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Home » Health Articles » Inspired To Get Fit For Life

Inspired to get Fit for Life

I had never considered my fight to get fit for life as I recovered from breast cancer as particularly inspirational, but when Dr. Peter Tylee considered it worthy of a mention in his news letter, I got to thinking that maybe others might be interested in how I took the holistic approach to self healing and to get fit for life. So for those of you that are suffering from any debilitating disease, I hope you find this encouraging.

My desire to get fit for life started a few years ago when I was treated for breast cancer. After the operation I used the time while recuperating to really consider where I was at as far as my health was concerned.

I did some research and came to the conclusion that my cancer had been brought on by stress. (Just as an aside, I think stress is one of the primary causes of cancer, yet little research is being done in this area.) So as well as looking at my diet and exercise, I also looked at ways to reduce my stress levels as a constructive path towards my healing process.

As I did more research, I found that each part I looked at was linked to another. A healthy diet seemed to be a prerequisite to become fit for life. Then there was the need to do some form of exercise.

This came as no surprise, but then I found I also needed to be in the right frame of mind, to set goals , be positive, to know where I was going and what I believed in. I had thought of these things as totally different to my physical health, but I was finding out how much control our minds have over our bodies.

I had found for myself what several people already knew and that is to be fit for life you need to embrace holistic health. By this I don't mean total alternative medicine. Just that we need to treat the body as a whole being, including the mind and soul. I liked the idea and the more I read the more I liked the idea, and the more sense it made.

I became interested in mind power and began to understand more about how attitude has such a large bearing on how we react to illness. I knew that the surgeon had done what he could, but the rest was up to me.

I had always been fit, a big part of our life has been living aboard and cruising our yacht, but even so I decided that to stay fit for life meant making a proper effort.

Part of my exercise was to cycle to work. I took up meditation and once I had mastered the relaxation technique, I was amazed at how good it made me feel. Some years previously my husband had used meditation and mind control to cure seasickness, so he was always very supportive.

Gradually I began the changes that I thought would be more beneficial to my health. I also embraced techniques and ideas, some of which are many thousands of years old, but all new to me.

Being fit for life encompasses the physical, spiritual, emotional and mental parts of ourselves. As we grow we need to be aware of areas that need attention. It might be hard to get your head around some ideas such as emotional health, but you don't need to be a rocket scientist to know that if you dislike your job and hate going to work every day, somewhere down the line it will impact on your health.

If you are carting around emotional baggage such as guilt, resentment or grudges, they will eventually eat away at you and cause problems, not only in your life but also in your health.

I was grateful to medical science for making it possible for me to be treated for breast cancer, but at the same time I didn't want to spend the rest of my life taking drugs. When the surgeon suggested a course of radiation after the operation, I refused.

The same went for the drugs, though I had no medical knowledge to back up my belief, I just knew it wasn't right for me. There had to be a better way to staying healthy other than taking drugs for the rest of my life.

Being fit for life isn't about a quick fix or instant cure, it is about getting to know yourself and finding out what is right for you. It is prevention rather than cure. Had I been following a fit for life regime earlier, I would not have got the cancer in the first place.

Once we understand that we have the tools to facilitate self healing, that it is up to us to start learning how to use them, we can stop the use of drugs and the over burdening of our hospital systems.

I changed my whole life. I not only ate a better diet and did more exercise, that was the easy part. I also got rid of the stress and emotional baggage, I changed my job to something I enjoy doing and now live a more positive life.

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Be Your Own Boss: Start a Home Based Business

A home based business is the stuff that dreams are made of, for millions of people. Imagine a life where you are your own boss, and there are no Monday morning blues to drive away! Not surprising that every minute six people start a home based business somewhere in this world. If you want to start a home based business, one thing is certain â€" you can't do it by sitting on the fence. Take that first step towards career heaven by understanding some of the basic requirements.

Start planning â€" just because you're going to run it from home, doesn't mean that the usual brain numbing, soul searching activity, which goes under the polite name of business planning is to be dispensed with. Some of the important considerations are:

• Identifying the right business â€" this is the first thing to do when you start a home based business. Ask yourself what kind of product or service you want to offer. Is this something that you'd like to do? Do you want to go it alone, or become a franchisee? There are lots of companies that offer attractive opportunities to home based partners, like http://www.type-at-home.com or http://www.PlatinumPartner.com, and they may be worth considering too. Just be sure that your home is an appropriate location to run this type of business.

• Identifying the market â€" will you sell in your local area, or can you cater to a wider internet audience? Serving a distributed customer base may have its logistical issues.

• Evaluating skill sets â€" Do you have any special skills that can be turned to your advantage? For example, if you speak several foreign languages, have you considered translation services?

• Counting heads â€" while most people who start a home based business might work alone to start with, they need to grapple with manpower issues as the business grows. You need to plan in advance how many people you might need, say over the next few years, and whether the home business model will be able to sustain this expansion.

• Crunching the numbers â€" of course, you have to do the math. Smart home based businesses can be very profitable, especially since they involve lower overheads. Nevertheless, you might choose to start a home based business that needs a higher start-up funding, perhaps for inventory or equipment. Make sure you get the financials right, or ask a qualified professional to advise you on the profitability of your business model.

Remember the law â€" a home based business will have to adhere to specific laws. These could be about any of the following:

• Tax issues â€" check whether a home business can avail of special tax breaks. Sometimes you might be able to set-off some taxes if you lease equipment rather than buy it outright. Be sure to understand the regulations specified by the local tax authorities.

• Zoning laws â€" is the business activity permitted to be carried out from residential premises? As your business expands, will the zoning restrictions change?

• Insurance requirements â€" if you're going to employ people in your home, find out whether you have adequate coverage. Workers' compensation coverage and other benefits are mandatory in some places.

• Occupational health and safety regulations â€" your workplace must be a pleasant and safe environment for yourself, your employees and clients. Do ensure that you comply with laws that govern worker safety and related issues.

Think about your life â€" while getting away from an "office" might be a key motivation for you to start a home based business, there are plenty of risks in bringing the office into your home. The first question you need to ask yourself is whether you're really the type who will enjoy operating from home? Do you have the discipline to chase business goals despite not having the rigors of a formal schedule? Can you motivate yourself enough to work alone at most times? And most important, will your office intrude upon your personal life more than ever? Make sure you sit down with your family members before you take that final step.

The decision to start a home based business can bring you huge rewards in terms of financial gain, flexibility and the confidence that comes with being in charge of your work life. However, nothing in life comes easy, and a home based business is no exception!