When we refurbish things in our lives, our houses, our cars, our whatever… we typically strip it right down to almost nothing and then work from the bottom up. Recently, the building next door to the office complex that I work in has undergone some pretty big renovations over the past summer. What did they work on first? They worked on the foundation and all the areas around it; they worked from the ground up. It is common knowledge that a building’s foundation is the most important part of it’s integrity. But when it comes to our bodies though, to be successful in any transformation, we need to work from the top down.
If you are in need of a complete makeover -unlike a building- starting at your feet is not the best place you should begin. Yet, we sometimes fall into the trap of “I need to feel better, so I am going to go exercise.”. You run, you jump, you walk, you drink magical potions and take quick unhealthy shortcuts. You end up doing everything with your feet and your stomach to feel better but then all of a sudden life gets in the way and you stray from your goals. The pills from the doctor and gimmicks from the internet no longer work and you need more fast fixes. Nothing changes and you loose hope. Changing your life from the ground up, just isn’t working.
All change in your life has to start from the roof: your head. You must change your mindset and face the fears, the hurt, the bullshit that holds you back. For some, this can take some time so be patient. The deliberate practice of maintaining a healthy mindset is not an easy habit to master but once you have dedicated yourself to it, everything else just falls into place. Once you have established healthy mental habits like choosing to play the victor instead of the victim and practicing deliberate gratitude, you will find that eating healthier and establishing habit forming exercise will all become easier. Our bodies are designed to work from the top down. Our most vital organs are situated from the top-down in order of importance. Our brain first, then our lungs and heart all the way to your guts. When you work on each of them in the correct order, you will find that making the switch to a healthy, stress-reducing and happy lifestyle is that much easier to accomplish.
We aren’t buildings, we don’t to crumble from the basement up. We crumble from the roof down. Take care of your roof!