I know..I Know... The woman lying on my treatment table, the one with the swollen legs, the complaints of muscle cramps – I massage her legs, trying to get the lymph and blood circulation going. We begin to talk and I explain to her small diet changes that could help clear the lymph system, a few supplements that could help with the muscle cramps. I say only a few, because I have learned from experience that you don’t get anywhere by making drastic changes or by overwhelming someone with hundreds of things to try and do.
She shakes her head affirmatively to all of my suggestions. “I know. I know. I’ve been told that before,” she says about the diet. “I know. I know. I even have those vitamins at home.”
She then continues, “I’m just so busy and so overwhelmed with taking care of….that I don’t have the time to take care of myself…”
Where’s the motivation to do all the things that we know we need to do? How do we convince ourselves of the importance of doing all the things that we know we need to do?
We begin by telling ourselves that it doesn’t matter if you started and stopped. You can start again!
We then move on to asking for understanding: that this is actually what G-d wants from us. He wants us to stop and make time to take care of ourselves so that we can do His Will, so that we can do kindness (chesed), so that we can emulate Him and give and give and give. Since He is the Source of everything, He has what to give. We need to allow ourselves to have, in order to give.
Our third step is to take one thing and make it a habit. Make it a habit to exercise. Make it a habit to drink a cup of water each hour of the day. Make it a habit to take those supplements or vitamins. Just like how you don’t brush your teeth anymore to prevent cavities. Really, you brush them because it’s your habit to do so! Believe in yourself and with G-d’s help you will be able to turn the knowing into doing.
She shakes her head affirmatively to all of my suggestions. “I know. I know. I’ve been told that before,” she says about the diet. “I know. I know. I even have those vitamins at home.”
She then continues, “I’m just so busy and so overwhelmed with taking care of….that I don’t have the time to take care of myself…”
Where’s the motivation to do all the things that we know we need to do? How do we convince ourselves of the importance of doing all the things that we know we need to do?
We begin by telling ourselves that it doesn’t matter if you started and stopped. You can start again!
We then move on to asking for understanding: that this is actually what G-d wants from us. He wants us to stop and make time to take care of ourselves so that we can do His Will, so that we can do kindness (chesed), so that we can emulate Him and give and give and give. Since He is the Source of everything, He has what to give. We need to allow ourselves to have, in order to give.
Our third step is to take one thing and make it a habit. Make it a habit to exercise. Make it a habit to drink a cup of water each hour of the day. Make it a habit to take those supplements or vitamins. Just like how you don’t brush your teeth anymore to prevent cavities. Really, you brush them because it’s your habit to do so! Believe in yourself and with G-d’s help you will be able to turn the knowing into doing.
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