Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. - Carol Burnett
Every time I see a picture of my mom, I have a wave of happy thoughts brush over me. She really was one of a kind. People that didn't know her well, would probably have put her in a box and said she was sweet, naive, and sheltered. What most people don't know about her is that she actually had a very hard childhood. Her father came back from the war with a plate in his head and some major anger issues to work out. As the oldest child she protected her younger siblings and took the brunt of any turmoil. But what made her different than most people, is that when she left her parents home, she vowed to herself to never live in a household like that again. She was going to find a sweet, kind man, and not have a home where yelling and screaming was present. She was going to break the cycle of dysfunction and change her story. That is exactly what she did.
I don't know if it's just this time in our lives, but it sure feels like a lot of people are repeating history, following in their families footsteps, and not living their best lives. I'm seeing multi generational substance abuse, and unhealthy habits in people that should know better. The sad thing is, when confronted with the problem, the list of excuses for why they can't change or won't change is a mile long.
My husband and I have had to look at life differently. We changed our lives drastically from "just living" to living healthy to be around for our children. I acknowledge that changing your lifestyle is very hard after years of living a certain way. It's also difficult if you don't have a driver or a daily reminder of why you should be passing on the fast food, or red meat. My catalyst (our catalyst) for change is statistical. 1 in 20 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer in their lifetime. 25% of those diagnosed had a first line relative that was diagnosed as well. My husband and I did way to much research to ignore the factors that increase our odds of getting this cancer and not being here for our children.
Our change is focused around health, but so many people have other things that are plaguing their life and holding them back from becoming the person they want to be. My advice is to be like my mother. Look at your current surroundings and if you don't like what you see in yourself, in your friends, and in your family, change things! Vow to yourself that you are going to put a stake in the ground today, and make different choices. A rule of thumb for us is, if you go to visit a friend and you feel worse after you leave, than when you first arrived, they may not be the right friends for you. Only spend time with people that bring you joy and bring you up, because life is too short. And remember, only you can change your life. No one can do it for you.
I don't know if it's just this time in our lives, but it sure feels like a lot of people are repeating history, following in their families footsteps, and not living their best lives. I'm seeing multi generational substance abuse, and unhealthy habits in people that should know better. The sad thing is, when confronted with the problem, the list of excuses for why they can't change or won't change is a mile long.
My husband and I have had to look at life differently. We changed our lives drastically from "just living" to living healthy to be around for our children. I acknowledge that changing your lifestyle is very hard after years of living a certain way. It's also difficult if you don't have a driver or a daily reminder of why you should be passing on the fast food, or red meat. My catalyst (our catalyst) for change is statistical. 1 in 20 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer in their lifetime. 25% of those diagnosed had a first line relative that was diagnosed as well. My husband and I did way to much research to ignore the factors that increase our odds of getting this cancer and not being here for our children.
Our change is focused around health, but so many people have other things that are plaguing their life and holding them back from becoming the person they want to be. My advice is to be like my mother. Look at your current surroundings and if you don't like what you see in yourself, in your friends, and in your family, change things! Vow to yourself that you are going to put a stake in the ground today, and make different choices. A rule of thumb for us is, if you go to visit a friend and you feel worse after you leave, than when you first arrived, they may not be the right friends for you. Only spend time with people that bring you joy and bring you up, because life is too short. And remember, only you can change your life. No one can do it for you.
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