If you want good health, you’ve got to be willing to work for it. Achieving and maintaining genuine good health comes down to doing what’s difficult instead of what is easy.
It’s easy to pay very little for the convenience of a fast food meal; it’s difficult to pay for, prepare, and shovel veggies into your body. It’s easy to accept a prescription without any discussion or questions; it’s difficult to find a doctor who will take the time to have a discussion with you about your health and well-being. It’s easy to just eat what everyone else is eating; it’s difficult to stand out and draw attention by eating healthfully.
I took the easy road my whole life until just over a year ago. I honestly didn’t know there was any other way to manage my healthcare. Since then I’ve learned that I can manage my health much more effectively by putting in a lot of my own effort. I’ve had such positive results that I felt compelled to write up this series of articles on Being Your Own Health Advocate to try to save others the time and health I’ve lost as a result of floundering around in what I thought was the only approach to healthcare.
My positive changes have come in large part because of my working really hard, from searching for a good doctor, to sticking through a tough food detox diet, to developing new and challenging eating habits, to finding effective ways to manage stress. None of it has been the easiest or least expensive path I could have chosen, but it has been well worth it.
I recognize that in my journey to better health I was highly motivated by my chronic pain, and that I was very blessed to find a doctor and other resources to help me. I firmly believe that our health is made up of the little decisions we make everyday. These little decisions seem to be the most difficult to change, but it’s always possible.
