Hello, my friends!

I hope this email finds you happy and healthy!  I’ve had something on my mind for quite a while now, and if I don’t share it, I just might explode! 🙂  I was recently talking with a few friends of mine who like to give me a hard time about my nutritional lifestyle.  After describing my daily green smoothie, my friend rolled his eyes, looked at my other friend, and said with a snarky tone, “Yeah, remind me that I don’t want to live to 150 years old like Griff and hate every minute of it.”  My other friend laughed out loud and agreed.  The message portrayed was crystal clear: eating healthy is cumbersome, boring, and thoroughly disgusting!

As I stepped back from this situation, I was struck with the following two key observations:

Observation #1: We like surrounding ourselves with people who back up our personal beliefs or values.  This is why it is so important to “choose your friends wisely.”  We literally act and behave like our closest friends.  When I am coaching people out of sugar addiction, I often warn them to hang around people who eat healthy so that they do not revert back to old behaviors.

Observation #2: We enjoy formulating our own personal “truths.” Here are some of the “truths” that I have heard over my career:

“I work a long, hard day so I deserve to eat what I want”

“I don’t have the time for exercise right now”

“I have a sweet tooth”

“I can’t eat healthy because my family does not support my efforts”

“I lack will power”

“I love my treats, and there is no reason why I should give them up.  . . . after all you only live once!”

Stephen R. Covey speaks to the difference between our personal values and principles.  A personal value is nothing more than something that we personally value, such as a soda pop, a glazed doughnut, compulsive spending, or not exercising enough.  Many of us have equated our personal values as being the “truth.”  In reality, values are neutral because they can be good or bad.  They can help us, or they can hinder us.  Knowing this, the question becomes how can we make sure that our values are leading us to happiness, wholeness, and fulfillment?

The answer to this question is not as difficult as you may think.  Stephen R. Covey is known for drawing the difference between values and PRINCIPLES.  What is a principle you ask?  A principle differs from a value in these three key areas:

-A principle is TIMELESS.  This means that there is no expiration date attached to it. To clarify, lets look at a nutritional example.  A piece of broccoli is ALWAYS going to be more nutritious than a Jolly Rancher.  This will be true today, and it will also be true 100 years from now.

-A principle is UNIVERSAL!  That same piece of broccoli will nourish you and everybody else on God’s green earth!  A principle extends beyond what is popular, faddish, or socially accepted at the time.

-A principle is SELF-EVIDENT!  This means that your nutritional choices will manifest into your life whether you want them to or not.  Eating pancakes and waffles every morning will have a completely different effect on your health than will a green smoothie (even if you get mocked by your friends:)

So where do you stand with your own values?  Are your values aligned with the principles of universal health?  Do you find yourself justifying your less than healthy lifestyle with values that are opposite of universal principles?  Do you find yourself justifying behaviors that are unhealthy?

Don’t get me wrong . . . this is NOT meant to be a guilt trip, but it is rather meant to make you more aware of how you are living your life. It can be easy to get sucked into the trap of thinking that your values are indeed the “truth” when, indeed, they are leaching you from true health, wellness, and fulfillment.  We ALL are guilty of this to one degree or another; so give yourself a break. This is NOT a time for self-deprecation.  Rather, it is a great opportunity to assess your mindset and make corrections where necessary!

Here is a great activity to help you out.  For one week, I want you to document your own personal truths.  You can do this by keeping a small notebook with you at all times and documenting your limiting “personal truths” as shown above.  You will be amazed at what you discover!  The next step is to CHALLENGE those “truths” and, ultimately, replace them with real truths, specifically truths that that are principle based.

Thanks for hanging with me on this one. I know it went a little long, but I had to get this off my chest!  Once you begin living in aliment with universal health principles, your life will improve tenfold.  Enjoy the journey my friends and remember . . .

Life is Good!

Griff