Health and Vitality

May 06

Health and Vitality

Eddie Miller

Do you have energy that lasts throughout the day?
Do you walk into meetings with confidence knowing that you are at your absolute best?

No, these are not trick questions. And yes, I know they’re rhetorical. Let me guess…you answered no and no, right? I’m with you.

Let’s look at some of the day-to-day ways we avoid our own vitality and health.

When we talk about living a healthy, balanced and prosperous life from the Inside-Out, our health is at the very core. Being healthy in mind, body and spirit relates to every component of our life. It just doesn’t matter what kind of car you drive or how much money you have in the bank if you don’t have the health to enjoy any of it.

We tend to race through life, becoming easily overwhelmed, overworked, overcommitted, and the first thing that falls through the cracks? Taking care of ourselves!

You know what I mean. You’re in a hurry. You’ve been in meetings all day. You realize you haven’t had lunch─and it’s already 4:30 pm. So you pull into a fast food lane and order your favorite “comfort” foods - that ironically make you feel very uncomfortable later on. And then you feel too lousy to go for a walk, let alone the gym. Pretty soon, you don’t even think about it anymore.

We wind up procrastinating on our health but scrambling to meet work deadlines.

Surprise, surprise…I know this routine quite well. Yes, me, the Living Inside-Out guy who gets up every morning with the intention to live my best life and inspire you to do the same. Guess what? I’m HUMAN! Like you, I can get so caught up in life that I lose sight of what’s good for me. At one point, I was eating whatever I could grab on the run, and working out became a distant memory. As a result, I started adding pounds and wearing baggie shirts. My weight climbed, my posture sagged, and my self confidence took a fast dive.

And it hit me. I don’t want to play hide and seek for the rest of my life.

Think of how you might be running and hiding from your own best self.
Maybe you’ve started wearing black clothes to look slimmer, avoiding horizontal strips and lighter colors.
When you’re stressed, maybe you begin eating more and possibly even drink more alcohol.
When it is time to order dessert at a restaurant-you may say yes more often than “Nah, I’m full, thanks.”

Before we know it, our entire perspective of ourselves and our lives changes-we lose our vitality.

A key of living life from the Inside-Out is about being consciously aware of the decisions we are making at every moment. Being consciously aware means we have to get real with ourselves. Today is the day to choose to put your health and vitality first. Everything else flows from there.

Begin here with my 6 Steps to Vital Living:
1. Identify what is “causing” you to be unhappy or stressed. Typically, we when start spiraling down the unhealthy road because we lose balance in our lives due to demands of work or family. This isn’t about blaming an outside source, but rather about figuring out your own personal emotional triggers.
2. Be honest with yourself about what you need to shift in your present reality-get up earlier, cut back or say no on those things demanding your time, watch less TV, so on. Needs are different from wants. Make an inventory and get clear about the distinction.
3. Begin to focus on your dreams and desires and how you would really like your life to be.
4. Become conscious about what you are eating. When you want to eat something unhealthy-STOP and ask yourself “What is the feeling behind this craving? Can I work through this feeling and then let it go?”
5. Let it go, and make a healthy decision that you’ll feel positive about. That will fuel you more than the food.
6. Add some form of exercise 3 times a week-even a brisk walk is revitalizing (and it’s free).

By being consciously aware, we are able to be open ourselves to new possibilities of how we would like to live our lives.

As a result, you will have more energy and regain the spring in your step. When you walk into a meeting, or walk in the door of your own home to your family, you will be filled with confidence-and an inner vitality you might not have had otherwise. UHL

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This month, don’t miss our featured expert Brian Biro-author of the nationally acclaimed Beyond Success: The 15 Secrets of Effective Leadership and Life. On Thursday, May 15th, Brain will be my special guest on our Ask the Expert Teleseminar Series where he will discuss Making Personal Breakthroughs and how to seize the WOO! [Window of Opportunity]-to register visit www.AskBrianBiro.com

Also, check out the Healthy Living Tips-Prevention with Intention. I think you will really enjoy them.

Remember to keep me posted on your progress. It is my intent for you to experience a fulfilling and rewarding life in every aspect-health, relationships, family, career and finances. I invite you to send me your questions and comments. You also are welcome to share your ideas about topics you’d like addressed by our panel of experts in future editions of Ultimate Health Living. Click here to Share with Eddie.