If there is one tool I would love to have, it would be a video machine that could show patients how they would look, function, and feel, years down the road with, and without, living the wellness lifestyle. Imagine if I could show you a couple of quick video clips of you ten, twenty, thirty, and even fifty years down the road. One… you having lived with poor lifestyle choices. The other… you having lived the wellness lifestyle. Do you think that would change things for you right now? Of course it would!
If we could see the long-term ramifications of unhealthy choices and the long-term benefits of healthier choices, we would absolutely opt for the healthier choices.
Because humans behavior is driven by pain and pleasure, we tend to choose less healthy options because it avoids pain and gains pleasure… right now. There is more immediate gratification. We tend not to think about the long-term effects of these choices.
It is hard to take the time, spend the money, and make the effort to make healthier choices. There are many reasons why this is the case. Junk food is easy to get and tastes good. Exercise isn’t easy and doesn’t always feel good while it’s being done. Going to a wellness healthcare practitioner, such as a chiropractor, acupuncturist, or functional medicine doctor takes time and costs money. And when it comes to health and healing, the positive effects of these better choices are not felt right away.
Hence… I would love that machine. Your whole paradigm would shift. You would instantly gain a greater appreciation of the importance of the choices you are making right now and how impactful they will be on the quality of your life as you age. After all, nobody thinks they are going to get old, full of arthritis, aching, and hunched over. To actually see how you would look, feel, and function would dramatically change how you live right now.
Unfortunately, there is no such tool. However, I can show you the next best thing… your parents and grandparents. I believe the best way to get an idea of what you will be like when you are older is to look at your older family members. Your body shape, posture, physical abilities, and overall health will likely mimic theirs.
Some of you might be freaking out right now at the mere thought that you might end up looking and being like your parents. I’m hoping this is enough pain to push you to make healthier choices. After all, if you do not want to look, feel, and move like them, you must do things that they did not do and avoid doing things that they did.
The worst strategy would be to wait until you are old, aching, overweight, and moving slowly, then decide you do not want to be that way. See that image right now, burn it into your brain, and think about it daily. Let this be the motivation you need to make better choices.
And, by the way, I have had numerous patients that came to me without pain or medical complaints, but simply stated… “I do not want to look like my mother.” They came because they recognized the potential they have of following the same path as their parents, which scared them enough to take action now.
One day we may have a machine that can use time-lapse to show us what we will look and feel like as we age, but for now you’ll have to use your parents and grandparents.
Massive pain is a great motivator!
Thinkng of you, my friend! You made my day! 😉