Being Sick Often EQUALS Being out of Balance

While listening to Tony Robbins (www.tonyrobbins.com) last month, he mentioned that he hasn’t missed an event since he began motivating people. He wasn’t bragging, only letting listeners know that it’s possible to remain healthy despite a hectic travel schedule – a schedule that is demanding and exposes him to numerous viruses.

The audio tape was on the subject of health including the “whys” which make us vulnerable to disease. He spoke in detail about how the body works and the way many of us don’t put ourselves and our health first. It was clear from his dialogue that when one is out of balance with unhealthy habits (i.e. improper nutrition, high stress, lack of exercise and limited “Me Time”), it’s easy to fall victim to sickness.

It was refreshing to hear this from an expert as I have been baffled at times by the prevalent sickness I’ve witnessed (children and adults) during my life, particularly here in Sweden during the last 6 years. After listening to Tony, it now makes perfect sense.

I agree with his health philosophy, and fortunately have experienced remarkable health my entire life. In almost 5 decades, there have been less than 10 days where I didn’t feel good; a few days with an upset stomach and two days of a high temperature. I’m grateful for this blessing as it has helped me to fiercely target my goals and dreams. My good health is no fluke as I put a high priority on being in balance and maintaining a lifestyle conducive to good living.

My focus has been laser-like in making sure that my stress levels are low and getting big doses of “Me Time”. In my opinion, these two vital areas are essential to feeling good and staying in balance. I simply cannot do without my “Me Time”, especially the passion I love most, writing.

Keep in mind that one doesn’t need to excel in every area of a healthy lifestyle – the key is to have a strong balance. I sleep less than the average person (6 hours) and enjoy delicious yet unhealthy food occasionally although I balance it out with extreme patience, helping others, a positive attitude, not worrying, a loving family and doing things I enjoy on a daily basis.

Here’s a quote from the legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden:

“Balance is crucial in everything we do. Along with love, it’s among the most important things in life. I strove for balance in my leadership and coaching and taught that balance was necessary for Competitive Greatness: The body has to be in balance; the mind has to be in balance; emotions must be in balance. Balance is important everywhere and in everything we do”
(Wooden on Leadership, chapter 8, McGraw Hill publishing)

In previous articles, I’ve written about the importance of TAKING CARE OF YOU. I’ve also shared my view with acquaintances and some of my inner circle, particularly when they express how often they are sick or how difficult life has been.

When I inquire and dig deeper into their lifestyles, 95% of the time it boils down to stress (job, family or kids), lack of “Me Time”, worrying, bad nutrition, no exercise or not living the life they desire. They often realize that they are living life for others or their jobs or their family and not doing what should be priority 1 – taking care of themselves.

If you or those you love can relate to any portion of what you have read, I implore you to begin the process of caring for yourself BETTER and MORE INTENSELY. If a good friend or family member is suffering in this manner, don’t be afraid to lovingly confront them in order to inspire them to improve their life.

I love life too much to let sickness or unhappiness tarnish even one precious day. What that means is my mind, body and soul are priority 1! Most importantly, this makes me a better husband, father, son and friend because I am usually in a strong and happy frame of mind when I am dealing with the daily challenges of life.

Being in balance keeps me fresh, energetic and ready to tackle life’s obstacles. Can I improve in some areas? Of course and I consistently work on ways to enhance aspects of my lifestyle. As long as I have balance, I’m confident that my body will take care of itself and avoid sickness.

The words of a former Coach Wooden player sum up it up well:

“He always talked about balance: body balance, scoring balance, team balance, and most of all, mental and emotional balance. Your feet have to be in balance. Your body has to be in balance over your feet. Your head needs to be in balance with your body and arms. He said if you’re not in balance, you’ll eventually fall over, and he meant it in more ways than one.

I came to see balance as one of the keys to success not only in basketball, but in life. When things get out of balance, it’s generally not good. Everything needs balance. That one word he kept drilling at us – balance – has stuck with me, became important in how I try to do things.”
(Wooden on Leadership, chapter 8, McGraw Hill publishing)

Are you in balance?

Happy Gswede Sunday!

Gswede's first priority is living a balanced life. What about you?