Lifestyle habits are the key to surpassing mediocrity and achieving personal potential. The self-care idea of lifestyle is about developing self-awareness and building on inherent strengths from within, paying attention to mindset and efforts through habits. This post discusses how important lifestyle choices are toward quality of life, success, and fulfillment.
Since the widespread use of mass media, lifestyle choices are largely influenced by advertising coupled with fictional character behaviors and situational outcomes as depicted in popular entertainment. In other words, lifestyle is often associated with fantasy and lack. Targeting a scarcity mindset in people, viewers are expected to believe that they will be more desirable or fulfilled by buying products and services promoted by advertisers and entertainers. This is especially the case with younger, more impressionable consumers.
In traditional i.e. non-western societies where individuality is historically less emphasized, the strength and vitality of a person are tied with lifestyle habits from generational and cultural traditions. It is within these societies that Life Force energy is addressed directly through practices and therapies to increase longevity, youthfulness and overall health. Medical treatments in these societies address energy as well as physical imbalances.
Life Force energy runs throughout the body across the nervous system into the brain and also in the blood. Enthusiasm, courage, libido, and self-control are all indicators of this energetic vitality. Where these attributes are weak, physical and emotional fortitude are believed to be compromised by energetic disturbances. To treat these imbalances, traditional treatments addressed energy pathways that connect the nervous system with organ functions.
In the western world, we recognize traditional or alternative treatments like acupuncture, acupressure, reflexology, tai chi, and reiki. The application of such treatments promotes health, healing, and vitality. These therapies or practices cultivate energy with physical movement, and pressure manipulation to eliminate energy blockages. In eliminating blockages, Life force energy flows abundantly and freely, reducing mental fatigue, accelerates healing, and releases muscle tension and pain.
Modern or conventional approaches to health are concerned with survival and disease treatment primarily, not the optimization of health. To go beyond the conventional treatment and prescriptions, we need to look to leaders that have mastered good habits as part of their lifestyle. As teachers, their practices are a significant part of their lifestyle. By comparison, you will find that most medical professionals are rarely in excellent or optimal health. To be at the top of our game, we need to go beyond averages.
Lifestyle habits will optimize health and well being regardless of its culture of origin. Exceeding standards demands investing both time and effort to break through and achieve exceptional results. Lifestyle choices support a broader agenda for excellence by making things personal. The central idea of self-care is that to gain the most from life, we need to optimize health, overcome setbacks, sharpen the mind and increase emotional fortitude. Self-care seeks health from the inside out, linking mind with energy, health, and habits.
Lifestyle mastery includes fitness and nutritional expertise to build functional strength through practices that ordinary citizens can replicate. Dedicating time to self-improve the way that professionals do for competitive advantage is also a lifestyle habit that anyone can follow. As an example, learning a martial art will increase confidence and improve flexibility, posture, stamina, and concentration through discipline. In other words, self-esteem, and confidence are byproducts of learning martial arts. Making time to learn and practice a martial art is a lifestyle decision.
Lifestyle improvements compensate for typical ailments caused by the unnatural habits from living a typical lifestyle. The world’s healthiest, most productive and successful individuals are non-conformists. They do things differently, question or challenge conventional ideas, and use practical trial and error methods to find ways to exceed their performance limitations. We would be wise to consider the innovations and insights gained from their efforts. Taking ownership of our time to improve is a lifestyle decision.
Exceeding the limits of our past performance, health, results, and enthusiasm requires using lifestyle habits to enhance life. Evaluate your limitations to reveal imbalances, psychological manipulations with identity, mindset and other energetic blockages, we can isolate areas of improvement. Lifestyle changes provide a proactive method of relief by channeling effort toward self-improvement. Lifestyle powers life force with better decision making and self-control from bad habits. Better habits, action orientation and increased attention toward quality of life power our life force energy through focus.
Values and priorities can be congruent. Its a matter of making time and organizing effort to do the things we must do to have what we want. This is a time management discipline. Lifestyle is less about style, as the term is ordinarily used, and more about determination and way of working.
The practice of identifying those areas that are most important for focus and problem solving is a SELF-CARE process of identification. Personal Development is about finding your purpose and working diligently on improving your capacity and execution of effort. As a result of these 3 practices, the Lifeforce energy for you intensifies, becomes a laser-like focus and with direction, cuts through any obstacle in its path.
Make the lifestyle decision to shift your attention away from the fantasy world of entertainment and mass media, and turn it inward to your inner reality. Seek how your lifeforce energy can be harnessed toward healing from past trauma and injuries. Isolate those areas of tension and the energy blockages that limit your movement and mobility. Practice an art that enables you to develop confidence and skill. Direct your effort towards achieving specific, yet attainable goals. Research the methods and practice of lifestyle experts that innovate in those areas where you lack.
In my personal life, I made a series of lifestyle decisions as outlined. 17 years ago, I suffered from gastroparesis a medical condition that made it impossible to eat for 2 weeks. I lost 19 pounds and could not work nor function. It is during this period that I invented the time management system for self-care. I sought out medical treatments and was prescribed Reglan a medication that with prolonged usage mimics Parkinson’s and causes depression. To deal with the situation, I met with Dr. Joshua Li, and through his acupuncture treatment, was able to resolve my issues. Shortly thereafter, I started to practice Aikido and with the adoption of other practices including strength and conditioning, changed my life.
Self-care is a system based on my results and the knowledge gained from practicing the lifestyle habits of elite athletes, martial artists, the 1% leaders of diverse industries, and spiritual traditions. I share this information to improve my lifeforce and yours. We cannot assume that our opinions and comfort define the best ways to live a specific lifestyle. The spirit of self-care is amenable to change and it is my vision to share innovations that I have discovered along the path of my journey to improve your lifestyle.