One Surprisingly Easy Way To Change Your Biology TODAY
Here are a bunch of truisms we've heard over and over:
"You are what you eat.""How you do anything is how you do everything.""You're the average of the closest 5 people around you."
These idioms are so common that we have become numb to their actual meaning.
So let's get real for a second:
You literally break down the cells you consume and they become your cells. The fast food you ate (that isn't passed as waste) will actually become YOU.Your every day patterns are reflections of neurons firing in specific circuits in your brain. The more you engage in those patterns, the more conductive that circuit in your brain becomes. The better you get at that pattern of thinking or doing. This is why it's so hard to get out of a "rut."The people around you have their own biology and their own patterns. As social animals, humans are SO adept at swimming with the pack, picking up nuances in others, and adapting patterns of thought or behavior to follow suit.
But not you right?
You're in control of your own life. You have the ability to decide what you consume, what you believe, and what you think.Right?Well, it goes further than that.You are what you eat, read, watch, listen to, and do.Your patterns are both in your control and also massively subject to the influence of stimuli and people in your environment.The person you are is a compounding function of biology, social influence, genetic predisposition, and culture. This shouldn't be surprising, but realizing that we need to address these factors in our every day lives is.It's not 50% nature and 50% nurture.It's 100% nature and 100% nurture.Surprise, surprise. It's a complicated, nuanced, convoluted, intricate interaction between the two that make the whole. There's no splitting them in to parts. By saying it's 50/50, we're really failing to understand that there's a mutual influenced interaction going on.In the same way, it's not as binary as "free will or fate." It's the same concept!So if we want to get real about how we can change our lives, impact the planet, and influence others, we need to address these intricate relationships and start putting the future in our favor.
So how do we start?
The surprising thing is that we already know the answer!Eat real food. You already know what's healthy and what's not.Stop binging on trash TV and put your time into something that's entertaining AND enriching. You have a million tools online to do this. There are no excuses.Break up with the people in your life who suck your energy. You know who they are. You get that weird feeling every time they're around--like you're not yourself.
So if I know all the answers, why haven't I done anything about it?
The hard part is that it hurts in the short term to do these things.The easy part is realizing that pain is inevitable, so avoiding it is unrealistic.You can either rip the band-aid off today, or your can suffer in the long term. Totally your choice--and if you've got a pattern of suffering, you're going to need to figure out how to give yourself an edge.
2 Minute Action
Choose an edge you feel like you have the most control over:
- Choose what to put in your body (diet & entertainment)
- Choose to modify thoughts and behavior (cognitive behavioral therapy)
- Choose to increase the quality of people around you (break up with negative people)
You don't have to do everything at once, and you don't have to do everything today. Get real.You DO have to take the first step, today.So pick one edge right now, reply to this post and let me know what you're committed to.
And then, here's the MOST IMPORTANT part . . .
You have to take the second step.And then the third step.Ad infinitum.
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is right now." - Chinese Proverb
24/7/365If you're serious about a committed life of service and self improvement, you'll put in the work.You can do this.
Finally . . . Proof That It's Possible
I'm proud to say that I have officially been an ex-smoker for 3 years, 2 months, and about 3 weeks.
That translates into 5,859 cigarettes NOT smoked, for a savings of $2,050.72!
At 5 minutes per cigarette, I have increased my life expectancy by about 3 weeks.
Whoa. The power of small, daily actions is real--and it's evidenced right here.
20 minutes after quitting . . .
My heart rate and blood pressure dropped to normal. (Effect of smoking on arterial stiffness and pulse pressure amplification, Mahmud A, Feely J. 2003. Hypertension:41:183)
12 hours after quitting . . .
The carbon monoxide level in my blood dropped to normal. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1988)
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting . . .
My circulation improved, meaning my blood was oxygenated and circulated at normal levels. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990)
1 to 9 months after quitting . . .
Coughing and shortness of breath decreased; Lung function improved increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990)
1 year after quitting . . .
The excess risk of coronary heart disease dropped to half that of a smoker's. (US Surgeon General's Report, 2010)
$$ Savings from Quitting:
Not buying cigarettes: $1,820/year
Health Insurance savings: $1,455/year
TOTAL: $9,825 (over 3 years)
**Upcoming landmarks I’m heading toward:**
5 years after quitting
My risk of stroke will reduce to that of a non-smoker 2-5 years after quitting. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and bladder will be cut in half after 5 years. (US Surgeon General's Report, 2010)
10 years after quitting
My lung cancer death rate will about half that of a person who is still smoking. (US Surgeon General's Report, 2010)
15 years after quitting
My risk of coronary heart disease will be that of a non-smoker's. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990)
2 Minute Action
What's something you've done that you haven't given yourself credit for?What's a small win that has accumulated over time without you realizing it? A savings account? Playing an instrument? Writing?Take a second today to congratulate yourself on the absolute MOUNTAIN of work you've done to get here. You couldn't have done it without yourself. :)
Why It's Hard To Follow Through
Because it's worth it. But you already knew that. Don't make it harder than it needs to be.What's the simplest, smallest version?Do that.Anything more would be waste or vanity anyway.
2 Minute Action:
What's something you're dreading doing right now?Why do you think that is?What might you do about it?