Success Mechanisms:
Life and Physical Change

In We Are Change , physical change and your physical life was the first classification for the experiences in your life. In short,

OK, it may not take a genius to figure that one out, so, think on this:

Or, to put it another way: As far as you are able, design, build and maintain your physical body to do the job you want it to do throughout your life.

You actually have a large degree of control over you physical existence. Whilst things like genetic coding, and environment determine some of your existence there are things that you can change. Things like:

• The food you eat.
• The drinks you swallow.
• The air you breathe.
• Your personal hygiene.
• The effort you make with your appearance.
• The physical activities you undertake.
• The amount of sunlight you receive.
• The rest, relaxation, recovery and sleep you give yourself.

We can maybe add other things to the list, but it'll do as it is for now.

Now, let me stress a point for you. I am not advocating that you should only eat raw vegetables, or that you limit yourself to 1200 calories a day, or that you cut out all alcohol and only drink spring water. Neither am I saying you should stop smoking, or move out to the mountains, or stay out of all direct sunlight, or that you have to get a minimum of eight hours sleep every night. All of those things are matters that you can make decisions about - hey, it's your life and your choice. What I am saying is that you can have an influence on the suitability of your body for the job it's got to do.

Whether you choose to make a physical change is upto you, but, if your body isn't optimised for the life you wish to lead, then success is less likely.

Let me illustrate with an example:

Sumo wrestlers
photo courtesy of heschong at Flickr

If you want to be a sumo wrestler what would be your physical characteristics?

• Wouldn't you be large, heavy, strong and agile?
• What are you doing to develop that physique?
• What and how are you
  • eating?
  • drinking?
  • breathing?
  • exercising?
  • sleeping?
• What muscles are you developing?
• What other organs are you developing?
• In what direction are you developing them?
• What specific actions are you taking?

You can choose those things. Yes, YOU!

A sumo wrestler is maybe an extreme example for you, but it shows what I mean. Try this one:

Business People
photo courtesy of llawliet at Flickr

If you want to be a successful business man or woman

• What demands would you place on your body?
• What expectations would your customers; your bankers; your suppliers and other stakeholders have of you and your body?
• Is it important to act in a way that meets their approval?
• How 'fit' and 'active' should your body be for you to be the best businessperson you can be?

You can think of other examples on your own for homework tonight!

Here's a bit of inside common sense information about physical change that many people miss.

As children, our parents or other adults bring us up. They decide what we eat, drink, breathe, and how we sleep, exercise, and take care of ourselves. Mostly, they do this in the belief that they are doing what is best. Sometimes, it's what's best for the child, and sometimes it's what's best for them - the adult. As adults, we are responsible for ourselves. That means that we decide what we eat, drink, breathe, and how we sleep, exercise, and take care of ourselves. We are the masters of our own physical change. We (our self) decide, no one else, unless we let them.

Some people have difficulty with the transition from childhood to adulthood. They continue their previous pattern of physical existence without thought as to how suitable their pattern of behaviour really is. The childhood treat of the bar of chocolate, or cookie, becomes the later adult's escape from reality. The sweet given as a child's distraction becomes the adult's comfort food. The child's illicit sip of wine, beer or liquor from the glass of the conspiratorial adult becomes the crutch to help the grown up child feel like the adult they want to be - brave, strong, decisive, confident.

Here's the nub of it.

As children we take our food (and other causes of change) for the emotional feeling rather than for physical change.

So here's the grown up's lesson.

Look after your physical body by gauging what you do to it against the physical consequences rather than by your emotions.

And remember, everything that you do counts.

Success Mechanisms: Physical Change

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