Why do athletes train hard? Why do football players lift hundreds of pounds of weight?
The stronger they are the less likely they’ll get hurt.
For those of us who don’t play football, the same is true – the more we strengthen our bodies outside of our norm, the less likely we’ll be injured.
Do you and I need to lift hundreds of pounds like football players? Not unless we’re slamming into people regularly! No, begin the habit of rolling out of bed and doing a push-up or a plank or some situps… Do more physically (even minimally) than your everyday work, school, and family routine and you’ll reap this benefit.
Push-ups are my main thing. I wake and roll out of bed and do five or more push-ups. I feel not only pumped up but empowered because I began my day in a disciplined way!
Try it.
Start small.
Be consistent.
You’re on your way to a longer, happier, healthier life!
Determine what’s most important—what one thing, if done in an excellent manner, would have the single greatest positive impact on your life?1—and do that thing. AND…be flexible and creative with your workouts, never to the exclusion of your family. Build daily exercise into your life. 
A couple years ago, I thought my most important goal was to become (my version of) a world-class runner. Well, at about mile 18 of the 2023 St. George Marathon I realized I was wrong and instead, that pouring my attention and energy into my marriage and my kids was far more important than any race I could win or PR I could achieve.
BUT—I was stubborn. I didn’t want to give up on my marathon goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon so I continued to train and ran the same marathon in 2024 and received the same message.
Happily, I’m making time for and putting energy into my marriage and kids and we are blessed. So blessed.
Does that mean giving up my goal? Maybe. But perhaps later on when Jules and I are empty nesters I’ll have more time for training. Or, perhaps one of them will become interested in long distance running and we’ll train together. Regardless, I do not need to give up my fitness or stop running altogether. For example, I take and bring my son home from a youth church class Monday through Thursday mornings, I run once or twice a week while I wait for him. This different approach is the right thing now for me and my family.
 How have you remained physically active while focusing on what matters most? 
Can exercise be a pleasurable activity? If so, how?
From James Clear’s weekly email he shares, “Writer Sarah Perry [explains] how to build an exercise habit you actually enjoy (or any habit, really):
‘Unfortunately, most on-ramps to exercise are at an intensity too high for previously-sedentary people to find them pleasurable. If people go to a fitness class, or focus on running a particular distance at a particular speed, they’ll likely miss the pleasure zone entirely.
‘Refocusing on exercising only for one’s own individual pleasure, as slowly as one prefers, and only at intensities that are pleasurable, is more likely to motivate repeat and habitual exercising. At that point, the enjoyment of exercise pleasure can build on itself, motivating longer and longer intervals of experiencing the pleasure.’”
So, yes, exercise can be pleasurable, even at a high intensity but Perry’s point is don’t start there if it’s not your current fitness level. If you do you’re more likely to quit.
Pro Tip:
Begin “tiny” as BJ Fogg suggests, first thing in the morning (Jocko Willink) and without hesitation (Mel Robbins).
Hiking with my wife or a friend is one of my favorites.
Brian Tracy teaches we become what we think about most of the time. The more we think about something the more it becomes who we are.
The writer of Proverbs observed, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he . . .”1
Buddha taught, “It is better to control yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or demons, heaven or hell.“2
A key to self-control is intentional thinking.
New York Times best selling Christian author Lysa Terkeurst observes, “Eve craved what she focused on”.3
Do you focus on food? I did. While a college student I followed a certain fad diet. I would count the hours when I needed to eat the next meal or snack. I obsessed over it, interrupting writing an essay or reading a chapter to obey my hunger.
It took years of effort, trial, error, and persistence.
Now my hunger obeys me.
I realized I needed a higher purpose outside of food. I’m learning, as Stephen R. Covey puts it, to “begin with the end in mind”4.
Pro Tip:
Picture your funeral. What do you want people to say? What do you want to have accomplished? Answering these questions will direct your daily decisions by focusing your thoughts on what YOU really want rather on your next meal. Begin today.
See yourself differently. New creature. New person. Put off the old. Shed the scales and the skin of self-doubt, self-loathing, unfulfilled expectations, unrealized dreams…today is a new day! Today is your day. Today you are reborn.
And expect to make mistakes. Indeed it may be we learn most from our mistakes and best from the mistakes of others. As a 3rd grader I felt DEVASTATED at misspelling the word “COMING” upsetting my perfect spelling test score. I’ve never misspelled it since.
Fear not mistakes. Brad Barrett recommends “failing fast”(making lots of mistakes early on when the stakes are low) is the way to go (Mendonsa, 2016). L.M. Montgomery’s Anne Shirley possessed a healthy outlook, “Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it…yet” (1908).
“So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!” (Seuss, 1990.)
Pro Tip:
Start fresh. Every new breath is a new chance to reform, to improve. Go forth.
Athletes workout to prepare to perform. Preparation builds muscle and muscle = armor.
The next time you watch an NFL game observe the speed, size, and strength of the players. Because they are ALL massive it’s easy to overlook how incredibly gargantuan they actually are, yet as you compare them to reporters or to some coaches on the sidelines you’ll see the difference!
Now imagine these heavily-muscled men colliding into each other at 20 mph! The extra pounds of muscle surrounding their joints, tendons, and organs provide the protection required to play the game. Even so, unfortunately at times they still become injured yet the frequency and seriousness of injuries is lessened than what it otherwise would be because of their preparation. Just as NFL players’ muscles protect them from the next tackle, block, or rush, so too your muscles can protect you from injury in everyday life and to excel at your craft.
Known for his thorough preparation, UCLA Coach John Wooden observed, “The pressure I created during practices may have exceeded that which oponents produced. I believe when an individual constantly works under pressure, he or she will respond automatically when faced with it during competition.”1
This principle applies to intellect as well.
At the high school I attended there were two AP English teachers, one demanding and the other lax. One of my good friends had the teacher who made him work. All year long he read, wrote, explained, and debated. Not only was he very prepared for the AP test at year’s end but also for freshman year of college.
Pro Tip:
Practice harder than your performance requires and you will be pleased with the outcome
Stress your muscles in workouts to more than what they’ll experience in every day life.
Challenge your brain more than it will see at home, school, work, church and you’ll shine in those arenas.
1. Wooden, J., & Jamison, S. (1997). The Gym Is A Classroom . In Wooden (pp. 133). Contemporary Books.
While a first-year university student I strictly followed [insert fad diet]. I kept to it except when I felt deprived, limited, or constrained. For example, at a family party my aunt, a gourmet cook and baker, served a delicious entrée coupled with a dessert table covered in a variety of sweet options. I know because I tried many of them. The lemon bars were exquisite.
In hindsight, how hypocritical I must’ve looked indulging in the sweets I outwardly had so adamantly condemned. I remember a moment behind the dessert table hovering over the lemon bars looking up making eye contact with my aunt. At that moment I knew that she knew that I knew I was not living what I preached.
Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever felt out of control when it comes to food and eating? Who among us—given the plenteous availability of delicious options—hasn’t indulged at least once?
So what’s the best way to eat in an ever-challenging nutritional environment? What match are we against advertising expert food giants who have engineered offerings so that we crave them more and feel satisfied less? (Moss, 2014).
First, know you’re not alone. Learning to feed ourselves well is challenging! But it can be learned as we support each other.
Second, you have power to choose within you and you can do it. And you must do it because the quality of your present and future life depends on it. http://you-thrive.net/2021/12/02/not-if-but-when/
Third, Whatever you want your quality of life to be choose today and align your habits and behaviors with your desired future.
Pro Tip:
Adopt this mindset: I have no restrictions. I can choose to eat whatever I want, however much I want, whenever I want to. That is up to me. Because it is. This thought is liberating. The human mind is such that when it feels deprived it desires that thing even more. Remove the perceived restriction and take back control.
Now in control, see your 80 year old heathy, thriving self. Intentionally make choices to make your vision come true.
Moss, M. (2014, February 18). Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us (Reprint). Random House Trade Paperbacks. 28-29.
The healthiest people I’ve observed give attention to how they sleep, eat, drink, and move. They do it consistently over time. Fanaticism does not produce lasting healthy results.
Adlai E. Stevenson II wrote,
“Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.”1
Likewise, yours and my health is not achieved by “short, frenzied outbursts” rather by “the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime”.
Your body will be with you for your lifetime—the one life you get to live—and for most, life is more like a marathon not a sprint. We should treat it just that way.
For example, a marathoner gradually builds mileage into his/her training in order to complete the full course on race day. He/She deliberately drinks and eats for best advantage—before, after, and during the race.
Pro Tip:
Begin today to dedicate or rededicate yourself to the idea that you’re worth it. Your health is worth it. Your kids and grandkids are worth you being around for them and able to share memories because you intentionally chose healthy habits rather than going with the flow.
Are you 50 and think you’re beyond walking? Are you 80 and thinking of trying yoga for the first time? It’s never too early and never too late to begin a simple, sustained exercise program.
“For better or worse, whatever you do repeatedly becomes a habit, and many people get out of the habit of regular exercise and never go back.
“Fortunately, it is never too late. At any time, you can decide that you are going to enjoy high levels of physical fitness. You can make a decision, right now, to start a physical fitness routine of some kind and then set it as a personal test or challenge to see if you have the willpower and discipline to follow through on your resolution.”1
Pro Tip:
Decide right now you will begin to be physically fit and take one simple action proving to yourself that you’re serious—do 1 pushup, 1 squat, a short walk—you decide, but start right away. Contact me if you want further help getting started. YouThriveToday@gmail.com.
You can do it. There’s greatness inside you. Today is your day. Ready, set, go.
1. Tracy, Brian. No Excuses The Power of Self-Discipline, 241.
Due to injury, I haven’t consistently run in nearly a year. And distance running is my thing. I read this two days ago which inspired me to know what to do and where to start again:. Perhaps it may help you too or help someone you know:
“Some years ago, there was a sixty-eight-year-old woman living in a senior citizens’ home who had never given much thought to physical exercise. She had worked hard, raised a family, become a grandmother, and was now living comfortably in a senior citizens’ residence.
“One day, she saw a television special on jogging. During this special, they interviewed a couple of people in their fifties and sixties who were running marathons. Some of them has started running later in life.
“This sixty-eight-year-old woman decided that she wanted to run a marathon as well. She drove down to a nearby store and bought the proper shoes for walking and running. That day, she began her exercise regimen by walking around the neighborhood where she lived. Over the next few weeks, she walked ever-greater distances. She bought books and sought advice on how to exercise and train her legs for running.
“After two months, she began jogging a little as part of her walking routine. After six months, she began running as part of her walking and jogging routine. By the end of the first year, she ran in a mini marathon in her local community.
“By the time she was seventy-five, she had completed ten 26.2 mile marathons and two 50 mile cross country marathons. And the most remarkable thing was that she had never run before the age of sixty-eight.
“So what’s your excuse? If this sixty-eight-year-old woman could start exercising so late in life, why can’t you?
“One of the greatest guarantors that you will live a long, happy life, being bright, alert, and full of energy, is that you begin a regular physical training program, four or five days per week, and continue it for the rest of your life.”1
Today, running irritates my injury but walking does not. Inspired by this woman’s courage and belief in herself I walked around the park for 45 minutes yesterday morning (while reading a book). I’m one for one. . .
Pro Tip:
Start today and start small. Keep going. Keep your streak alive. If you break your streak, start a new one.
1. Tracy, Brian. No Excuses The Power of Self-Discipline, 241-242.
Regarding eating, New York Times Best Selling Christian author Lysa Terkeurst writes, “Eve craved what she focused on . . . [and] [w]e crave what we eat. If I make healthy choices over a period of time it seems to reprogram my taste buds. The more veggies and fruit I eat, the more veggies and fruit I crave. However, if I eat brownies and chips, I crave brownies and chips in the worst kind of way.”1
My wife eats less salt and prefers “low sodium” foods. Foods she buys and prepares are this way. My tastebuds have adapted so now when I eat salt I notice!
Pro Tip:
If you don’t like something about your diet, if you feel controlled by cravings, replace the foods you crave with healthier foods you like. Do it consistently and you’ll be pleasantly amazed how your cravings change.
As a boy one afternoon I toasted nearly an entire loaf of white bread, buttering each slice to perfection and sprinkling with cinnamon sugar. Nearly complete with my culinary creation Dad walked by suggesting I may have exceeded what was good for me.
Whole-grain sliced bread
What is whole-grain and why is it preferable to white bread, sometimes called “enriched” grain?
Background
A whole-grain is food from a plant which contains three major components: bran, endosperm, and germ.
BRAN is the outer layer containing anti-oxidants, B Vitamins, and fiber.
GERM is the part of the plant which would become a new plant (if you weren’t already eating it) which contains B Vitamins, proteins, minerals, and healthy fats.
ENDOSPERM is (was) the GERM’s food supply. Now it’s your food supply—containing starchy carbohydrates, proteins, and some vitamins and minerals.
Benefits of Whole-Grain Consumption
According to WebMD, “Whole grains are packed with nutrients including protein, fiber, B vitamins, antioxidants, and trace minerals (iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium). A diet rich in whole grains has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some forms of cancer.”1
Further, “Whole-grain diets can also improve bowel health by helping to maintain regular bowel movements and promote growth of healthy bacteria in the colon.”1
“Enriched” Grains
Sounds good for you, right? Wrong. This kind of grain contains only the endosperm, bran and germ having been removed.2 People were malnourished so the U.S. government required confectioners to put vitamins and minerals back in the grain in an effort to replace what was removed.
Bran and germ give bulk and coarseness to bread and other foods made from it so for baking and cooking delicate dishes, consumers went wild for these products because of their smooth, delicate textures and tastes.
Never?
Nope. Enriched, refined grains—used to make donuts, cakes, cookies, pastries, rolls—add pleasure to life and eating. Many family traditions and memories include these culinary delights. These tasty treats are part of a nutritious diet and balanced lifestyle, precisely because they help us achieve just that, balance.
When a person operates from a deprivation mindset, he or she tends to overindulge. He/she may think, “I don’t know when I’ll get to have this food again…” often resulting in overeating.
Try this
USDA recommends making at least half your grains whole-grains.3
It’s easiest to do this in the morning after you’re rested. When you start right it’s easier to stay right. Plus, a lot of breakfast options include whole grains such as whole grain breakfast cereals, hot cereals such as oatmeal, cracked wheat, or whole wheat French toast (see 003 French Toast the Most https://youthrivenet.wordpress.com/2021/10/28/french-toast-the-most/).
When you grocery shop, here are some whole-grain options:
Whole-grain corn
Whole oats/oatmeal
Popcorn
Brown rice
Whole rye
Whole-grain barley
Wild rice
Buckwheat
Triticale
Bulgur (cracked wheat)
Millet
Quinoa
Sorghum
100% whole wheat flour.1
One of the great things about eating is we do it multiple times a day so if we don’t have a ideal meal we can iterate and improve the next one. Build yourself up and give yourself credit each time you do a healthy habit.
Have you ever felt like you didn’t have time to exercise, even just a few minutes? I have. 
World-renowned self-improvement personality Brian Tracy writes, “If your goal is to live a long, healthy, happy life and be fit and trim physically, there is no substitute for regular exercise. Fortunately, you do not have to train for the Olympics or a triathlon to enjoy superb levels of physical well-being. By building exercise and physical training into your daily routine you can achieve physical fitness just by making a few small modifications to your lifestyle.”1
Years ago, juggling family, career, and church responsibilities my dad one day mused, “Clark, I wish I could pay you to exercise for me.” If only Dad.
I am responsible for my health just as you are responsible for yours and unfortunately no one can do it for us. Exercise is also one of those activities that we can’t afford NOT to do— just like we can’t afford to not brush our teeth.
The CDC estimates $117 billion in annual health costs related to low physical activity1. These health costs include among others treatments for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and cancer. No thank you if you and I can avoid it, right?
The good news is you and I can minimize or eliminate much of the risk associated with these diseases through our healthy lifestyles.
Exercise is one component.
Pro Tip:
If time is a barrier to exercise for you as it is for me and many others here’s a tip to try—do walking-in-place high knees while *brushing your teeth for 2 minutes in the morning and walking-in-place butt kicks while brushing your teeth for 2 minutes at night. Built-in 4 minutes of leg/core exercises each day. Bam.
*P.S. If you have a Sonicare electric toothbrush from the moment you push Power it runs for two minutes. Easy peasy. You could also set a timer on your phone or watch.
With this habit, you’re on your way to sustained healthy teeth and gums, strong quads, hamstrings, core, and confidence! It’s a great way to start and to end the day being mindful of and grateful for your physical body and health.
Disclaimer: You need good balance here. This activity could result in serious injury so take care. Consult a physician and/or a trusted credentialed professional before starting any physical activity program.
This week I experimented with BJ Fogg’s “Super-fridge” idea. (Fogg authored the book Tiny Habits; “super-fridge” refers to once a week shopping, preparing, and stocking one’s fridge full of nutritious and delicious foods. One may eat as much as he/she wishes but only from the fridge.)
This concept, tried in a small way, may significantly impact your life as it has mine this week.
If you’re like me, I know eating fruits and vegetables, especially vegetables are good for health but I don’t always eat them. Often I buy them and they rot in the crisper. So last week when grocery shopping I placed a bag of carrots, a stock of celery, and a cucumber in my basket and felt good about myself. Normal. But just buying the vegetables, transporting the vegetables, and storing the vegetables did not produce health—I needed to eat them! [choir sings].
This week I tried out Foggs’ Super-Fridge idea (in a miniature way), on Sunday cutting up celery, a cucumber, and dropping in pre-cut baby carrots… Seeing these vegetables and being able to reach for them the same as I would a bag of chips made this habit easy to increase vegetable consumption.
The question is not if such a crisis will occur but when
Andrew Weil, M.D. writes, “ I think most bodies come with warranties for 80 years of productive, relatively trouble-free service, if basic requirements for preventative maintenance are followed…What I think happens around age 40, however, it’s not that the warranty runs out but that the bill comes due… I believe many disasters could be averted, because they are diseases of lifestyle, products of years of failing to eat wisely, exercise appropriately, or treat body and mind in ways that protect the healing system… The question is not if such a crisis will occur but when” (Eight Weeks To Optimum Health, 18-19.)
To promote a happier, healthier, longer life, I raise my voice for intentional living, and especially eating—an activity most Americans do three or more times a day.
Not long ago at a community event, a friend complimented me on my shape—that I looked muscular (most people tell me how skinny I look; not usually what a guy likes to hear).
I believed him.
Though not the only motivation, his considerate comment has given me an extra boost to continue push-ups, pull-ups, weightlifting, etc., in the weeks since.
The point? Our words and our personal influence significantly affect others.
Benjamin Franklin explained, “I will speak ill of no man… And speak all the good I know of everybody.”1
One thing we cannot escape is the effect of our personal influence. 2
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”3
Pro tip
Speak encouragingly of others and thank those who encourage you! 
References
1. Carnegie, Dale. How to Win Friends and Influence People, 13.
I grind my teeth when sleeping if I don’t wear a mouthguard. Call it an affliction (annoyance, really) to wear a mouthguard every night. God consecrated this affliction1 for my gain because when I wake and remove the mouthguard every morning, I brush my teeth and the mouthguard (for its next use), every morning. My teeth are healthier (and my breath fresher) from this affliction.
Consider this:
What afflicts you? Might there be a higher purpose in it?
Do you ever feel indecisive about choosing what to eat? Yesterday for lunch my wife and I did. Then I had a thought. “I’ll make the rice” I volunteered, trusting later we’d figure on other delicious additives. We did and she did! When I paused from the work task I was completing to check the rice Jules had prepared everything for Hawaiian haystacks! So good!
Eating Principle:
If you’re not sure what to eat, or if you just want to add some variety, begin with a whole-grain (brown rice, whole-wheat pasta or bread, corn, oats, etc.) then add the other food groups – lean protein, low-fat dairy, veggies/fruits, legumes, mono- and poly-unsaturated fats (for example, extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil).
How do you decide what to eat?
Recipe – Hawaiian Haystacks (by the way, this is a great one for potlucks, everyone bring one of the ingredients!) – Servings 4
2 cups brown rice
2 cans chicken
1 can cream of chicken
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 can pineapple (in juice)
1 cup FiberOne cereal (substitute – similar cereal from Trader Joe’s)
Authors Chip Heath and Dan Heath write, “Two health researchers, Steve Booth-Butterfield and Bill Reger, professors at West Virginia University, were contemplating ways to persuade people to eat a healthier diet . . .
“As the two researchers brainstormed, their thoughts kept coming back to milk. Most Americans drink milk, and we all know that milk is a great source of calcium. But milk is also the single largest source of saturated fat in the typical American’s diet. In fact, calculations showed something remarkable: If Americans switched from whole milk to skim or 1% milk, the average diet would immediately attain the USDA recommended levels of saturated fat . . .
“Reger and Booth-Butterfield launched a campaign in two communities in West Virginia, running spots on the local media outlets (TV, newspaper, radio) for two weeks. In contrast to the bland messages of most public-health campaigns, the 1% milk campaign was punchy and specific. One ad trumpeted the fact that one glass of whole milk has the same amount of saturated fat as five strips of bacon! At a press conference, the researchers showed local reporters a tube full of fat—the equivalent of the amount found in a half-gallon of whole milk . . .
“Reger and Booth-Butterfield monitored milk sales data at all eight stores in the intervention area. Before the campaign, the market share of low-fat milk was 18 percent. After the campaign, it was 41 percent. Six months later, it held at 35 percent.” 1
In other words in one month (and sustained for at least 6 months) twice as many West Virginians in two communities began eating the USDA recommended amount of saturated fat by changing one thing – buying 1% or lower milk instead of 2% or whole milk.
Pro Tip:
Ask yourself, What one thing, if done, would have the single greatest positive impact on my health?
Honestly answer this question and do something to act on it right away.
If it’s difficult to identify one thing, try this: Get out a blank sheet of paper or in a notebook write numbers 1 – 20 going down the page. Write the title at the top, “Health Ideas” (or something like it) then begin writing ideas. Don’t stop until you have 20 ideas. Review your ideas and circle the one which you determine to have the single greatest positive impact on your health. 2
Did you know there’s a simple way to change how much you eat? Simply change the size of the plate, bowl, and/or cup you use.
In their book Switch authors Chip Heath and Dan Heath describe an experiment testing whether “people with bigger buckets [of popcorn would] eat more”. Two groups of participants were given very stale (five days old) free popcorn in medium bowls and large bowls. Following the movie the bowls were weighed and the amount of popcorn eaten measured. “The results were stunning,” write the brothers Heath, “People with the large buckets ate 53 percent more popcorn than people with the medium size . . . Brian Wansink, the author of the study [concluded] . . . ‘We’ve run other popcorn studies, and the results were always the same, however we tweaked the details. It didn’t matter if our moviegoers were in Pennsylvania, Illinois, or Iowa, and it didn’t matter what kind of movie was showing; all of our popcorn studies led to the same conclusion. People eat more when you give them a bigger container. Period.’
“No other theory explains the behavior. These people weren’t eating for pleasure. (The popcorn was so stale it squeaked!) They weren’t driven by a desire to finish their portion. (Both buckets were too big to finish.) It didn’t matter whether they were hungry or full. The equation is unyielding: Bigger container = more eating.”1
I teach my children to place a handful on a plate, bowl, or napkin rather than eating straight from a container (bag of chips, sleeve of Oreos, etc.); it’s too easy to eat mindlessly. This way when it’s gone they notice and they’re not licking the crumbs from the bottom of the whole bag. (Hey, we’ve all done it.).
Pro Tip:
Determine how much you want to eat of something and choose a bowl, plate and/or cup that size. If you wish to eat less of something use smaller dishes.
You can do it! It will be worth it. You’re worth it. Generations will thank you.
Eating can be a joyful life experience we have multiple times a day!
” . . . [A]ll things which come out of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
“Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:18-19.)
So be intentional. Eat on purpose. Of course don’t stress over every bite, rather, learn to eat those things which you truly enjoy. Refine your weekly menu to meals and snacks which really add value to your life AND to your health. Begin with a meal or snack you LOVE and, if necessary, tweak the recipe to make it more and more nutritious while keeping it delicious!
Anton Ego from Ratatouille got eating right!
For example, if you or your family loves spaghetti and meatballs and you usually use regular (enriched wheat) pasta switch over to whole wheat pasta, or if that’s too drastic a change, do half regular and half whole wheat. Or you could switch from ground beef to ground lean turkey. BAM. You just changed the trajectory of your health for that meal.
Pro Tip:
(If you don’t already) decide to feel joy from eating and be open to the idea healthy food can taste good!
Select a favorite meal or snack and change one thing to make it healthier (for example, switch from enriched flour to whole-grain flour, from vegetable oil to extra-virgin olive oil, from whole milk to 1%).
Tweak recipe as necessary.
Persist.
*Influence for this title and article comes from Chip Heath and Dan Heath’s book Switch: How to Change When Change is Hard, which I highly recommend.
While loving yourself for who you are today is there something in your life you want to change? The following are two life-changing habits which will take you to the next level teed up by Charlie “Tremendous” Jones,
“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”
Habit 1 – People You Meet
Find a Mentor. Four years ago I took this teaching to heart. I carefully considered a mentor and reached out to him. He has (and does) bless my life ever since, including helping me become a better writer of this blog.
Intentionally Select Friends. Nearly two years ago I moved my family into a new neighborhood. We were delighted by the new friends we made at church, including being invited to a regular game night with some of the couples our age. Many, many laughs and shared experiences later we’re still enjoying life and supporting each other.
Volunteer. I volunteer as a youth advisor. The young men are bright and energetic. Recently we had a game night. As the oldest of the group neared graduation, I had the privilege of writing a scholarship letter of recommendation. He is an impressive guy and will do great things in the future.
Habit 2 – Books You Read
As you look into your future, who do you most want to be like? Consider reading or listening to biographies of historical giants. They overcame great obstacles and you will too! You’ll find patterns you can follow to be more like your heroes. For example, as a father of two pre-teens, I’m interested in connecting intellectually every day on interesting topics with my kids. Daily family dinner is a way to do this. Benjamin Franklin’s father Josiah “liked to have, as often as he could, some sensible friend or neighbor to converse with, and always took care to start some ingenious or useful topic for discourse which might tend to improve the minds of his children.”1
Other than biographies, consider borrowing a book from the library on a topic you’re passionate about. As you read this book you’ll find other interesting authors and sub-topics which you can then explore.
Pro Tip:
Be intentional about the people you surround yourself with and the books you read.
Who do you most admire?
What book has influenced your life the most?
Leave a comment.
Isaacson, Walter. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. 17.
It being Father’s Day today, I’m reflexive of my own father. Dad is one of the iconic teachers of my life. He has a way with words and stories which inspire and enthuse to action. I grew up in a religious home, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A core belief is we came to earth to be tested, to see if we will choose to follow God’s plan for us, again. On this topic Dad used the analogy, “5 Minutes on Monday Morning”–the idea that any of us can do just about anything for five minutes. He posed it this way:
If I told you that if you come to work for me on Monday morning and work for just five minutes I will give you a paid vacation for the rest of your life, would you do it?
At this point, most people ask, “What’s the catch?”
There’s no catch. It’s an analogy for what our Heavenly Father promises us if we keep His commandments and covenants. Compared to eternity, earth life is merely a drop in the bucket (five minutes). A life well-lived, a life spent in the service of the Master is rewarded with (in the next life) unlimited time, energy, health, and resources (paid vacation for the rest of your life).
I’m grateful to you Dad for living what you believe. #hero
What’s the greatest lesson you learned from your dad or another influential man?
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