In the beginning, we addressed the way we thought and traced this back to where our thoughts begin. Then we moved to Phase Two, which was about action and, as expected, the next phase is a continuation of the last. This is Phase Three.
This is not just about the way we think and the way we move; but more, this is about how we move collectively and intelligently. Most of all, this is about moving effectively. This is where we move with a certain regard because as we learn to honor ourselves and as we perfect our personal best, we also learn to maintain ourselves. Maintenance is key.
Now that we are not strangers to understanding our thought machine and we have learned to diagram our thinking and map our challenges to an understandable inventory; whether we do this alone or with someone who can help us, we have come to an improved understanding of who we are and how we work. As it turns out, the reasons why we lose our temper are simple.
Now that we have taken an honest look into ourselves and stepped forward to reach an improved level of understanding, we can say that we have taken action to improve. But also, now that we have taken action and began our improvements, we have to understand that these actions are lifelong and not momentary or incidental.
Nothing runs well without maintenance and nothing works well unless we give it the proper care. This is obvious and to put this clearly, this can be anything that deserves the value of our attention.
This can be our home. This can be a bicycle or a car. Or, this can be our body. This can be the way we eat and the way we exercise or the way we sleep. Also, the same holds true to our relationships.
Everything of value needs maintenance.
Maintenance: as in the act of maintaining or preserving, or as in retaining an optimal condition or keeping our machines in good working order. By machines, I mean our physical machine as in our body as well as our emotional hygiene, as in our personal and mental fitness.
Nothing works well without proper care, especially us. This can be seen throughout our society.
Don’t believe me?
Look around.
This can be seen when we focus on our mental health and/or our physical health. This can be attributed to the problems we have with heart disease or high blood pressure. Think about the secret killers, like strokes.
What would happen to these numbers if we were to take better care and reduce the risks of certain tragedies?
The truth is everybody knows what to do.
We all know to avoid bad foods and unhealthy items.
But do we do it?
Well . . . .
We have a so-called epidemic as we speak and with regard to the opioid epidemic or the losses as a result of alcohol related deaths, if we look at other stats, or take obesity related deaths, for example; these deaths kill more people per year than both opiate and alcohol related deaths combined. Although high, the number of deaths attributed to obesity or obesity related disorders is still lower than the yearly number of tobacco related deaths. Everyone knows that smoking is bad for you. But does this stop anyone.
And worse, these numbers are not including suicide which, if we tally the numbers in the United States alone, suicide is the third leading death amongst 15 to 24 year-old Americans and the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S.
In fact, statistics show that approximately 132 Americans die by suicide each day and, on a daily basis, 22 veterans will die by suicide on a daily basis as well.
What does this say?
What does this say about our need for understanding? Better yet, what does this say about our personal need for self care?
More importantly, what does this say about what happens when self-care goes to the wayside?
It’s simple.
No, really, it is.
We have to take care of ourselves yet so many of us are too preoccupied with ideas that distract us from our best possible self.
This is why we address our value and discuss our worth and the worth of our thinking and our actions.
We often lose sight of our worth. We forget to exercise.
We let ourselves go. But why?
We have too much going on at once, so we eat fast food instead of looking for a healthy choice.
We justify our actions and our behaviors.
But to what avail?
What has to happen for us to recognize the importance of self-care?
Do we have to have a heart attack?
Do we have to have a near death experience?
Will that do the trick?
Better yet, when are we going to start treating the heart attacks before they happen instead of after?
This is a great question because this can be used in so many different variations. We can say this about depression. We can say this about heart disease. We can say this about literally anything that requires us to take care of ourselves. So, when are we going to address the problems before they happen?
The answer can be now, if we choose.
However, the answer needs to be daily and ongoing; and to each of us, this has to become a lifetime focus.
It is clear that we feel better when we take care of ourselves. It’s helpful to our heart and soul. Once we learn to take care our our mind, body and soul, it’s easier to think clearly and make better choices. Yet, there are people who have gone up and down on the scale. There are people who have had near death experiences and they still make the same choices that led them to the same predicaments in their past. There are people who worked hard to beat their personal demons and fell back to them, as if to return to old, default settings.
I admit to allowing this to happen.
I admit there were times when I found myself being sidetracked and losing my focus. I was not thinking at my best. So, therefore, I was not treating myself at my best either. This became a problem.
There are times when I allowed my personal accountability to slack and next, I started to see the loss factors; whether this was weight related or concentration related, something triggered the thought machine, which I failed to deal with. And next, this triggered my behaviors and I was reacting to either a trained opinion or a bias or I was responding to an inaccurate assumption and like dominoes, one by one, my priorities changed and began to fall.
I have done this. I have done well and done poorly. I have gone up and down on the scale and on both sides of the spectrum; whether I was fit or overweight, I know that I felt best when I was treating myself the best. I know this is true. I also know that this has to be ongoing. There can be no slacking or forgiveness of personal debt because I owe it to myself to implement the best level of self-care.
Otherwise, how can we reach our best possible potential if we are not treating ourselves in the best possible ways?
It’s very simple.
We can create a plan and we can look to achieve our goals, but if we fail to treat ourselves right and if we fail to maintain our sanity, let alone, if we fail to take care of our physical self; how can we be our best when we prioritize ourselves the least?
The next phase is Phase Three.
This is where we discover how self-care is our top priority.
This is not only a physical section but also involves our emotional and mental health as well.
Phase Three . . .
This is where we allow our thoughts and our actions to match our best intentions. With this being our new model of our best possible self, this is where we discuss the mechanics of our sanity. This is how we keep our heads together when times get tough. This is also an allowance and a release because, of course, there are times when it is mandatory that we allow ourselves to go crazy. Lastly, this is how to build a life where our hopes are within reach and our dreams have the right to become true.
Welcome to the path of your best self.
The Written Addiction 