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Posted in Balanced Body, Balanced Lifestyle | August 6, 2010 | 13 Comments
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Image by Last week I learned a few lessons that I completely ignored for a long period in my life. It all started with a mild back pain (who doesn’t get one of those?) The next day I woke up and I understood that I could not bend, twist, lift anything (it is a problem when you have two 30-pound toddlers running around and constantly demanding your attention), sit or lie comfortably. I felt that my body turned against me and it was giving me a lesson that I should have learned long time ago.
I do not want you going through the same pain that I did and I am going to save your time by sharing with you the lessons that I have learned. These lessons won’t only prevent back pain. These lessons will help you make the right choices in life that will shape your future the way you want it to be (balanced future, I hope 
). Don’t ignore these lessons until it is too late.
- It is never too early to start living a healthier lifestyle.
Most people do not think about a healthy lifestyle before they start having some health problems. If you look good, you are young and your doctor has not warned you about anything – you can eat whatever you want, you do not have to exercise or protect your health in any way. The truth is that the earlier you start healthy living the more problems you will be able to avoid in the future. It does not matter if you are 18 or 88, it is always your responsibility to take care of what you have – your body. - “Me” time benefits not only you but also your loved ones.
I know a lot of women who do not exercise or do not go out with friends simply because they feel selfish doing that. I am sure that men often feel the same way. The truth is that when you skip on “me” time you give trouble to the ones you are trying to protect. Instead of being fresh and energized you get grumpy and fussy. Instead of playing with your kids you sit on the bench because your back hurts too bad. Instead of having a relaxing date with your partner you start nagging or nit-picking because you are just too tired of doing it all by yourself. - We are not static, our future starts today.
For some reason we think that we and the world around us do not change. In fact, every day we live we make one step towards our future. It is important to make sure that we do not waste our days and we fill these days with the activities that matter to us and benefit people we care about. - Don’t take for granted what you have.
I never thought of how great it is to be able to move freely before I hurt my back. I took this simple ability to walk, sit, jump, run etc. for granted and I didn’t think how blessed I am to live a pain-free life. There are thousands of people in the world who have to live with constant pain. There are thousands of people who do not have wonderful families. There are thousands of people who do not have homes or shelters.
I’ve learned to be grateful and appreciative for what I have. I have also learned to protect what I have been given in life. I ask you to protect your health, protect your family, protect your financial situation (by being financially savvy), and protect your friendships instead of ignoring them or taking them for granted. - Laziness and procrastination are never an option.
There is no excuse in spending hours on the couch in front of a TV instead of going for a walk or playing with your kids. No matter how busy your schedule is, no matter how tired you might be, no matter how bad you feel and how old you are – you must make time for things that matter the most. - It is okay to ask for help.
I am one of those people who like to do everything without anybody’s help. Guess what happens when you have back pain and you still try to do everything on your own? After I picked up my girls a few times I hurt my back even more and I could not move at all (not the result I was anticipating).
It is important to ask for help when you need it. It does not matter if your back hurts, you are tired after a long day at work or you just can’t take all the responsibilities anymore. People who love you will be willing to help you because they care about you. Nobody expects you (or me) to be superman or superwoman. You can be strong and independent and yet enjoy a balanced dose of support. - Small steps bring big results.
Did you ever give up on something simply because it didn’t bring immediate results? Some steps that we make in life are really tiny but they take us to the highest peaks in the end. When you are in pain you can’t do much of anything. However, if you start doing a few exercises with the smallest range of motion you will notice that soon you start feeling better and the pain goes away. Something as small as a nod of a head can change completely how you feel. Something as easy as journaling or walks outside can make you calmer and happier. Something as small as a “thank-you” can save your relationship. No step is too small.
Sometimes you have to fall on your own face but a lot of times it is easier to learn from the mistakes of others. I hope that you have learned something from my mistakes.
Did you ever learn a lesson from a mistake that you’ve made in life? Share your lessons in the comments below so that all of us could learn from you.
Keep it balanced!
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Hello, 
#7 is something that I always have to keep reminding myself. I am a bit hyper, without a doubt VERY easily distracted and I want things to happen yesterday and all at once. But remembering that every step forward is one closer to goal is sooo important. A good thing to remember when you feel overwhelmed or impatient. Thanks for this post.
Thank you Jem for your comment. I also have to remind myself constantly that small steps matter. These small steps help me to be a more patient person.
It is truly amazing how much we take our health for granted when we are young, and that as we age we actually start to understand how precious it is! Not that long ago I injured my knees while running. Really compared to so many things it is not a big deal at all, but it was a first time I was injured from doing any sport and it was hard on me. It didn’t go away overnight like I expected. I realized even more so that taking care of your body is extremely important and if I could I would tell the younger me how fortunate I was to be healthy. If possible, you don’t want an injury or a health problem to cause you to fully understand this. At that time it might be as you say, too late!
Health is one of the areas of our lives that we can completely mess up in the shortest period of time and then spend the rest of our lives trying to get back on track. We cannot predict things like accidents, certain diseases, injuries but we can do our best keeping our bodies healthy and young. I think this is a responsibility that each of us has in life. After all, our bodies are the first gifts that get in life and we must take care no matter how old we are.
Hey, Anastasiya!
Like most everyone, I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my life, from eating foods I love but which disagree with me (it’s really not worth the pain and upset) to asking the “wrong” questions in public (like a woman’s age) to trusting people before we’ve developed a bonded relationship (I continue to do this because I live my life believing people are basically “good”).
I think one of the best lessons I learned was from my mother’s example. When my parents divorced (way back when), my mother hadn’t worked a day in her life and there were only a few jobs that were open to women. After an entry level position crunching numbers in a department store’s office, she found an entry level position (the only one where it was “acceptable” for a woman to work) and was hired at the starting salary.
My Mom was really good with numbers, and there was a supervisor who noticed her work and quick rise through the salary range, topping off long before usual. He decided he wanted to hire her to work in his division, in a position not previously held by a woman. The personnel division finally agreed to let the supervisor hire my Mom, but only if she agreed to a salary so low it was below the bottom of the salary range for the position, officially because she was on probation due to lack of experience but actually because she was a woman.
Many people I know would organize protests or file a lawsuit, but not my Mom. She quietly took the position at the lower salary, learned her job and did it exceedingly well. In fact, she did her work so well that within three years her annual raises were so high that she topped out the salary range. My Mom stayed with the company and continued to be promoted (but never again at a salary lower than the position’s range) until she worked directly for the supervisor as his assistant. (Later, when he moved to another company, one of his conditions was that they also hire my Mom as his assistant.)
What I learned (after that lengthy explanation) when I began working in civil engineering where women didn’t traditionally work was to shut up and do my job to the best of my ability. (Now, if I didn’t get the appropriate raises and promotions, I’d raise holy hell.)
Sometimes quiet is better than loud.
Annie
Annie,
your story is so wonderful. Your mom is definitely a very inspiring and patient person. I think all of us can learn from her and use her example as a guidance in life. Thank you so much for sharing this experience with me and all readers of this blog. It was a wonderful read!
I like most of these, in particular the “small steps” one – that’s the only approach that’s ever really worked for me.
I don’t agree with what you wrote for number 5 however – if you allow for free choice laziness & procrastination are of course choices. I’d rephrase it to say “laziness and procrastination are choices with consequences”. Doing nothing is in fact choosing something – choosing to stay fat, or unhappy, or suffering whatever it is you suffer from. But it’s still a choice.
…unfortunately, it’s one I’ve made too much in my life!
Anastasiya,
C.S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Pain can teach us some “painful” lessons. Thanks for sharing these insights. I think we can all learn from our mistakes and use our acquired wisdom to help others.
Peace!
Anastasiya,
Life is not a dress rehearsal, and what is never started is never finished. Sometimes we focus so much on the challenges of starting something new that we forget these two truths.
Chris
This is a great post. We’re always looking for valuable resources to share with the retirement community, and your post is without a doubt worth sharing!
A beautiful post – such simple lessons that we all need to heed. Thank you.
Great advice here! I need to work on asking for help myself. That’s a difficult one for me but acknowledging it is a baby step to changing it.
#3 inspired me to post the following on my FB update: “Make the right choice and your future will change accordingly.” Good to remember that our future isn’t already written based on poor choices we’ve made in the past. We can change our future for the better every second of every day making it a place we want to step into.