Your answer to “Why?” will reveal more than you think

Recently I realized there used to be two major motivations in my life of why I was trying to eat healthy, exercise and take care of my body. Both of them have something to do with fear. The first one was fear of being fat. Already since I was a child, I always struggled with my body shape and weight and always considered myself to be too heavy, too fat, too…everything I didn’t want. I cannot say this motivation has completely lost its power over me, but it took a lot, including a major life-threatening accident, years of yoga and meditation, to start seeing my body as a partner rather than an enemy and do things for my body instead of in spite of it. The second fear motivation came about when my mom was diagnosed with and later lost her life to cancer.  The fear of similar destiny, fear of disease and death has led me to another major motivation to find answers on how to have an optimal healthy lifestyle. I know motivations based on fear can be very destructive. So I have been working hard on trying to find a third way, to accept my fears and limitations and search for a way to be motivated by love to my body instead of fear of it. I still have a long way to go, but I think this endeavor is a key to truly unlocking wellbeing and health.

If you have been trying to lead a healthier lifestyle, I think it is important to ask yourself a question: “Why? What is my true motivation to be healthier?”, and to be open to hear and accept the variety of answers that might come from within. Without recognizing and accepting our fears, we might be lying to ourselves about the true motivations and their potentially destructive effects on us. Fear can be a great motivation tool, it can lead to a true change and transformation. But if we reach our goals out of fear, will the fear disappear or only shift those goals beyond and beyond, so they can never truly be achieved in our minds? Or what if fear prevents us from ever starting in the first place?

While working on our health and life goals, we should also be working with our fears and acceptance of our bodies, wherever they are right now. One of the techniques that I am finding helpful for putting things into perspective is self-inquiry. I often ask myself questions like: Where am I right now? How am I? I this what I truly want right now? What makes me feel good? How do I want to feel and who do I want to be, when one day, I will be lying on my death bed?

Just sitting and being mindful with these questions has completely revolutionize how I see my life and how I set my priorities. I don’t always like what I hear and sometimes there is just silence. Being with that can be hard.