Loading ...Featured Article Positive ThinkingTo Be Healthy, Take Control of Your Life
I took care of a man in my clinic the other day who had retired a few months before. He had 
worked hard all his life; he was honest, hardworking and raised children that were fairly successful. He was in my clinic because he was depressed. He was depressed because he felt like he no longer had a reason to get up in the morning.
He didn’t want to go back to work but he also didn’t know what to do with himself. He felt he was no longer contributing to society. In addition, he was broke. He wasn’t in poverty; he just didn’t have any money. He and his wife live on a fixed income and it doesn’t allow them to do many things. His 401k has taken a hit and his retirement plan doesn’t look like what he was told it would.
Even his marriage is on the rocks. He and his wife are “at each other” all the time because they are always home together without a break.
I wish this story were unique. I wish I hadn’t heard it before, but unfortunately I hear something similar daily. People find themselves at the end of a road they didn’t even know they were traveling down. They get to the latter part of life and wonder what they did that got them there. Most of them are broke, embarrassed, and depressed.
They didn’t plan for where they were going. They just got on the ship of life and let it drift to its own destination without wondering if it was where they really wanted to go in the first place.
If we have no plan, then we do not get excited about life and where we are going. We cannot possibly know if we are getting closer to our destination if we don’t know what our destination is.
Many of us fear the future. We fear what may be coming because we are allowing others to plan our future for us. We sometimes become so paralyzed with the fear that we will make the wrong decision, that we make no decision at all. That is the greatest tragedy. We must plan what we want our future to look like and then take massive action to make it happen.
Read Michael Masterson’s book, Ready Fire Aim. He offers some great advice on how to overcome your fear of decision-making. His philosophy will help you start planning to get what you want out of life and then take the steps to make it happen. Don’t worry if you make a mistake or change your course. You can correct as you go.
I have a personal rule to not worry about things I cannot control. That means I stopped worrying about the economy or Wall Street. I no longer concern myself with what the President is trying to get through Congress. I don’t care what the weather will be like next week. I don’t want to know if my negative brother-in-law is any more or less negative than last week. You see, these are things over which I have no control.
Interestingly, most people spend a large amount of their time explaining, discussing, worrying about, or whining about things they have absolutely no control over. There is probably a good reason for this. It helps them avoid working on the one thing they can control — themselves!
When we spend less time worrying about the President’s economic stimulus package and spend that same time planning our own stimulus package, it is so much more productive.
Imagine spending your time creating your own dream life instead of watching reality TV shows. Take just a fraction of the time you spend worrying about things you truly have no control over, and spend the time instead on something you can control — your own life and future.
Here is a challenge for you.
Shut off the news for two weeks. Don’t watch anything negative at all. Even though you may think you have to keep up on depressing world events, just try it for two weeks and see if you really miss anything at all. You may be surprised to learn that you don’t.
Spend that time instead reading a positive motivating book. Challenge yourself to read ten pages a day of something that will help you live the life you want to live. Ten pages doesn’t seem like much, but trust me, the new habit will change your life. I can tell you that it’s worked for me in my life, and I know it will work for you.
You won’t end up retired, broke and depressed when you stop worrying about the things you can’t control and start taking control of your life and actions. Just get busy.
[Ed. Note: Tim Reynolds, M.D., is a board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. He is a Managing Partner of Healthcare Express and the Chief Medical Officer of Urgent Care America. Dr. Reynolds is also a health and lifestyle expert and sought-after speaker. For more information, click here.]
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What an excellent article. I agree with everything you say here, and have in fact been speaking on just these principles the last 18 years. If your readers are looking for yet another positive read on the topic–and huge doses of hearty laughter and spiritual insights–I recommend they pick up a copy of Don’t Miss Your Life!: An Uncommon Guide to Freedom, Laughter and Grace. Among other fine things, Publisher’s Weekly said, “Baumbich’s writing style is such that readers will feel as though she’s conversing with herself and they are her most fortunate eavesdropping audience. The author’s comic rehashing of life’s more ironic and bizarre happenings will be valued by readers of both genders….Baumbich’s text is just what the doctor ordered for a time such as this; laughter is good medicine indeed and there are plenty of guffaws to be found on every page.”
Keep up the good work!
Entered: June 19th, 2009 at 11:23 am. PermalinkCharlene Ann Baumbich
Author of Don’t Miss Your Life!
The advice given here may be good for those people who have severe medical issues that demand immediate positive attention but otherwise I strongly disagree with the concept of sticking your head in the sand and letting the Government, Wall Street and others do anything they want. Who is to say that we cannot do anything about it? Many people have planned very carefully all of their lives to have a wonderful retirement but now their retirement plans, pensions and soon, perhaps even Social Security, may be lost because people have been not concerning themselves with “things they have no control over”. If people had been spending their time fighting to retain their individaul rights and staying on top of those that have taken us for a ride only to their benefit, then they wouldn’t have to feel so depressed. I agree that people should turn off their TV’s since most everything on there is propaganda anyway, but I think it is every citizens obligation to educate themselves as to what is really going on and do something about it. Tell those depressed retired people, who have plenty of time on their hands and feel as though they have no purpose, to get out there and do something to try and help fix what has been done to us because people have been living with their heads in the sand. Maybe then they will find purpose to their lives and not have to spend so much time fighting with each other over how bad things are. Soon our freedoms will be gone completely (including the right to natural healing and access to natural organic foods)and we will no longer have the opportunity to plan anything or to create a “dream life” of any kind.
Entered: June 19th, 2009 at 12:55 pm. PermalinkExcellent advice.
No matter what our problems, in the majority of cases, there are many avenues for positive growth and development which have the potential for lifting us out of the “mire”.
Fear and helplessness often hold us back from taking these steps. But, when we do, the feeling of helplessness is immediately replaced with one of “hope”.
It pays to discuss our ideas with a friend. Just talking about our plans can help us “de-bug” them, and avoid unnecessary pitfalls and setbacks.
New found peace will be experienced, amidst the pain of the present, knowing plans are afoot to improve out lot.
Work HARD to make it happen. Give is ALL YOU’VE GOT! Indifferent efforts will yield a similar outcome.
Last, but not least, take time daily to read the Bible and pray. If you’ve never received answers to prayer before, you’re in for a surprise.Regular contact with God gives an even temper and a calm spirit, assets we require in the business world and in our personal life.
We should commit our plans daily to Him, asking that He help us make the right decisions, and staighten the path beneath our feet.
WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!
Entered: June 19th, 2009 at 4:37 pm. PermalinkI have done this very thing in the past but have bought into the fear in the news and out there. I think my biggest mistake was not in becoming more politically active, but keeping it in its proper place. Now that I am working on my balance in my life, I am able to make the call and move on - I have taken God as my partner and He is leading my way. I took a job because I thought that would solve all my problems, and now I find that I am miserable at this job and am making the plans that will take me to a better place and still provide a living for myself.
Entered: June 20th, 2009 at 12:58 am. PermalinkThis was a great article and I will be reading it daily so as to remember what is really important.
A great & workable advise. Fear of failure leads one to a feeling of helplessness and of losing our aquired assets. We often hold back from taking positive & bold steps . But with a systematic approach & survey in the field of our interest, the feeling of helplessness will soon be replaced with one of hope & enthusiasm. Success usually favours the bold & the hopeful. Trust yourself & the ‘Lord’ will guide you. Love you all.
Entered: June 20th, 2009 at 11:46 am. PermalinkSunny Kaks,
(”Amazing Astrologer”)
I agree with J. Weston’s take on the article even though there are some good points made. It is sadly obvious that too many people for too long have just been oblivious to life in general and now we have a gov’t that is about to take over every aspect of our lives — yea! for those who have no plans or dreams for the rest of their lives because they can just be a drone and big gov’t will design their future whether they like it or not. As for the rest of us — we may never be allowed to realize our dreams even if we know what they are if that freedom is gone. Yes, take charge of your life, plan and don’t worry about controlling the world, but that includes being totally aware of those who want to take that ability away from you.
Entered: June 22nd, 2009 at 2:29 pm. PermalinkCudo’s to J. Weston. There are good points to this article, such as planning for your own future, not worrying about your brother-in-law’s negative behavior, shutting off reality TV shows and TV news, and just getting busy. However, we need to pay attention to what people in our country’s leadership roles, right now the Obama administration, have in store for America. Freedom is the greatest gift our country has and needs to be constantly fought for. Freedom is what people since biblical times have been yearning for, and the United States has more of it than any place in the world. This did not happen by accident. Those retired folks, who are depressed because they are not contributing to society, should get involved in spreading the good news of America’s freedom. They can help stop those who do not believe in individual’s freedom, but rather seek power and control over people’s lives, such as President Obama, by becoming involved. Write letters to the editor, write to your congressman, speak to school’s or local community groups about the beauty of this country and what freedom has meant to you — after all, you’ve lived it all your life and know first hand of it’s importance. Do this, and you will never feel like you’re not contributing. Do this, and your life’s work will never be finished. You will always have a reason to get up in the morning!
Entered: July 26th, 2009 at 8:03 am. Permalink