Get Back Up!

When life knocks you down, what's your response? Do you stay down for a bit, pondering the meaning of being knocked, before you pick yourself up? Do you stay down till someone else picks you up? Do you jump back up and hope nobody saw you down?

Whatever your method, take a minute to think about why and how you respond to challenges. What makes it worth it for you to get back up when you're down?

When I did my dissertation I asked women what makes them place a high priority on their health---why do they make healthy choices and sustain them over time?

They answered in all different ways---some people wanted to set good examples for their kids. Some wanted to avoid disease, or it was about fear of disease. Others had just always done things that way.

Some people had faced a crisis, hit the bottom of the barrel, swirled around there for a bit, and then realized their only way to survive was to take care of themselves.

I want you to think about why health issues, and other choices you face, warrant improving and stepping up to the plate. Why be positive? Why fix your problems and face your issues? You could probably exist by choosing the less noble, healthy, or proactive way.

A common thread for all decisions in health (and generally in life) is that although the WHAT impacts the outcome, the WHY and the HOW are the most important factors--they are what make you who you are and they create meaning in your life.