Urgent Changes to Make in Your Vocabulary Today (for Health and Happiness)
There’s a saying that goes like this “If you want to change the world, then change yourself first”. It’s taken me many years of zen-like contemplation to actually appreciate how true that message is. While people are usually complaining of the state of modern health care, they are also walking around complaining of their own aches and pains. How is this any blueprint to help fix the bigger problem? People love giving advice, but if they are not even following it themselves then maybe it is time to stop worrying about everyone else, and fix ourselves first.
Excuses need to go, pure and simple. Those we call “successful” don’t use them, so why do we think it is ok if we do? Sometimes it’s our outlook that is the real problem, not anything else. So in the steps to find our own inner peace and success, take these words out of your own vocabulary and then you will be able to help others do the same.
#1 – Get rid of: “It must be because I am getting old”
Do you call this a natural part of "getting old"? I certainly do not...and Jack Lalanne might agree.
Recently I had a friend of mine who was complaining about his knee pain at 40 as he popped 6 Advil and I jokingly said “Oh you are getting old”. Then I stopped myself and thought “Wait a minute, that is BS….it’s not age, it’s the fact that his body is not in balance for optimal health”. So if you find yourself saying the “aches and pains” are just a natural part of getting old, time to stop and realize that it is NOT natural. There is nothing natural about increased inflammation and joint pain. There is nothing natural about someone’s memory going as they get old. There is nothing natural about sexual impotence in your 40s. These are all signs that the body isn’t working correctly and steps need to be taken. But first we need to stop thinking that getting older means we have to experience these problems. There are many people who are still sharp as a tack, energetic and have no need for pain killers in their later years. As an old saying goes “It’s ok to get older….just don’t age in the process”.
Instead say: “My body must be out of whack, time to get it back in tune to my optimal state of health”
#2 – Get rid of: “There’s a bug going around”
This will always be around you...so better get your immune system working right, or you are the one to blame.
We’ve all heard this one in one place or another (work, school, etc). If people get sick, well it must be the virus and have nothing to do with our built in defense mechanisms otherwise known as an immune system. Guess I’ll just go get a shot or antibiotics to kill off the bad bug and get on with life. It is sad the general public thinks like that, but it does. How about instead of saying “it must be something going around” that instead we think “my immune system must be compromised, time to get it back to optimal function”. Stop blaming some virus for what may be things in your life (wrong foods, negative lifestyle habits) bringing down your natural defenses. The bugs will always be out there, and there will be new ones every year threatening us. Either you have the best defense possible or you are just going to allow yourself to be taken advantage of. Don’t blame the bug, time to blame yourself and your daily actions.
Instead say: “My immune system must be compromised, time to take steps to strengthen it”
#3 – Get rid of: “I’m this way because of my genes”
Meet idential 24yr twins Otto and Ewald. One trained for distance events, the other for power. Think genes are still to blame for putting on muscle? Stop using the "hardgainer" excuse for not doing the right things in the first place.
I would like to thank most of modern medicine for this cop out. With billions of dollars being spent and thousands of man hours invested by people with more degrees than I can count, our solution to most diseases….is….”Oh, it’s just in your genetics”. Heaven forbid we take some sort of preventive lifestyle to keep our genes from going in the wrong direction. People need to realize the power that our eating and lifestyle have on our genetic expression. If you have 2 twins, and one gets cancer…does that mean the other has to as well? No of course not, as each can be living 2 different lives with different hormonal messengers from their overall lifestyle. We all have the genetic capability for cancer, it’s just whether or not we tell our body to switch them on or not that we can control of every day.
Instead say: “I have control over my genetic expression and will take a preventative lifestyle approach”
#4 – Get rid of: “Yeah I wish things were different, but….”
Don't call other people lucky for getting to a place you want to be, as they are no more special than you other than they took steps to make it happen. No excuses, just action.
This could be with you work/job, hours spent with other commitments, how much time you spend with your kids, how you eat and where you get it, how much time to spend outdoors or exercising. I don’t care what your excuses are…they are just excuses. If you don’t like something….change it or quit whining about it. Anyone can change their job, anyone can move to a different state, anyone can stop doing so much inorder to spend more time with family, anyone can make time for simple exercise, anyone can find ways to eat healthier. Dump the excuses and just take action to make a change now. It doesn’t have to be perfect all the time, happen all overnight, or in a week…but just start making the right changes knowing where you want to be in a month, 6 months or year. Otherwise you will be in the same spot one year from now complaining about the same things and making the same excuses. If you hear someone else say this, then encourage them to do something about it today….or go find someone else to whine to. There’s a difference between encouragement and useless wasted energy. I challenge you to know what you want to do and make it happen. I know you can….but the question becomes do you know you can too? If you say “yes” then there is nothing to stop you.
Instead say: “I can and will make changes to better my life…starting right now”
#5 – Get rid of: “But my doctor says I need to….”
If your medical professional is overweight and on meds, why do you think they would be a good source of info for health? Maybe they need to change themselves first before they start telling others what to do.
As much as doctors get a lot of schooling and are very smart people when it comes to medical terminology, does that mean they always know what is best for proper lifestyle approaches to getting and staying healthy? Sadly the case may be “not quite”. Your full dependency on doctors to dictate your health is a dangerous move, especially when there are those that may be misinformed about correct eating habits and rely more on pharmaceutical solutions for everything. This is not to say all doctors are like this, but people need to stop farming out all decisions to them. I can’t tell you how many people I talk to that use that line, when I just want people to question everything he/she has to say and then get the right answer for yourself. Become a team working together, not just believing 100% of what he/she says because they have a certain piece of paper on the wall. You can partner up with your doctor, but don’t let them take over 100% control over everything you do…that is like giving random teenagers the keys to your car and hoping it comes back in one piece!
Instead say: “I am going to do my own research and find out what is best for my health, and then partner up with my doctor”
So to sum up:
- There is no more “getting old”, just whether you are breaking down your body quicker than it can repair itself. Take some lessons from Jack Lalanne as he is healthier than most people half his age!
- There are no more viruses making you sick, just your immune system being compromised from your lifestyle choices. So work on strengthening your immune system the only ways we know how.
- Your genes are not in charge, as your lifestyle choices daily are what effect your genetic expression. A good start is following the #1 rule of nutrition, eating real foods.
- If you want to make a change, take the steps to do something about it now….and quit the complaining. Learn the simple secret in how to get anything you want in life and then the world is yours.
- While your doctor may be a consultant in taking care of “Yourself Inc.”, you need to make all the educated decisions in the end. For example….does your doctor really know the truth about meat, fat and heart disease?
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Great article, Mike. It is a struggle to get people to believe they can be strong and healthy by just a few lifestyle changes. Plus, getting them to question medical “authority” is a challenge!
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So true Greg, but if we just focus on ourselves….the inspiration will rub off on others. Imagine if all doctors ate right and were not on meds while following a more natural lifestyle approach….then they would be in a better situation and mindset to help others get that way as well. We need to stop the mass mentality of saving everyone, when most are a mess on the inside themselves. Telling people just to do something is never the right persuasive tactic, but showing them how it works on ourselves and letting them make up their own mind to go that route….that will last a lifetime!
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On the identical twins and genetic expression. Note that both the twins are quite lean. We also do not know if the more muscular twin took any steroids to enhance his musculature.
I live in a community that has an annual “Twins Day” festival each year with some 3000 sets of twins from all over the world attending. It is amazing that the weights and body sizes (thin, obese, body profile) of the pairs of twins are virtually identical despite their living in diverse communities and circumstances. This is an indisputable fact.
So while we may have some influence on the amount of muscle we can develop, I certainly challenge the notion that altering genetic expression insofar as ones weight is concerned is something easily done (or even possible). Hundreds of sets of overweight twins would love to know your secret if you have one to tell. You will need to back up this theory with some hard-core, long term study before I will believe different from what is the observable fact of the matter gained from the personal experience of watching these tens of thousands of sets of identical twins over the last 25 years.
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DUDE!
LOVE This article like a not-neglected-red-headed-step-child!
It all comes down to mindset my amigo!
Later
Caleb
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Dave – first of all, I must have to say that going to an event like that must be fun in itself to see all those twins in one place! As far as all twins being identical, that is not always the case….as I imagine in the instance of your local festival, it is attended mainly by those most identical (in a celebration of showing off identical twins) and not those that are different (wouldn’t be much of a festival if everyone was different of course). Kind of like going to a Harley convention and coming out thinking the only bike people ride is a Harley…because no one in riding a Vespa would think about showing up.
Aside from that, twins can of course look the same and have same inclination towards body shapes due to many shared genetic/dna markers plus a similar upbringing when it comes to lifestyle and food….so while twins may not live together, sufficient similarities in upbringing can lead to similar lifestyle factors as well. What it doesn’t prove is that our DNA is in total control and our external environment has no say in our genetic expression for health (or body composition), If you told me that 2 identical twins were identically obese…and one ate processed foods and did no exercise…and the other ate more natural foods and had an active lifestyle….then I would agree with your sentiments, but I know that is not the case as people make body composition changes all the time (for the better) by changes in their diet and lifestyle, no matter what their DNA/genetic structures may be.
If you want the full PDF on the twins above, here is the report:
http://ep.physoc.org/content/90/4/427.full.pdf
Also here is another picture of identical twins with different outcomes due to different environmental factors: http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/10/29/it%E2%80%99s-not-all-in-the-genes-ask-any-epigeneticist/
and an interesting read from Discover magazine on why DNA is not in control of our destiny: http://discovermagazine.com/2006/nov/cover
All in all….the main message being….genetics is not an excuse, and people need to still take preventative measures in their external environment if optimal health and wellness is their goal.
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How approrpriate and timely your article is! A couple of days ago I took my seventy-something mother-in-law to get her stitches out from her shoulder replacement. She had already had one hip replaced and will probably be going to get the other hip and shoulder done at some point. While in the waiting room looking at all of these “bionic” people limping around, I couldn’t help but feel sad. Some of these peoople were only in their 50s and 60s. I had the opportunity to ask the doctor what I can do as a 40-yr. old woman to prevent ever having to come to a facility like this to have my joints replaced. He told me there was nothing I could do, that it is just a normal part of ageing and that he starts to replace joints in the 6th decade on average. I asked him if he was sure there were not any lifestyle choices that could change this awful fate and he responded, “nope!” Why would he want to prevent this? The facility we were in was huge! Joint replacement is all that they do and it is giving many people a mighty fine living. There is something so very wrong about this fix-it mindset. It is all about prevention!
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Mike, you’re right about inspiring people to be the only real way to get through to them. I listen to people complain about their weight and health all the time, and I have figured out that offering advice doesn’t do any good.
I’m down 6 inches on my waistline since last August, and I attribute it all to eating natural foods as much as possible and IF. Especially the last month or so when I started throwing in a 24-hour fast once a week in addition to a few 16-18 hour fasts. I feel great!
Thanks for everything.
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Awesome, these are excuses I hear all the time too. Friggin insane, you got it right on the money.
Here’s another one – STOP SAYING THE WORD “DIET!”
Catch yourself every time you say that word, pinch yourself (or slap?) and say “eating habits” instead. Habits are for life, and habits DON’T break easily.
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Julie, this drives me absolutely crazy. It’s amazing to me that your Mom’s doc couldn’t think of ONE lifestyle change to suggest for you!
Mike, in number 1 you talk about a 40 year old feeling the “affects of old age” already, but like Julie, my Mom is in her 70’s and I strongly believe that even at that age, she could make a huge difference in her mobility if she would only make just a few changes in how she eats! But she is convinced that her arthritis and gimping around and struggling to get up steps is all part of aging, and she wouldn’t dream of doing anything about it unless her doc suggested it. She also has diabetes and today when she had a low, she ate some jello and a few Ritz crackers! My lip was bleeding, but I HAD to bite down because she just doesn’t get it. I also want her to go off her statin and see if that helps her muscles and mobility, but nope, doc says she needs to be on it due to her diabetes…
It all makes me more sad than anything. She could have a lot of *good* years left, instead of painful years.
This post touched on a lot of my pet-peeve phrases, thanks!
Kelly
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Mike,
Great article. I’ll be 39 in a couple of weeks. Shortly after I turned 30 I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and colitis. Luckily for me the colitis was mild and I never had severe symptoms that required trips to the ER. At 36 I got fed up with the 9-5 desk job and became a firefighter. When I did, I decided I would get in shape. I started off just running and had a goal of running a marathon. As time went on I abandoned the marathon goal and started S&C exercises. 6 months after changing jobs and exercising daily I came off of my BP meds per my doctor because I was getting so light headed. I just had my annual physical for work and my BP was 104/66. It usually isn’t that low but low enough that doesn’t warrant medications. I went from 170 lbs to 145 lbs.
August 2009 will be a year since I came off of my colitis medications. I no longer have signs and symptoms of colitis. After a routine colonoscopy my GI doctor said if he didn’t know my history he would say I DIDN’T have colitis. I attribute all this to exercise and cutting out the processed sugars and carbs. I’m not as strict about the intake of processed carbs as I once was but it is still restricted none the less.
The common diseases of modern society (high BP, stomach problems, obesity, etc) can be mitigated or the very least minimized if people would stop eating junk and making excuses.
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Julie – sadly somewhere in his career it seems he went from a medical professional dedicated to prevention and treating….to a sales rep for replacement parts. That’s sad…..and worst to think how many people take his word like “gold”. Medicine is a BIG industry….billions to be made……there is no money in keeping everyone healthy in the first place.
Greg – I’m sure people are noticing that you are leaner and healthier…and then when they ask you, you can let them know. As for the complainers….they want someone to listen, best thing you can do for those people is try to wake them up to the fact that their excuses won’t cut it anymore.
FJ – Yep, Diet is a 4 letter word nowadays. I don’t diet….I eat.
Kelly – You are right. There is no reason people shouldn’t have health and mobility into their 60s…70s….80s. My mom is in here 70s and still works a part time job (that is retail and requires lifting and moving stuff) and she plays competitive tennis a couple times a week. She is probably sick of my lectures on “get rid of the crackers and get some more fat”. The “low fat is best” mentality is probably one of the worst health blunders in modern medicine today….considering what people eat in turn.
CL – great story and well done. Way to take control and get your body back in tune with optimal healing and health. It’s stories like yours that can inspire others to make positive changes in their eating/lifestyle as well.
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Awesome advice. It’s also a problem when people get injured they just decide there’s nothing that can be done about it, when there’s always something that can be done. I actually just started a blog about fitness nutrition and injuries, with a solid emphasis on injury prevention and treatment called thefitnessadviser.com. I think you might really enjoy it.
-Rafi
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It seems like your post is using exceptions to create a rule.
Whatever, it seems a little snub as some people have real limitations as to how active they can be. Getting old does have an effect and to deny it is unwise.
For me, its much more about doing what you can with what you got than trying to be something you are not or suspending reality.
Just calling it like I see it, take it or leave it.
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Wil – Not sure where you are getting the idea about supremacy of achieving ideal health take it or leave it attitude….but people are encouraged to do the best to their ability whether they are elite athletes in their 20s, hard working parents in their 40s or grandparents in their 70s. Anyone can take positive steps to take control of their health and find ways to improve their lives. We all have a starting point that will be different, but it’s in the actions we take going forward that make the difference. You don’t have to be doing the same activity level as a 20yr old in your 40s, that’s not the point (plus whoever said the amount of running around we did at 20 was a smart sustainable lifestyle plan anyways?)….but there are plenty of people that can stay active in life until their later years without falling apart. Getting older does not mean we have to get sicker in the process…..blaming age is an excuse pure and simple. If you don’t think so, have this conversation with Jack Lalanne and see what he has to say.
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Wil stated ” some people have real limitations as to how active they can be. Getting old does have an effect and to deny it is unwise.” and “its much more about doing what you can with what you got than trying to be something you are not or suspending reality.”… a year ago I would have agreed with him because I accepted everything my doctors told me…
15 years ago I injured my neck in a fall and my doctors curtailed my activities and told me all the things I could no longer do. They made sure to tell me the consequences I would encounter if I resumed my former lifestyle (I used to run a fitness center!) I gained an enormous amount of weight and was always in pain, but I continued to follow doctors orders and take all the meds they said I needed…
Meanwhile, my father lost the use of his left arm and the docs and physical therapists said there was nothing that could be done to regain the use of his arm… he refused to believe that and developed his own plan to work out his arm and slowly regained the full use of his arm… At age 84 he is still active in the community and works part-time in a dive shop. My mother is 80 and volunteers at the hospital and does circuit training 3 times a week. They are full of energy and vitality and are an inspiration to me!
As I approached my 50th birthday and my weight approached 300 lbs, I realized that my parents were far healthier than I was… so I started researching and looking for ways to improve my health. I stopped accepting everything my doctors said, I started eating whole foods and cut out sugars and grains, I started exercising again… So far I have lost 68 lbs and my pain level has significantly decreased.
I do have limitations on how active I can be BUT I have learned that I can change those limitations… I’m doing what I can with what I’ve got, and I’m trying to be something I was not… HEALTHY!!!
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Great article! Stop complaining, take responsibility for what is happening in your life and go get er’ done!
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I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to help people with various ills only to be told, “My doctor told me…” In many instances, these were people who read all about their illnesses and were experts in their particular pathology. They didn’t study health; they studied pathology. Just like doctors. And you couldn’t talk them out of their illness if you offered money, because they were experts and knew better. They’d rather be sick than find out they’re wrong and have to start all over.
When I was in my early twenties I developed “bilteral chondromalacia.” It’s a form of degenerative arthritis in my knees. My knees were swollen and hurt all the time. I was prescribed motrin and physical therapy. They didn’t help at all. The doctors told me I would have to change my lifestyle, slow down, and that in time I would end up in a wheelchair.
I started taking Herbalife’s vitamin and minerals and protein drink to lose weight, and within 30 days I realized in astonishment that all pain was gone. That was April 1988. My knees haven’t bothered me since. I wasn’t trying to heal my knees, but I think I was so deficient in minerals that my body couldn’t heal itself.
I got lucky. A lot of people don’t get lucky like that and trust what their doctors tell them. They adopt a mindset that they’re stuck with their disease, and they close their minds to anyone who says otherwise. I guess sometimes it’s easier to accept what someone in authority tells you than to spend years searching for an answer.
The medical establishment has such a stronghold on the minds of the people. Fortunately, the Internet allows people like us to disseminate contrary information for those willing to listen.
But there’s nothing we can do about people who choose to resign themselves to compromised health or signs of aging. There’s a sort of pride in it. I began succumbing to that pride last year when I noticed how I walked with slumped shoulders, how I dwelt on thoughts of getting older. Even now I have to reject the temptation to think of how many years I have left on the planet. I find myself doing a countdown instead of a look ahead.
But one thing is certain: I get better healthwise each year, because my body is my responsibility, not some doctor’s. Sorry for the long post, but your article pushes all manner of buttons
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Great post – we would all do well to watch our vocabulary. It is much more powerful than many of us think.
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Let’s also get rid of “I wish I could but I just don’t have time”
No-one ‘has’ time, but we always manage to find it for the things that are truly important to us. Time for exercise and correct nutrition is not about “I’ll do it when I get a chance”, it’s about making a decision that living your life a certain way will lead to outcomes that enable you to get far more out of the rest of your life.
The people who live with exceptional health and energy are those who just live their lives that way. They don’t think about if, but, maybe. It’s just who they are. They simply make it happen. And anyone can choose to be that person.
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Kat, I agree with that wholeheartedly! Most people that “don’t have time” are spending hours in front of the TV when they could be spending 30 minutes in the kitchen cooking up a good meal. They also think that you have to spend an hour and a half at the gym when a good workout can be had in under 15 minutes. It won’t turn you into an Olympian, but it will keep you in shape.
Cheers
Scott
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Marti – fantastic story and way to go (both you and your father!). Don’t let anyone tell you what you can not achieve….anything is possible.
Scott – so true….Get ‘er done!
Joanne – You are right, there is some sort of “pride” nowadays in being sick, getting old, having issues…I don’t personally get it myself. Maybe people want attention or sympathy? I tend to not cater to people like that….I will motivate them to get better of course, but not let them use any excuses. What people “want” to hear and what they “need” to hear can be 2 very different things nowadays. We all get old….but I plan on staying active and not sitting around letting my body fall apart because of irresponsibility on my part. Having issues is one thing….but taking action to correct them is the most important thing. I plan on being surfing at 70…and heck I don’t even know how to surf…Yet!
Kat – Yup, we all have enough time. In fact the words “time management” are not necessary, as we don’t need to manage anything that we have plenty of! If someone just turned off the phone, TV, computer and went for an all day hike in the woods….I dare them to tell me that days go by too quickly. It’s how we decide to use that time that matters….unfortunately most are stuck in a rut of hating their jobs so to get their mind off it they turn to the billion dollar distraction industry that can be anything from video games/TV shows/professional sports/movies….ever wonder why people in the industry of “distractions” make millions? Not that one can’t enjoy a movie, sports game or otherwise…..we just can get wrapped up in using them all the time.
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[...] Urgent Changes to Make in Your Vocabulary Today (for Health and Happiness) | Fitness Spotlight. [...]
As a trainer, I appreciate the importance of taking away excuses or vocabulary that is self limiting. The other one is “I will try” instead of ‘I will”
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Sheila – Good point….as the little green Buddha known as Yoda said “Try Not……Do….or Do Not….there is No try!”
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This is a really great article. Although I have heard it all before, it is easy to fall back into those habits. This article takes the bull by the horn and minces no words. It is a great reminder to forget about any excuses once and for all. Thanks for sharing that!
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This article is worthwhile for everyone from the novice to the expect. For me a gentle reminder is always welcome.
The verbiage we use is important on many levels. I earn my keep on the planet as an Energy Diagnostic-Medical Intuitive and Vibrational Healer. The words we “speak” and “think” are potent . On a daily basis I see words play out behind the scenes in and around many dimensions. Your article supports this. Thank you!
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Enjoyed the article. If anyone thinks they can’t exercise because of their age, they might want to look at the You Tube videos on my blog.
Jack Lalanne is a kick!!
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