Awareness, remember? We've been talking about it the last couple of days. This is an awareness question that relates to health:
"I didn't change anything. How did this happen?"
The inspiration for today's article comes from a comment I overheard about a favorite plant that had died. And I acknowledge that you might "pick a bone" with me about distinguishing between plant health (which might be considered off-topic to some) and human health.
Never fear. The same comment comes up over and over in my treatment room. Not to mention that the principles behind plant health and human health, holistically speaking, are quite similar.
So whether it's your back or that purple-leaf sand cherry out back, this type of awareness matters.
We've got to bear in mind the basic principle that if you continue doing the same things you've always done, you're likely to get the same results you've always gotten. Simply put, no change = no change.
So if things were going well and you didn't change anything, how could things suddenly go bad?
Two main possibilities come to mind in this situation. See what you think.
#1. What you've been doing all along, though you got by with it, wasn't ideal. There's a natural human tendency to try and squeak by. And, resilient creatures that we are, we often get away with it for a while. Unfortunately, this may lead us to think the pattern we're creating is ok when it's really not.
Thank goodness that one infraction doesn't always do us in! If it did, I strongly suspect that our civilization would have gone down the tubes long ago. Imagine the consequences if:
- A single french fry caused heart disease
- One inappropriate back movement caused a herniated disc
- A single whif of peanut butter caused a person's airway to close
Ok, that last one occasionally happens. Imagine what it would be like if we were all that allergic to peanuts. There'd be no one left!
The point is this. It's entirely possible that while you've continued doing what you've always done -- what you've always done wasn't healthy. And while it may be true that you didn't change anything, perhaps things would have gone better if you had.
#2. And, in fact, you may have changed something without realizing it. Not intentionally, perhaps. But changed all the same.
Consider this. You probably didn't set out to change your walking pattern. It's just that over the past few years, you've gotten stiffer. And since you've gotten stiffer, now you walk differently. It just came on so slowly that you didn't notice it.
Or you may not have set out to change your diet plan. But over the years, without realizing it, you've started limiting your food choices. Perhaps years ago you ate a variety of foods. Now, without being conscious of it, you've fallen into a rut:
Banana and toast for breakfast. Soup for lunch. Burger for supper.
Given this rut, which you could get away with for a while, the variety of nutrients you need in order to maintain health comes up short. All without your noticing it.
See how easy it might be for something like this to happen? In fact, the #1 and #2 options quite likely overlap for most of us.
What to do? Add another item on to your awareness practice:
Watch out for ruts. Just because you've "always done it this way" doesn't mean it's the best. Besides, have you really "always done it like this"? Or could that be an illusion?
Let's start a log of awareness tips. You'll be asking yourself a series of questions. So far ...
- "What's the most important thing to do next?"
- "Where in my life have I slipped into a rut?"
Carry on!
Elizabeth Eckert can help you explore how simple everyday choices create health — or undermine even the best of intentions. With a background that ranges from energy medicine to structural bodywork to developmental psychology, this "Stick-To-It Coach" has the experience to support you in creating the healthiest possible expression of — you!
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