What does it take to be healthy and to stay healthy?
Answer? Self-discipline.
- One businessman said: “I joined a health club last year, spent about Twelve thousand Pesos. Haven’t lost a pound. Apparently, you have to show up.”
- Another one rationalizes: “I don’t exercise at all. If God meant us to touch our toes, he would have put them further up our body.”
- One stoic looking person thought long and hard and came up with this conclusion: “The advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier.”
- Another person says: “I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.”
- And this is my personal favorite: “My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She’s 97 now, and we don’t know where the heck she is.”
It takes an enormous amount of self-discipline to stay healthy. While I get to be invited to speak on vital life issues and principles on how to be successful in business and in professional life, I would not forget to mention that once health is neglected and sickness comes then everything we’ve worked for amount to very little.
One wealthy businessman says: “I can assure you that there is no glamour in a 14 karat golden bedpan.”
Last year The Ilocana and I made a tour of 12 European cities and I had the privilege to speak to more than 5000 Filipinos courtesy of Filinvest Sales International. It was memorable experience for us both. I experience the warmth, the hospitality and most importantly the hunger of our people to learn.
That was 15 months ago.
This time we were invited back. My first speaking assignment was to train the leaders of this organization and the event was held in the lovely city of Prague. And then we proceeded to Paris, Brussels and London to do the public events where almost a thousand people attended.
What a joy it is to see familiar faces that journeyed with us last year as I spoke to our OFW community, embassy officials and community leaders. After pleasantries were exchanged and the never ending photo sessions concluded, I saw a need that made me change a major part of my lesson and shifted to a lot of talk and tips on how to keep one’s self healthy.
It’s amazing what a difference a year makes.
Many of these talented leaders are successful. Their income has increased, their targets reached and are excited to achieve even more but it takes someone from the outside like me to see them 15 months later to notice the additional weight they have accumulated over that short period of time.
This time I taught on how important mind, body, soul and spiritual health development are all integral towards one’s quest for success. And I seriously emphasized the need to be healthy and to stay healthy.
People ask me where I get the energy to do more than 330 talks in a year. Well it’s no secret. I watch what I eat. I exercise. I take in a lot of vitamins and with the grace of God maintain a healthy lifestyle. Health is now a priority in my life. I have endorsed a shoe brand, I have endorsed a luggage brand and I have endorsed a technology shop and lately (with permission to mention) I have endorsed Conzace a multi-vitamin brand that offers enough amount of Zinc as a vital part ingredient for nutrition. I am more determined to promote health and wellness these days because health is an investment we need to make and we can’t afford to lose.
The good thing about all these is that these leaders in Europe are serious in learning and they have committed to lose their weight and stay healthy. Even before the event finished, they have committed to run their own version of “The Biggest Loser’s Program” and apart form just gaining sales and hitting targets, this time they will hit another target which is by losing weight and I have no doubt that should I get to meet them again next year, they would all have turned healthier, better looking, trim, fit and achieving more than they could have ever imagined.
Meanwhile, you and I put on our exercise gears, take a lot of vitamins and nutritional products, eat right and make this God-given life productive.