Urgency

Lots of people have excuses for not taking control of their health now.  I think I have heard them all.  A smattering of lines I’ve been on the receiving end of:

It’s summer.

It’s winter.

It’s the holiday season.

I’ll do it when school is out.

I’m going on vacation.

I’m exhausted.

I don’t have any money.

I don’t have any time.

It’s hard to stick to a diet when I have to cook for my husband and kids.

I don’t really have any health problems.

I just need to exercise more.

I’m just going to count calories.

I’m just going to watch what I eat.

I’m really kind of fat and happy now.

My response to most of these is, “So what?”  Other selected responses:

Have the fam get healthy with you.

It’s 80% nutrition, 20% exercise.

How’s that working for you?

OK, well, good luck with that.

Really???

Better yet … well bless your heart!  Hey, I lived in the South.  J

A few weeks ago I stood next to friends & business partners of mine while they shared some news.  Now we’re in the business of getting people healthy with our company’s nutritional products.  We’ve been doing this for a while.  Sure, we’re in business to make money … that’s generally the point of a for-profit venture.  And the bills need to be paid somehow.  (Rah rah, capitalism!)  But what gets us out of bed every morning, what we’re passionate about, is so much more. 

Friend #1 shared that he received a text – just before he was to get on stage and speak in front of a couple thousand people, mind you – letting him know a close childhood friend had passed away from a massive heart attack.  He was barely into his 40s.  Friend #1 hadn’t talked to him about his health.  Regret sucks.  And grown men crying makes me cry.  Pass the Kleenex.

Friend #2 shared about a relative who has said no to getting healthy for a long time.  At least someone tried, I guess. But now he’s dying, and there’s not a whole lot that can be done.  And it’s just as sad.

What I really want to say to the excuse-makers …

Are you listening to yourself?

I love you, and I want you to be around.  And I’m afraid that you won’t be.

Don’t you want to be around for your family?

It’s a little hard to do God’s work when you’re tired, sick, or dead.