46. Lifestyle Changes for Fulfillment
There was a time not long ago when I reached a real low spot in my life. I was stressed beyond finding any happiness or satisfaction in the world. I felt unfulfilled even during my overindulgence of pleasures which included ski vacations, golf outings, alcohol consumption and overeating. Nothing seemed to make me happy. It felt like I was always angry at the world—but I think that I was angry with myself. I would finish a great day on the slopes or a round of golf at a beautiful course only to be thinking what I could do to try to find elusive happiness for the next day. At night I would overconsume both wine and food—but I was never full—always empty and craving more. In short, I believed that happiness was like a day at Disneyland—something you could buy but was over in a vapor. Even during my best days, I longed for something more fulfilling.
I was stuck—not knowing what to do to overcome these feelings. After all, I was a doctor and I felt that I could overcome any obstacle, including my own discontentedness. But in reality, I was clueless knowing where to begin. Then a day came when my life was totally shaken. I found myself faced with a huge, unsolvable and difficult problem (but that is another story) that proved to be life changing. It was a problem that I had absolutely no control over but forced me to totally reevaluate my lifestyle and the aging 60-year-old person I had morphed into. As I looked in the mirror, I saw an out-of-shape, former athlete carrying 60lbs of excess weight. Even more importantly, the years of following down the wrong path of life created an image of someone that I did not care for. I finally had come to the realization that I needed a total lifestyle change. I needed to chip away at all of my “false selfs” that I had barricaded around me—barriers that I had enlisted to protect me from the trials and tribulations of this world. I had become self-absorbed to a lifestyle that embraced the world around me. Some people refer to following this false path as being guided by our ego. At least now I acknowledged that I had a huge problem that needed correcting.
Let me reassure you, worthwhile lifestyle changes do not happen overnight. Someone once wisely stated: “Change in itself is uncomfortable. But real change happens when it is more comfortable to make the change than it is to stay in your present state.” Personally, I was extremely uncomfortable with myself and it drove me towards seeking better answers to my life. Realizing that my changes needed to be gradual over time I developed a mantra that became my rally cry:
Every Day! Without Fail!
As I started down this new path, I committed myself towards redeveloping four aspects of my life, Every Day! And Without Fail! These changes involved improving myself in the following aspects: Spirit * Soul * Mind * Body
I centered all my self-improvement around the maturation of my faith. I made it my commitment to begin every day reading, studying and reflecting my Spiritual relationship. I became a student of the Bible. As a result, I began to change. I learned to be more patient. I also became more appreciative of what I had and less concerned about what I did not have. Maybe the most important aspect of this change was that I truly was grateful and more aware of others. More and more I appreciated the moment and became less concerned about my past. I also learned to trust my future and as a result had less anxiety. As I continued on this path, I knew that I was becoming a better version of myself and for the first time ever I was feeling more fulfilled. My Soul, my heart, was changing. I had surrendered it to this new path. Life was becoming easier and more enjoyable every day. I became peaceful and happy inside my mind. Many call this bliss “joy.”
As I continued down the path, I found myself reading and studying subjects on entrepreneurism, business, computers and self-improvement. My hunger for new knowledge drove me to read 8-10 books per month. I found myself drawn away from my practice and into a different world, not really knowing, but trusting I was doing this for a reason. I called this intense study my new PhD program. It was not until several years later when I became Senior Vice President of Ampac/OrangeDaily, an International vitamin C skin care company, that I realized that all along I was being guided. I was in a dream job that I loved and the fulfillment that it provided me brought a satisfaction that I had never before experienced. Those several years of daily developing my mind had been rewarded.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not share what physically took place during my metamorphosis. Every Day! Without Fail! I committed to a half hour of high intensity cardio and a half hour of high intensity weight training. My new-found inner fulfillment led me away from overeating and drinking. I studied nutrition and changed my dietary habits. I was no longer compulsively searching for answers through “comfort crutches.” My spiritual, transformed personality and reeducation all contributed to a new sense of well-being. I began to notice my body reshaping. I was at peace with myself and the excess weight began to melt away. I shed all of my excess 60 lbs. and returned to my healthy, athletic college weight.
I am sharing all of this with you to show that any worthwhile change happens through a consistent commitment towards a lifestyle change. Maybe you would like to improve one or all of the aspects of your own life, just like the ones that I described. Quick fixes and fads are just what they say they are. A perfect example of a true lifestyle change is in improving the health of your skin. I can attest that for all my adult life, I did little to protect my skin from the elements. I knew nothing about the need for topical skin nutrition. But once again, I was shaken when I showed up at my dermatologist to have several precancerous lesions removed from my forehead. I was stunned at what damages I had permitted myself to incur. It was only through my transition to becoming an Executive member of OrangeDaily and studying to be the scientific head of the company that I discovered that much of my skin damage could be reversed through proper topical nutrition. OrangeDaily products were designed for people like me to rejuvenate my injured, aging skin and bring it to optimal health. All that was required was a commitment to daily use. But when I saw how neglected and aged I allowed my skin to become, I knew how to commit and make it work. Yes, this was yet another lifestyle change in my life. All that was required was for me to consistently apply these products: Every Day! Without Fail!
Dr. Dave
Every Day! Without Fail!
Spirit *Soul * Mind * Body
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