling social media.
• You truly do get to choose. Everything. Your perspective. How you start your day. What you spend your time on. Who you say yes to. Your tone. What you get upset over.
• Let go of things you can not change. Give them up to God.
• Do something to grow and be uncomfortable every day.
• Find quiet time away from the noise every day for at least 5-10 minutes. Meditate.
• Laugh, laugh, and laugh some more. Enjoy life. Embrace life. Cry, laugh and feel. Life is meant to be felt. Don’t hold it in.
• Above all…be yourself. Be around people that let you be who you are. If you want to fully live your life, and feel your best, you have to start being who YOU are today. Get uncomfortable every day and be YOU. Your people will love YOU no matter what.

Embrace the People that truly Let You Be YOU.

Yes, I could keep going. I am sure you have some to add as well. You get where I’m going.

My point is…our health, and our happiness, is about the way we live our lives…every single day. Our every day habits. Our heart and mind are counting on us to choose good.

Yes, we are going to have challenges. Struggles don’t go away when you find health and happiness. We need them. Don’t run from them. Endure them. Work through it the best you can.

The above habits will help you endure the hard times.

Don’t despair…our just released free 5 day video course, Refresh & Restart, dives into these habits. Check it out if you want to start cleaning up your daily choices. We can all relate to this and I promise the small choices will change you for the better.

I give each of you permission to choose for YOU.

I believe in each of you and encourage you to think about the small choices in your day. These small choices, made every day, will make the biggest difference in your health and happiness.