Think back. Can you recall a time in your past when you were experiencing success in a specific area of your life? It's often helpful to have people reflect back on a time in their life when they felt really good about themselves either physically, relationally, spiritually, or financially.
For example, they remember a time when they were in pretty good shape and how they felt at that time. Or they recall another time when their key relationships were strong and vibrant and how safe and secure that felt.
However, now those thoughts only bring about guilt (or perhaps shame). They often feel like a failure and wonder how they could have let things slide downhill so far. The climb back up seems too steep to even contemplate.
But when those thoughts and stories surface, it's often a light-bulb moment. It’s evidence the capacity to do it is there. What's changed, most likely, are circumstances. Subtle changes are almost always at the root of behaviors that morph toward the negative over time. It’s not intentional...it just happens.
Drawing on their past experiences and recalling what they had been doing right spurs hope for the future. There's now a realization that they can reclaim and recapture those same behaviors.
Taking them back to their best self causes those mental images to resurface. They can recall and relive what they were doing right in the past. Very often just a simple recalibrating and recognizing of past victories sets them on healthier and happier path.
Can you recall a time when you were being the person you admired and doing the things you desired? If so, draw on those experiences and rewrite your future.
Remember, the (physical, relational, spiritual, financial) health status you’ll enjoy 20 years from now will largely be determined by the choices you make between now and the next 20 years.
If you need a boost getting started, find the help you need to start your climb.
