When something is not right, we try to figure out why. Decode everything that has been happening recently and find something to pin these issues on.
Once we have that, then we figure out what to do to fix the issue.
I am tired because I have been sleeping like shit. I am sleeping like shit because I am stressed. The solution, more coffee today.
As we know this kind of stuff is more common than we would like to admit. We don’t always fix the problem at Its root. In most cases we find something to mask the symptoms and avoid the root cause.
More coffee will mean more energy for that time being, but fast forward a week, we can’t just keep having more coffee (although some may argue that we could). But you get the point, the real root cause will show its face sooner or later if It is ignored long enough.
We will do our best to avoid that root cause because It seems hard to change. Take exercise for example, the concept of using It to change a problem is easy, the task of being consistent with exercise is not. So instead we try to find ways around It and still get the same result- fat burners, cleanses, diets, cardio tapes.
We want this change to work as fast as possible, instantly in most cases. Reasons why the “easier” option always wins. Sometimes because the true easiest option does not give us instant gratification we disregard how effective it can be.
Sometimes the easier route in the meantime might create a harder route down the line.
Think of the major rocks in our life- Sleep, nutrition, hydration, movement, stress, relationships. There are lots of things that can be affected in a positive way just from focusing on a few of these areas. Think of something like joint pain — Increasing our daily water intake, daily movements, and reducing stress could be a huge step forward in this department.
But It won’t be instant and it’s not necessarily easy, making It a much less attractive way of handling things for most people.
An easier route in someone’s eyes might be to stay off their feet, take some anti-inflammatories, and grab a few pain reducing pills. In the short term, that joint pain will feel absolutely GREAT. But is this the overall fix in the long run? Did we heal the joint so It doesn’t hurt in the future?
I am not saying avoid all other measures to help fix whatever needs to be fixed, but take a step back and see if It is possible that changing something about your life with these big rocks might have a better, longer lasting impact.
In good health,
Jeff
