Forget V-day. Love Yourself!
Who actually likes Valentine's day?
Valentine's day is just over a week away. And it's a day I don't really like.
Forced love? Cheesy romantic dinners. Roses that cost More than your firstborn's kidney.
But what if Valentine's day could be about YOU? What if it could be a reminder about looking after yourself. Especially once the new year goals have started to dwindle.
Looking after yourself comes in many forms, from nutrition, fitness, posture, mobility, immunity, mental health… The list could go on.
But first, let me share with you a story (adapted from one of my favourite chiro Dr James Chestnut).
It’s the story of the great lakes.
In the 1970’s the North American Great Lakes, Fish started dying and washing up on the shore with tumours. The birds that ate the fish started producing brittle eggs and were not producing offspring. It was becoming an ecological problem.
Do you think the scientists who assessed the situation said “oh you poor fishy’s it must be your bad genes? I think you need drugs, surgery and radiation?”
Well, of course not! That would be quite illogical.
The
environmental scientists and biologists went straight into assessing the environment and quickly realised industrial toxins were causing these problems.
The reason I’m sharing this with you is that when something like this occurs in humans, we don’t apply the same logic. More often than not, we often blame our parents or grandparents for the illnesses and diseases that we acquire through our lifetimes. And then we do all these interventions like drugs and surgery (which are sometimes necessary life-saving interventions but we leave it at that). But the crazy thing is, we don’t change what got us sick in the first place.
It's so difficult to talk about because it brings the responsibility back on … you. Now I’m not making this a blame game, only highlighting that your choices are the most important thing determining your health and recovery and understanding that will help you make better choices.
If we stop looking through the pathological and pharmaceutical lens and view it through a biology or zoology lens, will we see how humans need to proceed to not remain the sickest species on the planet!
So, I’m asking you, what choices are you going to make? It only requires one change at a time. Is it those postural exercises your chiropractor showed you? Or maybe adding more veggies to your meal? Or that walk you promised your partner you would be more consistent in doing? Or not missing your chiropractic checkups?
Nothing happens overnight. But change your blame lenses you self empowered lenses. Take responsibility and …. LOVE YOURSELF!
Chestnut, J 2011, The Wellness & Prevention Paradigm, TWP press, Australia
