My next FREE SPREECAST is THIS Saturday, May 3 at Noon (PST). Spreecast is a live interactive video platform where you can post questions live and I’ll answer them for everyone to hear! It’s a lot of fun, and anyone in the world with an internet connection can join me for free! And now to the blog post….

No easy feat…

A quick word or two to express my appreciation for the great e-mails I’ve been getting from people all over the world in response to my podcast and blog. It’s very inspiring to hear from people who want more than what diets and quick fixes can ever offer.

I realize on a daily basis from the listener e-mails, my work with my private clients, and from my own personal health/happiness practice how difficult it is to achieve long-term and sustainable health and happiness in the modern world. As I often say on the podcast, we are a natural species living in an unnatural world. I strongly argue that while it is possible to live a more natural life in the context of this world, it’s entirely dependent on attention and awareness. If we live in and enter this world without thinking about our own long-term well-being, we will be swept away by advertising (milk it does a body good…), marketing, and products of all shapes and sizes.

I believe we can begin the process of living better in this world by simply thinking about ourselves as natural animals, and then looking at the things we currently do that are entirely unnatural. Not with judgment and criticism, but rather with an eye on what we as a species are designed to be: in balance with ourselves and the world around us. Noticing where imbalances are (in the food we eat, the way or amount we move our bodies, how we socialize, how we use technology, how connected or disconnected we are from nature) and the extent of those imbalances, we can take little steps to restore a little more balance in all aspects of our lives over time. Diets and other quick fix models jump us ahead too quickly and without consideration for the lives we are currently living. As a result, going on diets or starting massive exercise plans can cause us great stress—more imbalance we just don’t need. By easing our way in to change we can find our own balance on our own time. Our actions and steps are ours, and not simply instructions out of a diet book or fitness DVD.

Include a little more unprocessed, natural food (what I call in the book “heavy box foods”) in your day. Move your body a little more—get out of your chair and do 5 squats in your office. Reach out to a friend now and then—even via text. Pop off your shoes and step on the dirt for a minute, remembering we didn’t evolve with rubber on our feet. Take, and listen to, one deep breath a day, and consider that being present and aware is a natural state for our minds. See how these actions feel, and add in a bit more to your life if you’re not yet at the balance you’d like.

We are a natural species living in an unnatural world. But, we can succeed individually and as a species if we bring more thought, consideration, and attention to our lives day to day. Do your best to avoid drastic change and upheaval in your trek to greater health and happiness. Things are already difficult enough with family, work, finances and the rest of what makes this modern world such a crazy place. The last thing we all need is to make the transition to a better quality of life as stressful as our lives already are…

Be well, and keep the e-mails coming. Makes my day. -Sid