Words are very powerful. Our brains hear words and apply not just meaning to those words, but visions and emotions as well. Once our minds associate words to things, it often dictates how we move forward. Some words are empowering, others are paralyzing. Some elicit excitement, others instill fear, weakness, or disgust. Many words are used improperly, out of context, or in ways that confuse us.
I recently reflected on two words… easy and simple. In the context of health and wellness, it is critical to differentiate between the two. And it will help, as most of us are seeking answers to better health, and the marketing geniuses have an incredible way of duping most people into thinking there is an easy solution. The truth is, improving health, having a better-looking body, and maximizing your life is simple, but not easy. Confused?
The solutions and strategies to better health, better bodies, and a better life are simple. We have surely overcomplicated things. We know this because the healthiest humans on the planet live very simple lives, know nothing about human physiology, and don’t have laboratories, hospitals, or the internet. They don’t know what a carbohydrate is, couldn’t explain how the lungs or heart work, and have no idea what a virus or bacteria is.
They live simple lives, giving no attention to how their behavior affects their health. They merely do what they have always done, and their body innately performs its tasks as it was designed to.
Our environment makes it difficult to live a lifestyle that is simple and natural. With marketing companies utilizing tools and tricks that manipulate how we think and the decisions that we make, it is difficult to forgo the newest, the latest, and the greatest gizmos, gadgets, and treats. Our advanced technologies have come at a price. The remote control, the automobile, online shopping, and delivery services have made us lazy. Social media has altered our sense of reality and magnified the concept of social comparison, leading to more anxiety, depression, unhappiness, and lowered self-esteem. And we can’t get through a checkout line without being exposed to hundreds of types of artificially flavored and colored gum, mint, or candy within an arm’s reach.
To be healthier, we’d all agree that whole, real foods are better for us than artificial, highly-processed foods. That’s simple! We’d agree that going outside, moving our bodies, and being in nature is better for us than sitting in front of our computers, playing with our phones, or scrolling through TikTok for hours. That’s simple! And we’d all agree that doing meaningful work, being in loving relationships, and being financially responsible are all better than continuing to work at a place we despise, remaining in a toxic relationship, or continuing to struggle financially. That’s simple!
For many, as simple as it is to make positive change in our lives, it isn’t easy. We still sit more than we should, we eat foods that we shouldn’t (and way too much of them), we continue working at jobs that we hate, we remain in relationships that are not good for us, and we spend more than we make and don’t invest properly.
The right things in life are pretty simple. Knowing what to do is simple. Actually doing those things is not easy. Don’t confuse the two. Thinking the solutions to your problems are complicated and difficult will prevent you from even trying. But thinking that the action required to make change will be easy will lead to frustration and failure. So, know that the solutions are usually simple, but implementing the actions and effort needed to make the change is usually not easy.