We live in a time full of information, one click on the internet, and everything you ever wanted to know is at your fingertips. But with all this "instant- info"' we seem to be struggling to "find the time" to look after ourselves as well.

Statistically, we are the fattest nation, with some of the highest levels of diabetes, heart disease, and cancers in the world. How can this be so if we are also one of the most educated ??

Surely Knowledge is Power, right? I think the term "knowledge is power" is only half correct. Knowledge, to me, is loading the gun... it then takes guts, aims, and focus in order to then go ahead and "fire" it.

It's all too easy to adopt a "do-as-say-not-as-I-do" mentality. I hear parents say to me all the time "I just can't get the kids outside during the colder months." These are usually the same parents who in the next breath say things like "Yeah, I've not been able to lose the extra kilos since having children."

The fundamental word that is missing here, is accountability. Actions scream louder than words, and there is nothing worse than a person who stands back and barks empty orders. Would you go to a doctor or a naturopath who was 50kg overweight and smoked heavily? I know I wouldn't.

The Ripple Effect

There are much more subtle, yet exponentially more powerful ways of influencing those around you, which I like to call the Ripple Effect.

How many times have you walked past a person or seen a picture on the internet and thought "wow, I wish I could look like that/be like that /do what they do"?? They didn't speak a word but somehow have managed to project an "energy" that you now desire.

You have been inspired!!

These unspoken moments are very powerful, often powerful enough to change entire mindsets or lifestyles.

Think back to the last time you were "inspired" by something or someone. Was it because they were telling you WHAT to do? Or was it when, without dictation, they demonstrated to you how amazing it was to be that way, and you then found the spark to give it a go? I can guarantee you that if it made enough of an influence on you to remember it, it was the latter.

So how is this relevant to the topic of "focusing on yourself?" I wanted to throw it out there and demonstrate that sometimes it's those small things and actions that you do which make all the difference.

There was a movie about "Paying it forward." Exactly the same principles of The Ripple Effect, only what I am talking about is on a far more subtle level. It is not a direct act of kindness, but rather the focusing on yourself for a while, igniting that internal volcano and channeling the energy it burns.

Focusing on Yourself

Far too many of us are so outwardly tuned, we spend far too much time looking at what others have accomplished: their health, their bodies... whatever, in the meantime forgetting about ourselves: Where did our integrity go? Or we spend all our time doing what we think is best for others, neglecting our own health along the way: Where did our self-love go?

Energy is a dynamic thing, and the most effective way to "pass it on", is to make sure you have enough of it yourself to share! In the clinic, I see far too many adrenally-depleted people, who have spent a lifetime working on the "outward/others", and not nearly enough on the inward. In the long run, this will not only fatigue you but will not help anybody around you. You will omit nothing but tired, stale energy.

If we made ourselves our priority and put steps into place that will push us to become a "better/stronger/healthier" individual, that Ripple Effect then begins to gather momentum. If you have family members who are unwell, be the leader and start to change YOUR lifestyle and dietary choices. If there are people around you with weight issues, show them how amazingly fun it can be to be fit! Or start to change YOUR food choices... In turn, your own vitality will start to grow, and I guarantee you the energy that you put off will flow out to connect with those around you... You might even inspire them to follow suit.

This concept is definitely not a new one, but the take-home message is that "in order to project the biggest effect on your environment and people in it, sometimes you need to stop, regroup and focus on the one person whom you are 100% accountable to". 

Trust that the world around you will fall into order when you KNOW you are doing the best you can for your own body, mind, and soul- you get out what you put back... or in other words, to put it very simply:

"Be the Change you want to see" (Gandhi)