There is a word that is popular today that is important. It’s “proactive”. Being proactive instead of reactive means that you are in control. You are not a victim tossed about by circumstances. You create the circumstances. You, are a Force to be reckoned with once you discover this strength.
The Difference is Astounding
In the “Reactive” state we perceive every detail as a new item. We must continually reformulate our strategy for dealing with every situation. There are no “standing orders”. This leaves us constantly grasping at straws, trying to cope with each facet of our lives as if we have no tools to work on the problems that may arise. We have to decide whether or not to eat sugar every time that we are faced with that decision. We have to decide daily whether or not to work out. The proactive thinker has already made the decision to avoid sugar and working out is not a question, it’s a scheduled event with iron-clad rules for when and how to work out and good back-up strategies for those times when life happens and throws us off schedule. [1]
How Can I change?
MVPA, or Moderate to-to Vigorous Physical Activity, or exercise, is known to make the brain more proactive. [1] As the intensity of exercise increased, so did the cognitive function. In other words, the harder we work out, the better we can think, according to recent scientific observations. Aerobic exercise is considered the best for better brain function.
Misconception
Quite often people mistake weight lifting as simply a strength activity. I’ve been a distance swimmer, swimming non-stop for hours on end, I have been a runner, rode a bike, you name it, and I have never had as good of a workout as I get from heavy lifting. My heart seemed to adapt to those classically aerobic activities pretty quickly until they pushed me less and less. Those activities became easy. The Iron never gets easy. Every time that I go under that bar, I’m pushed to my absolute limit and guess what? After lifting heavy for about a month I fixed problems in my life that had existed for over 25 years…seriously… and I continue to attack life daily. If I can stand back up with that barbell on my shoulders, I can do anything. I am not advising you to strength train or even to exercise. I am merely sharing scientific facts and my experience. You must consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.
Your Decision
Here at Davids Way, we use that word often…” decision”. It’s because we live what we teach. We know that life can get hard and busy. Making decisions creates the life that we want. We decide what we want and then decide what needs to happen for that to happen. It’s being proactive. When we realize that good health is mostly a decision on our part, most of the time, we instantly make better decisions than if we perceive each day as a new series of events that we must struggle through trying to “make healthy decisions”. Make them now and then get up and just do it. That doesn’t make it easy but it does make it happen and that’s what changes our lives.