Fit for Life: Stop Hating!

Saturday, October 21, 2023

Matt Espeut, Health & Lifestyle Contributor

 

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Do you love or hate yourself?

Don't answer now because it may be a subconscious answer you are unaware of.

You may think and tell yourself you do, but self-awareness is a trait that not all are well versed in.

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Answer these questions first, then take the data, not feelings or emotions, and answer based on your responses.

 

First and foremost, do you take care of your temple?

Your temple is the body you are currently living in.  

 

Are you doing your best to be proactive with your health and fitness by attending the gym and focusing on your nutrition? Are you doing whatever it takes to show up as the best version of yourself?

Do you avoid heavily processed foods that contain artificial colors and fillers? Are you reading labels and eating primarily whole woods that are naturally grown and ethically farmed?

 

Do you go outside, move, and get 20 minutes of sunlight daily so you can absorb adequate levels of vitamin D, enjoy the fresh air, and get some extra steps in?

Do you schedule regular vacations, self-care such as massages and facials, and do fun things that make you happy?   

Do you leave the house looking your best at all times? Except for going for a workout, are you well groomed, neatly dressed, and NOT wearing the clothes you slept in?

If you answered NO to any of the above questions, you are not much of a priority in your own life, and when you are not a priority, you don’t value or love yourself the way you should.

 

Here's my reasoning: When you love someone or something, such as a child, pet, or even an automobile, you will try to care for these things at the highest level.

 

Do you want sick, overweight kids?

Do you want them to have a lifestyle that mandates doctor visits and medications?

Do you want them to be health risks?

Do you want them to feel left out or have difficulty playing sports or activities?

 

Of course not; you love them and want the best for them. You want them to grow up healthy and happy, and you will do everything you can to ensure that happens.

 

You work long hours to provide the essentials they need to thrive and live a vital life, so why are you not doing it for yourself?

 

Why are you sacrificing your health and well-being if you love yourself?

 

Remember, you are just as essential or MORE crucial to others as they are to you. People need you and depend on you, so I am telling you that it isn't being selfish to give yourself some love and take care of yourself!!

 

Some wear it as a badge of honor that they are so "busy" that they don't get adequate sleep and run ragged for others, but if you are not fit and don't care for yourself, you are a liability to yourself and others instead of an asset. Instead of giving everything you've got, you can only give "what's left" in your tank.

 

Definition of liability - a person or thing whose presence or behavior is likely to cause embarrassment or put one at a disadvantage. Ex. He has become a physical or political liability.

 

An asset is a useful or valuable thing, person, or quality.

Do you ensure your pet has regular exercise, plenty of clean water, and quality food?

Of course, you do, so why do you value them more than yourself?

Your answer most likely is… I love my pet!!

 

Think about this: when you hate something, you have the natural tendency to:

Ignore/pay no attention to / procrastinate improving/avoid investing time into, and possibly find ways to harm whatever you consciously hate.

 

On the flip side, when you love something, you do the opposite.

If you have a nice car that you love, you take the time to change the oil, get it washed, and invest the extra money to put premium fuel in the tank. You store it in a garage, park it away from other cars, and do your best to protect it and keep it in mint condition.

With all that being said, if you are NOT doing the right things to improve your well-being, you subconsciously hate or disrespect yourself. So the question is, why don’t you put the same effort into you as you do with everything else?

Actions speak volumes, so even if you disagree with me, look at how you show up.

If you think you love yourself and care about your well-being, are your actions congruent with your thought process?

Our priorities need to be in alignment with our goals and intentions. So, to improve on any level, you must prioritize our most important asset…. ourselves.

We tend to prioritize less essential tasks over taking care of ourselves, but we were designed to be better, healthier, and more fit and vital than we are allowing ourselves to be.

You may think you can still love yourself because you are overweight, overworked, and burnt out, but you can't honestly care about something yet fail to attempt improvement.

If someone asks you how you are doing, and the answer is "could be better," you have work to do.

Do you hurt the people you love? No, of course not, so stop doing things that break or will eventually hurt you.

Start the self-care process, and learn to love yourself by being better at prioritizing yourself.

 

Committed to your well-being,

Coach Matt

 

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