I was hoping for way more... (tomatoes flying)
One thing I want abundantly clear is that I'm not trying to push my beliefs on you. Much like building a custom car or picking a mate, the shoe does need to fit. What makes me feel good and get results may not be as beneficial to you. I will reiterate that nutrition is EVERYTHING. That means that you need to take the initiative to educate yourself, test your blood, and experiment with what makes your boat float. The basics of nutrition are the basics, however. Find what makes your body respond. Now, I'm certainly not telling you to live like a Nun either. While I am very disciplined when my sights are set on a target, you have to stretch it once in a while. A nice dinner on Friday night and a few beers isn't going to derail you. When you do it 5 times week, well....
Now, good health has to very crucial factors, physical and mental. Without the other, it doesn't seem to matter in the long term. You can look great and feel horrible if your mind is in the gutter. Being fit and looking good certainly does help your psyche but it's not the magic potion. Personal development is the key to mental health.
I've said it a million times... "Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job" - Jim Rohn I'll be honest, it took me a while to figure this one out. It made sense but I didn't fully comprehend the philosophy until I spent time living it. Getting super fit physically, changing my nutrition, tested by competent medical staff, changing my financial direction, changing the plane of my business, becoming a better leader, a better spouse, a better friend, volunteering through benovelence, and improving my attitude.
You see, every discipline effects the rest. Your conficence inspires confidence in everyone around you. When you are confident, you share and contribute to other peoples lives. You are the biggest beneficiary at the end of the day.
One of the major keys is to seek out new knowledge and philosophy every day of your life through education. Try new things, make new friends that make you stretch and grow.
One of the things I finally realized is as you age, you naturally absorb experiences that turn into baggage. You become more coherent in your own life. The day you realize you aren't living the best life you can, you are letting down at work, on your family, on your kids, it's like an infection, it eats you from the inside out. You can change it through personal development.
"If you change, everything will change for you." -Jim Rohn
You have to find the passion and desire to change. What fuels your fire? For me, it's seeing how far I can go in this life. It surely didn't start out that philisophical.
My tendency is to go off the deep end. I find a desire and goal and go 110% until I achieve it. What I've learned is to pull on my own reigns. That means finding more balance between all the variables in life. While I'm in great shape, I spend 2 hours a week running or in the gym. Sure they are a very productives hours. The self education on nutrition is what keeps me where I want to be. I have a team built at work that allows me the freedom to pursue my interests without dropping the ball at the office. I can service my clients at the highest level ever, while taking most weekends off to volunteer for Big Brother/Big Sisters, hang out with Kelli, Hunt, Fish, Golf, whatever. I'm off at 5:30 every night and rarely put in over 40 hours.
My point, life is custom and what you make of it. You have to pave your own way through education and experience. We are doing one of two things in life. progressing or regressing. Make sure you aren't getting rickets of the mind.
"All life asks of us is to make measurable progress in reasonable time" -Jim Rohn