Is your battery charged up?

We had something happen in the house that got our attention. We heard a “chirp”. At first we ignored it, thinking it was a bird outside. We heard it again and we wondered, is there a bird in the house? When we heard a chirp again, we realized what it was – the smoke detector. It was giving us a clue that the battery was running low. We replaced the battery so we would be safe and protected. You probably have heard the stories of peoples’ homes burning down and even lives being lost because their smoke detectors weren’t being maintained. That’s sad because those tragedies were preventable. It’s important that we maintain our homes.

Just as it’s important to maintain your home, it’s also important to maintain your body. We know that batteries can be replaced but it’s not so easy to replace your body. A good mentor and thought leader, Jim Rohn said, “Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live”. That saying is so true

.We coach people about all sorts of things but we realized that health is one of the most important aspects of life. We took additional training in health coaching because we recognized how important it is for people to have good health. We saw that by practicing good health habits, many people could prevent some diseases and if they became ill, they often healed faster.

If you don’t have good health, everything else becomes secondary. Josh Billings said, “Health is like money – we never have a true idea of its value until we lose it”. We believe that Steve Jobs, a billionaire, would have traded everything he had for good health. When you have good health, you are more likely to have the energy and stamina to enjoy life and accomplish what you want.

Just like the smoke detector gives us clues to do something to maintain our home, our body gives us clues about how to maintain our health. As we look at our own lives, we realize that we could do more to promote our health. We definitely need to get more exercise and get to bed earlier and quit being night owls. These are simple steps, easy to do and they don’t cost anything. So why don’t we do them? Jim Rohn had an answer, “If eating an apple a day keeps the doctor away, and that’s easy to do, then why don’t we do it? We don’t do it because it’s also easy not to do it”. That’s it! We need to commit to doing simple steps and, as Nike says, “Just do it”. We will walk regularly and get to bed earlier. It’s a start on the right road to prevention of illness and maintenance of good health.

Actually, we went on a walk today and we stopped to ask a couple of people how they maintain their health. First, we met Nick Peyer. He’s a busy parent who says he definitely keeps his cardio fitness going by chasing around a couple of active children ages two and four. He says he doesn’t eat any added sugar and he keeps carbohydrates low. We also met Pat Adams, who shared several ways that she keeps herself healthy. She walks approximately a mile a day, tries to eat healthy and works on her inner sense of peace and contentment. Both of these Chanhassen residents gave some good tips.

What about you? How’s your health? Are you getting clues that your body’s “battery” is running down? If so, what are the causes? Do you have stress from working too hard or difficult relationships? What eating, sleeping and exercise habits could be better? What are you doing to recharge your body’s battery and what do you need to do to feel your best? We would enjoy hearing from you about the changes you are making in your life so you feel fully charged up again.

Here’s a challenge: Take time to notice the clues that your body is giving you. What are you doing that is helping you have good health? What changes need to be made to have even better health? When will you start? If necessary, consult your doctor and start slowly. It will take time but don’t give up! Know that you are on the right road to your body’s battery being charged up and full of energy again. By the way, how are your smoke detectors? We wish you the best as you make positive changes for your life

© Lynn Nodland 2017
Chanhassen residents Doug and Lynn Nodland are owners of The Balance Center. They can be contacted at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com.