This article is actually about way more than
just fitness or nutrition, actually this is about transforming your entire
being, your mind and your entire life. I think most of us, already know these 2
tips below, but may not practice them as often as we should
1. In Chapter 8 in Bill
Phillip’s book, Transformation,
he starts off the chapter with a shocking story about a man who tragically had
his 20-year old son murdered by
a teenage gang member 5 years prior. The story ends up a bit
unfathomable to most of us, as it turns out that he actually forgave his son’s
killer, in what can only be considered one of the most courageous acts of compassion and forgiveness than most of us could ever even contemplate.
After all, how many of us walk around for
years holding clashes with a friend or family member over something silly and
stupid that means nothing in the big picture of our lives? However, this
courageous father found it in his heart to forgive his son’s murderer, the
ultimate act of forgiveness.
For most of us, forgiveness will not be for
such extreme event, instead, it will be for smaller things that we’ve been
holding deep inside (bottled up inside, causing us hidden stress) against a
particular person, maybe a sibling, a parent, a friend, or a spouse. But
what we don’t realize is that these bottled up clashes harm our health, and do
very little to “punish” the other person.
“Resentment
is like drinking poison and waiting for your enemy to die“.
Yes, you’re harming yourself more than the
other person by holding onto resentment.
We all make mistakes and if you think back to
the story about the father that forgave his son’s killer, was that teenage gang
member really an evil person deep down to his soul? Or was he a
victim of society, which led him into the gang lifestyle? There’s always more
to the story than what is on the surface.
The most important thing we need to realize is
that holding onto anger is scientifically
proven to harm our health
and make us die earlier.
Bill points out a study in the Journal
of Epidemiology & Community Health involving 2,755 people over
10 years. According to the study that Bill summarizes,
“Those
who repressed anger and held resentments were found to be twice as likely to die of a heart attack compared
to people in the study who were able to process and let go of negative feelings.”
Another Very important thing that Bill points
out, holding onto a grievance doesn’t give you control over the offender, and
it doesn’t “punish” them; it just gives them control over you, and punishes you,
because you’re the one holding onto the health-harming stress and lack of peace
of mind.
Just think if we all kept these guidelines in
the front of our minds daily,
wouldn’t the world be a much better place, with less stress, fighting, hatred,
resentment, and pent up anger?
2. This second tip is no less important
than the first, and it is very powerful in helping you to live healthier and
happier.
This is another important tip to living life
to the fullest that was reminded by Bill’s book, Transformation. The
story starts off with a day that Bill had the pleasure of meeting fitness
icon Jack Lalanne and a reporter from USA Today interviewed
them both.
One of the most important questions that the
news reporter asked Jack in the interview was
“What should people who want to live a
healthy life do first thing in the morning?”
The reporter had been expecting a specific tip
about exercise or nutrition first thing in the morning, but instead, Jack
replied with an answer that carried some very powerful wisdom, he replied
“A healthy person always starts the day by
counting their blessings.”
What Jack Lalanne understands, that so many
people don’t, is that gratitude affects not only the health of
your mind, but that of your body and your entire well-being too.
One of the most important daily rituals that
anybody can take up is to lie in bed for 1-2 more minutes after waking up
in the morning and consciously bring to mind all of the things in his/her life
that they are thankful for. It’s also important to write down what you are
grateful for in your life.
In life everybody has struggles, but everybody
also has things that they should be grateful for. This one daily ritual can
literally change the biochemistry of your body and mind to put you into a more
energetic and “feel good” state about your life, and thereby achieve more of
your goals.
Well, according to Bill in Chapter 16 of Transformation,
Dr. Robert Emmons, PhD, from the University of California Davis was involved in
a large research project on gratitude,
and here were some of his discoveries:
ü Those who kept gratitude
journals on a weekly basis exercised
more often, felt better physically, and had a more positive mindset.
ü Study participants
who kept gratitude lists were found to be more likely to have made progress towards important personal goals
(academic, interpersonal, and health-based) over a 2-month period.
ü A daily gratitude
intervention produced higher levels of alertness,
enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness, and energy.
ü Those who
participate in a daily gratitude exercise have lower levels of depression and stress and are more likely to offer emotional support to others and help them make it through their
difficulties.
The bottom line is that although you may have
heard about practicing daily gratitude in the past, are you really doing
it daily? If not, you’re missing out on the health benefits, increased
energy, better sleep and mood, goal achievements, and just living healthier and
happier!
I told you that these 2 tips today would be
powerful in helping to improve your life!
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