Happy New Year!  I hope everyone's 2017 is off to a great start.  Need to make any changes in your life to be healthier and happier?  We ALL do!  The questions are WHAT do we need to change and HOW are we going to make it happen?

 

My husband Dr. Jeff Waxman and I are committed to wellness.  We're constantly looking for books, video programs, and articles from reputable sources to improve our health:  physically, emotionally, socially, financially and spiritually.  When we find information that's valuable and doable, we love sharing it with people like you who are also searching for greater health. 

 

We have been focused on the topic of HABITS in our recent pursuit.  Let's face it.  Most of what we do is driven by our habits.  We wake up every morning and do the same routine and have the same resulting emotions.  We don't even need to think about most of our activities.  We are programmed to get through our day by our subconscious mind.  In fact, of the thousands and thousands of thoughts we have every day, 90% of them are the same.  The same thoughts lead to the same choices, lead to the same actions, lead to the same experiences, lead to the same emotions. 

 

If we want to change any aspect of our life, we have to begin by changing our thoughts.  Our body can be programmed to live a sedentary life, to be stressed out when the same events occur, to be focused on discomfort and pain, to eat certain unhealthy types of food, to react to certain situations with the same negative thoughts.  If you think of yourself as someone who is always tired with no energy, having difficulty losing weight, and getting depressed or irritated because people don't do what you think they should, then these recurring thoughts will foster the same reactions which will lead to the same experiences and the same feelings. If we want to change any aspect of our life, we must CHANGE OUR THINKING.  The body responds to our thinking.  The mind gives the command.  The body carries out the orders. 

 

The Good News:  We can literally reprogram our mind to live a healthier and happier life. If I think of myself all day long as a loving, energetic force guided by God to lift others, then my actions will play out accordingly.  If I think of myself as an aging person that is slowly decaying and going downhill, drug down by life events beyond my control, then my body will respond accordingly leading to the associated negative experiences and emotions that go along with those negative thoughts. 

 

The goal for all of us:  CHANGE OUR THOUGHTS, CHANGE OUR LIFE!  What does it take to do that?  It first takes a VISION of the type person you want to be.  You can't change anything without having a clear picture of what that New You looks like.  You not only have to have a clear vision of what that person looks like, you have to be PASSIONATE and ENERGIZED just thinking about the New You.  You also have to have repetition:  you must repeatedly think the same new thought. 

 

If you're occasionally thinking "Well, yes, it would be nice to lose some weight by eating smaller portions / heathier foods, have more energy by exercising, be happier / less stressed by meditation / prayer, maybe I'll work on that tomorrow / next week / next month", then your body isn't going to take you seriously.  It has been programmed for unhealthy food or a sedentary existence or a life of stress and frustration, and reprogramming the mind to command the body into new action is going to take rewiring and constant firing of the new synaptic nerve pathways.  If your mind isn't convinced, your body isn't either, and you will keep doing the same robotic actions your body has become accustomed to performing for years, maybe decades.

 

To create the New You, you actually have to STOP and visualize your current state and what you want to change about yourself and your life.  WRITE IT DOWN.  By writing it down, you're actually having to put in motion your thoughts, and you will have a record of whom you want to be.  Then, with all electronics turned off, in an environment of silence, with your eyes closed, envision that person you would like to be.  Possibly thinner, more energetic and muscular with less fat, calmer when dealing with difficult situations, grateful for the blessings in your life, at peace with unwanted events, forgiving - - you get the idea.  How do YOU want to see the NEW YOU?  If you can't SEE it and FEEL it, it won't happen.  If you don't get energized and experience joy just thinking about the NEW YOU, it's less likely to happen.   Just by THINKING about the NEW YOU, your body begins to experience what that feels like.  If you repetitively think about the NEW YOU, your body will start doing it, over-riding the old programs by firing up the new ones.

 

I had to personally face a lot of things I didn't like about my own life and knew were not healthy.  While there were MANY things I needed to change, a big one was the fact that I was stressed out, constantly worrying about things and people beyond my control.  I knew this was NOT healthy and reduced the quality of my life.   I began envisioning myself as a relaxed person at peace with life events that were not under my power, facing the realities of life and being grateful for my many blessings.   I could SEE and FEEL the New Me.  I kept thinking it and meditating on it until my body got the message.  Today, when I see myself getting stressed out / frustrated over an unexpected, unwanted life event, an alarm goes off telling me to get back into the relaxed mode.  I'm a work in progress and continue to install new, improved thoughts into my mind to operate my body.

 

The Key to Success:  Envision it.  Write it down.  Post it.  Experience the New You in your mind and Feel it.  Repetitively thinking new thoughts will lead to new decisions, new actions, new experiences, new emotions.

 

How can we be healthier and happier in 2017?  By Living WELL Aware!  We have to become acutely AWARE of our thoughts that lead to actions and emotions that we know are not desirable.  We have to look at things we repetitively do, day after day after day that are not in our best interest or those around us.  It's as if we are on autopilot most of the day.  The answer:  we need a new flight plan.  We need to change negative thoughts to positive ones, unhealthy thoughts to healthy thoughts.  Then we have to put those new thoughts into action day after day after day, until you are on autopilot overseen by the New You. 

 

Looking for more information, implementation, and inspiration to get you on your new path?  Join us at one of the upcoming new and improved Living WELL Aware conferences to be held on February 11 in Bryan, Texas and   February 25 in Austin, Texas.  Living WELL Aware will be applying Essential Element #6 Graciously Give Your Gifts by donating the proceeds from these conferences directly to organizations in need. 

 

Does your business, organization, or school need a health boost in 2017?  Contact us!  We can all get healthier and happier by Living WELL Aware!

 

ONWARD!