 |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
| |
| Persistence Is Important for Moving Toward Wellness |
 |
by Matthew Goodemote MPT, Dip MDT - May 20, 2011
|
Earlier this week, I was reminded of the importance of persistence. Then it dawned on me that throughout the last few years, I have been talking a lot about this attribute and its importance as you move toward Wellness when I have repeatedly insisted that while Wellness may not be found the first time we look for it.
Winston Churchill is quoted as having said, "Never, never, never give up!" His dogged persistence was instrumental in the outcome of a terrible war. But for me, this quote from is more about realizing that in the midst of what seems to be an impossible situation, the best strategy is to stay true to who you are. Despite the outside events, stay firmly in your true nature. I am sure the words were meant to motivate his troops to rise up and fight, but for me they have a more important message: never give up what matters most in your life. I am thankful that I was reminded that what matters most is always what you are doing right now. So rather than put off what matters most to you, no matter what the outside noise is, no matter what, "Never, never, never give up!" This advice certainly applies to moving toward Wellness.
Wellness is not something that can be found all at once and then you are done, when you look for and find a lost set of keys. Wellness is the very balance that our life offers us and if we miss the opportunity to be Well, it is not due to "losing" something...and certainly not something that we need to "fight for." Wellness is in fact the opposite of fighting. We have been taught to use words such as like “fight” and “struggle” and “push through” as symbols of our determination, but we move toward well-being more easily when we “listen,” “notice,” and “allow the events of our life to lead us to where it is we are meant to go.”
For me, the quote from Churchill is more about realizing that in the midst of what seems to be an impossible situation the best strategy is to stay true to who you are. Despite the outside events stay firmly in your true nature. I am sure the words were meant to motivate his troops to rise up and fight, but for me they have a more important message, never give up what matters most in your life. I am thankful that I was reminded of what matters most is always what you are doing right now. So rather than put off what matters most to you, no matter what the outside noise is, no matter what, "Never, never, never give up!"
For whatever reason, it is sometimes easier to put our attention on what is going on around us and lose sight of what we believe really matters most to us. What matters most is the peace in our hearts. What matters most is the love that we share. What matters most is our family, friends and loved ones. This is what I hear when I read the quote, " Never (give up your peace), never (stop loving), never (put what doesn't really matter ahead of what does...like you friends, family and loved ones) give up!"
We are here now to participate in our lives. We are here now to experience what matters most and to hold onto that with all our might and to never surrender it. We are here to recognize that by staying true to what matters most, we are well. When we focus on the noise, on the problems we have, and on the future or the past, we miss out on what is happening NOW. We miss out on the opportunity to be well. It is this misdirection that leads to our suffering because we are inadvertently giving up what matters most for what annoys us the most. Our attention is drawn to what we think about and if we think about struggle or fighting or pain or disability, we miss out on what brings us joy, love and well-being. We don't find Wellness by looking for it, we find Wellness by "Never, never, never giving up!"
Today, try to look at the situation that has you struggling and see where it lies in the list of things that matter most to you. It is important to persist in doing this because somehow, we get distracted and make excuses to ourselves, and I am no exception. The excuses I have made include the belief that once I fix the situation that is taking me away from what I really love, I will be able to focus on the good stuff. This is a clear focus on the future rather than on the good stuff that is right in front of me here and now along whatever challenging situation is also part of here and now for me.
I know that people have convinced themselves that they struggle and fight because of their desire to have what they love most, but that is the very point...the effort is only productive when the things that matter most are put at the forefront, and as a general rule if you find it difficult you are likely putting your focus on the effort rather than the peace. If you find that you seem to be spinning your wheels it is likely because you are struggling to move, thinking it will help you get to where you are going. But the reality is that you are really struggling away from what you want most. Just by stopping for a minute to get your bearings...to find your peace....you will notice that you are heading in the wrong direction and simply need to put what matters most at the forefront. Then you will notice the bridge it creates to your Wellness.
So as Winston Churchill advised, "Never, never, never give up," and if I can just add a bit more to that phrase..."Never, never, never give up what matters most!"
Matthew Goodemote is the founder and owner of Community Physical Therapy & Wellness in Gloversville, NY. He has degrees in Exercise Science, Health Science, Physical Therapy, and he is one of just over 250 in the world with a Diploma from the McKenzie International Spine Institute. Matthew is recognized as an expert in the fields of Physical Therapy, orthopedics, spinal disorders, sports medicine, and wellness. He is routinely called upon to offer tips and suggestions relating to health and wellness. His unique approach makes him a highly sought after expert at different ends of the media spectrum. He has received requests to participate in studies for scientific journals, and to write articles for trade magazines and popular press magazines such as Fitness to offer proven recommendations that stand the test of time. More of Matt’s blogs can be found at http://www.matthewgoodemote.com/blog/.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
RECOMMEND THIS ARTICLE
You must be logged in
to recommend articles
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
