Friday, April 12, 2013

Doing Life



O.K., let’s. Life is surprising. It’s interesting. It’s often hard, often fun, frightening, sometimes simple, sometimes easy, sometimes both, and almost always unpredictable. It seems much of what happens in life is out of our control—but not all of it, and this is the part we need to look at “doing.”

In a way we all have life sentences. The question is how we cope, deal with, and then individually choose to move forward. Because—we all do it in different ways, and we all have to do it.

We know our actions have consequences, and as a result we each have a responsibility as individuals, and organizations to “do no harm.” Yet too many of us are doing harm—to ourselves, and in turn to our organizations. We are doing harm through the neglect of our bodies, our nutrition, our choices, and ultimately our health. As a result, many of us find ourselves doing life with one or more chronic diseases. Now, we’re “doing harm” on a number of levels.

This is not the way it’s supposed to be, nor is it the way it has to be. What if we look at doing life a little differently?  What if we look at our choices differently? What if we look at, and focus on what we really can achieve? What if we look at those positive choices we can each make in terms of how they will shape our health and well-being? The benefits are huge and far-reaching.

How do the words: believe in yourself, never give up, keep reaching,  I can do this, I am worth this, sound to you?  They should sound good. And they are true.

You’re already doing life. We all are. Isn’t it up to each of us to make it the best life it can be—for ourselves, our families, our employers, our country, our world?  Isn’t up to each of us to make it a life that “does no harm?”

That’s a lot to ask, but we can each—and together—make doing life, really worth doing.  Are you in?