The World Health Organization (WHO), since 1948, has defined health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This was later expanded to include intellectual, environmental, and spiritual health. This is a very remarkable statement, considering that it was originally created in 1948. You'll notice in this WHO statement that health has nothing to do with symptoms or the lack of them.
I take this a little further and define health as a constantly evolving state towards greater and greater degrees of optimal well-being, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, environmentally, and spiritually, marked by personal responsibility and the irresistible, persistent impulse towards making positive life-enhancing, life-affirming choices for a richer, rewarding life.
In this definition, personal responsibility is the driving force, and purpose defines destiny. If a state of ongoing health is our choice, our purpose, then it is up to us to create this destiny for ourselves. The dictionary defines Destiny as a predetermined course of events. In terms of health then, we can define our own destiny by determining how we create health on a daily basis.
Life is a gift, health is not. We are given life. What we do with that life is up to us. The degree of health that we hold can be seen as a marker for how well we've taken care of this wonderful gift of life.
Your body is constantly in a state of change and adaptation. You are constantly changing and adapting to your internal and external environments. This ongoing process of change takes place from the moment of inception up until our last moment on this planet. Every moment is embedded with the opportunity for creating the life you wish to lead. Every moment brings with it the power to manifest a new life, a new you. In each moment, we have the ability to direct ourselves towards our goals and our dreams. You have that power of choice in each moment.
All of us are constantly involved in a process of transformation. We should understand that transformation is an ongoing process, not a once in a lifetime event. We participate daily in this transformational process, whether we know it or not. Our body is involved in this process at all times and we should be, too. How we participate in this process determines whether we are transforming our bodies toward health or towards sickness. It is a constant process. It is ongoing.
How then does one stay on purpose? How does one transform them self toward an ever increasing state of health?
If we use the definition of health that I put forward previously, then staying on purpose means that we must live a mindful, conscious life aware of the choices we are making and the impact that those choices have on us. Furthermore, this is not a one-time occurrence, but an ongoing process.
Staying on purpose then requires changing the view from a narrow focus to a broad, expansive focus that allows us to see the ongoing nature of transformation. We must be ready to drop that which doesn't work for us and pick up that which does. These type of choices will present themselves over and over throughout each day. They are the opportunity for transformation that occur in each moment. They are the building blocks and foundation for the life we want to live.
We need to take time to detoxify the stressful effects of the world around us, and the world within us, through diet, detoxification, meditation and prayer, exercise and play. We need to choose nutrient-dense foods that quicken and fuel the life force within each of us. Given the right conditions, the body is remarkable in its ability to restore, revitalize, and renew itself.
This life is a journey of transformation. Discover the potential that resides with you and enjoy the ride!
Dr. McCombs is the author of LifeForce: A Dynamic Plan for Health, Vitality, and Weight Loss, and developer of the McCombs Plan. He can be reached at Dr.Jeff@mccombsplan.com.