“If you wait, all that happens is that you get older.”
– Mario Andretti
Do you take charge and hold yourself accountable for your own health and well-being by using high octane fuel, reasonable but vigorous physical exercise, optimal posture and a positive mindset? Or will you wait until tomorrow to start doing what you know you need to do, spending today relaxing, watching TV, letting your body decay, and eating Pizza and junk food? Guess whose choice it is.
Last week I wrote about the power of enthusiasm. This week I am writing about converting that Enthusiasm into action and self-actualization. Henry Ford said “Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand , the irrestible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.” Henry Ford may have said it, but to give credit where credit is due, I pulled that quote from a book by a friend of mine, Christina Daves, www.prforanyone.com, who’s book, PR for Anyone makes excellent reading for anyone who is taking action to promote an idea, product or service . . . and no, I don’t make a commission if you go to her site and buy it.
In the next four weeks, I will finish this series of nine principles of Health, Vitality and Possibilities with four action steps related to food and fuel, moving your body, posture and bearing, and rest and recovery.
Action and self-actualization are two slightly different parts with the same ending. Self-actualization includes taking action and taking responsibility for that action, both at the same time. A little bit of action taken each day to improve your health and well being can add years of healthy living, a spring to your step and a clarity to your mind that isn’t there in the typical older, sedentary adult.
All the acceptance of reality, the willingness to create the new reality you want for yourself, the formation of a purpose and generating huge amounts of enthusiasm for it all, doesn’t mean anything unless you take action to accomplish whatever result you choose for yourself. And what result am I writing about in this blog? I’m writing about Health, Energy and Possibilities. Unless you accept where you are and are willing to create a healthy and vibrant future, with less pain and more gain you will stay where you are on our friend Maslow’s Hierarchy. You will remain at the level of safety, security and inertia which, as Theodore Roosevelt once said, is reserved for the “cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Even though statistically, more older Americans are recognizing the need for exercise, the right food and other fuels, and the need for a Come Alive attitude toward life, the number of older Americans on the sedentary end of the curve is also expanding, with more and more older men and women being overweight, unfit, and unhealthy.
So when you decide that you want to live a little longer, live a little better, and enjoy the rest of your life in good health, with high energy, better posture, and a more positive and active attitude, then it’s really time to self-actualize, and take action. It doesn’t take long to see positive physical and mental results. So, no excuses. Move through the fear. Simplify the process. Use only what you need, to do it. No preconceived limits. No obstacles in advance. Just action. And in the next four weeks, I’ll show you how.
So as we start next week with the action steps to health, vitality and possibilities, remember . . .
“You will either step forward into growth, or you will step back into safety.”
– Abraham Maslow
Start taking action now! Thanks for reading.