Change your behavior... Change your life

If you REALLY want to change your life, YOU have to be the one to do it. Or as it goes, “if you are not in charge of your life, someone else is”. Change is of course ALWAYS happening, but there is a rule that says, you can only see what you are looking for. So what exactly are you looking for? What kind of change do you seek each day? ​There are a few things you need to understand before you attempt “controlled” change. 
Two words that REALLY encompass everything I’m trying to teach. If you truly understand the meaning of these words and then apply them to your behavior, you will be successful at most things you do. You will have a foundation that is built on rock and not on sand. You will find it easier to be intentional because you have a steadfast foundation through which all things are filtered.
These words are Principle and technique. Just in case you are not exactly sure what these words actually mean… Here you go.
Principle- A fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning.
We should have principles we live by. We are at a time in history where principles seem fewer and further between and there is a large group of people who simply believe that “anything goes”. I find this scary and fairly irresponsible. Principles allow us to have a driving force behind our action. It’s your volition. It can relate to large or small groups of people. If you read the definition of principle, you see some key words that I love and I firmly believe everyone should have as a major part of their life:
-    Truth, Fundamental, Foundation, System, and Behavior. 

Technique- A way of carrying out a particular task, especially the execution or performance of an artistic work or a scientific procedure. Or A skillful or efficient way of doing or achieving something.
This is where it gets a little more specific. This is the “How” you go about living out your principles. It is unique to your lifestyle. Technique is why there is no single thing that helps everyone. Everyone has a different technique to life. But if you look into the depth of the word, it says it is the “skillful” or “efficient” way. 

So now that you know some basic definitions of some very meaningful words, I want you to write some things down.
What set of principles do YOU live by? This can be in any area of your life if you want, but try to stay focused on your health. What “HEALTH” principles do you live by? 

For example:
You could live based off of ignorance, going to the hospital for every little thing that pops up that you don’t understand (reactive).
You could also eat out of convenience because its justifiable.
You could choose not to work out and take medication to control the pain.
You could set some non-negotiable with yourself as to how much cardio you WILL do each week so you keep your heart strong.
You could decide how much muscle you want to have and how strong or fast you want to be. You could pick a sport and try your best all the time to get better at it.
These are just examples of some goals or principles to live by. When I speak to people about their health, It typically consists of weight loss. Very few individuals realize WHICH behaviors need to change or even how to change them for them to actually get What they think they want. When I dig a little deeper there is always emotional control of behavior. Want vs. need. People tend to WANT something, but realize they NEED to do something else first. ALWAYS ask a professional for help. Ask as many questions as you can think of! 

Next is the how! How will you carry these principles out? Obviously a pilot, a nurse, and a teacher could not possibly carry out their principles the same way. What is YOUR technique? What does it look like in your life? How will you show others that you are serious about what you want? Is it visible? Who have you shared this with?

Something you have to understand about the “HOW” is that you will not be good at it at first! It will be harder than you want. It takes longer than you want. And you may not even like it at first. Know that if it is worth starting it, it is worth failing at it as well. Failure Remember, is one of our best teachers. SO take today, this week, this month, and set some new principles. Lay that foundation down and start building your NEW way of life! Find YOUR technique. Fail and fail again but learn how to make it better each time. 

Hebrews 12:11- For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but it later yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.