Simple yet profound motivators!!

How do we get more people into health and wellness?

First thing is do they WANT to be in the first place? If they have no desire to be healthy or feel better then you are flogging a dead horse as they say...

However! If they have a small hint of a desire to do something to improve their current situation, and are willing to do something then you are in business.

Next thing is how do you know they have a desire and what brings about that desire? 

I had an awesome discussion with a lady who was telling me a story about her 7-year-old granddaughter who she found doing star jumps in her room. She thought this was interesting so asked her granddaughter why she was doing star jumps?

The response amazed her when the granddaughter said,

"I don't want to get diabetes!" 

What this 7-year-old knew was that 3 out of 4 of her grandparents had diabetes and most of the other adults in the house were also on medicines for other chronic conditions. It highlighted the impact of disease and ill health of family members on a child. Even at such a young age she realises that she doesn't want to go through the things that she sees her role models go through each day (she is probably particularly worried about the insulin injections one of them has to take everyday cause even I'd be freaked out about that too!).

It seems that often we don't think too much about the effect of ill health on ourselves and even less about the effect of our ill health on loved ones around us. We have this kind of mentality where "I'm fine", or "I'll be OK and only I have to deal with it". Perhaps we have that sort of 'macho' thing going where we are so tough and even though we are sick we carry on doing what we do as if there is nothing wrong.

What I found interesting was that it was THIS experience that prompted the lady to ask me what she could do with her family to make some lifestyle changes to improve their health and wellness. No, it wasn't all the ads you see on TV, it wasn't the doctor or any other health professional saying you should do this and that, nor was it the fact that this lady and the rest of the adults already know all the things they should be doing anyway. 

IT WAS the simple yet profound comments and actions of a young girl expressing how she didn't want to get diabetes... that's powerful when you think of how much money is spent on all those other areas everyday that are supposed to motivate us to make changes!

So back to the first question... How do we get more people into health and wellness? I would suggest it is through their families. If they won't do it for themselves, perhaps they will do it for their loved ones, and in particular their children and grandchildren!