We Are An Accumulation Of What We Do

Ever wonder how you got to be where you are now?

We are an accumulation of all of our experiences throughout our lives including how we use our bodies, the choices we make, the people we surround ourselves with, the places we’ve been to and the things we’ve learned along the way.

It compounds slowly, sometimes it seems almost invisible, but all of our actions and inactions matter greatly and build up over time affecting how we think, how we move, how we look and how we feel.

Maybe you work in construction and you work awkward positions or carry heavy oddly shaped objects day in and day out. Maybe you are an esthetician or dentist and are bent over patients for hours. Maybe you have minimal cooking skills and eat fast food daily or every other day. Maybe you are feeling depressed and have been turning to comfort eating as a result. Maybe you have an alcoholic beverage with dinner every night. Maybe your confidence is at an all-time low because of certain relationships in your life.

If we take a closer look we can begin to understand how every decision that we’ve made over the years has had an impact on who we are and continues to mold us into who we will become.

Consider how you think about yourself. Do you see yourself in a positive light? Are you very self-critical? Do you show yourself empathy and compassion? What is your inner dialogue? Whatever the answers to these questions are, you will become what you reinforce.

Consider how you move around on this earth. Are you aware of your body in space? Do you pay attention to how you support yourself as you carry out every day tasks? Are you in pain? Do you learn and practice movement regularly? Are you strong enough for what you do or want to do? Whatever the answers to these questions are, you will become what you reinforce.

Consider how you look in the mirror. What do you see? And how do you feel about it? Are you proud or accepting or scared or resentful? Again, no right answer, but you will continue to become what you reinforce.

If seeds of doubt, poor nutrition, immobility, insomnia, negative self-talk or self-sabotaging behaviours are watered, they will grow. These are not the roots we want to deepen for our future selves to flourish.

In your teens and twenties, you may not think these things matter. You have your whole life ahead of you, right? Well, the longer our habits and behaviours are engrained, the harder it is to change them later on. They’re called our formative years for a reason. They form and shape us into our future selves. So yes, our actions and inactions in our earlier years do matter.

To our younger clients and readers, consider who you surround yourself with in your social circles. Are they supporting you in becoming a better version of yourself? Consider what foods and drinks you are consuming. Consider how much good quality sleep you are getting. Let’s make sleeping cool again! Consider how you are moving and if you might benefit from learning how to lift weights or start forming an exercise routine that will benefit your health and your goals. All of these choices will add up over time in a more impactful way than you might think.

No matter how old we are, however, it is not too late to make positive healthy choices and changes in our life. There isn’t a moment in life where we are without the power to make these positive changes. This just means we’ll have to intentionally work on shifting things to where we want them to be.

To our older clients and readers, it’s never too late to refine your support networks to bring out the best in you. Consider what foods and drinks you are consuming. Are there any nutrition myths that have been busted since you were a kid? Are you open to learning to improve your cooking skills? Consider how you are moving and if there are opportunities to improve your strength, mobility or cardiovascular capacity. Its never too late learn new skills or incorporate play again into your life.

What you do on a day to day basis matters. You must look at the trends over time, not single infrequent occasions where you let loose and indulge. So, consider analyzing the trends in your life in these categories —> people, places, nutrition, sleep, movement, play and self-talk. Regardless of your age, there’s always room for improvement. Think of future you and accumulate some awesome habits going forward.