Clarity or Chaos: Which Path Will You Choose

Repeat after me: I cannot control what is happening around me but I can always choose to control how I respond to it. 

These are indeed some of the most interesting times many of us have lived through and despite what the media tries to feed us, we don’t need to live in a state of depression, anxiety, and fear. I actually believe quite the opposite to be true. 

We can use this as a time to thrive instead of barely just survive. 

Think back to where you were two months ago, if you’re like most people you might have been feeling stressed, overworked, overtired, and desperate for some time off.  Well, you got it. In fact, we ALL got it. We are all in this together. While it’s perfectly normal to experience feelings of uncertainty during this time, you have the power to make an extremely important and potentially life-changing choice. 

Are you going to use this time to gain more clarity on your health, relationships, life purpose, etc. or are you going to join in on the chaos? The choice is yours, but I hope you will join me in the former option.

Here’s why…

Did you know that if your health is only a 6/10 you are going to be functioning in every role of your life at a 60% or less? Parent, teacher, friend, working professional, etc. I’m guessing you’re like most of the patients I work with and want more for yourself and your life. 

If you have the privilege of staying home during this time with adequate shelter, food, and supplies, think twice before you start complaining and instead shift your mindset to one of curiosity, self-growth, and gratitude. 

Dipa and I are using this time to pause, reflect, and focus on our healing journeys. We are asking ourselves new sets of questions so we can create better and more beautiful lives for ourselves. We’re continuing to make it a goal to get out of our comfort zones, expand, explore, and try new things. We’re enjoying spending even more time together as a family and outside in nature, and above all we are practicing gratitude. 

We invite you to join us and do the same! 

Of course it’s not all sunshine in rainbows, I’ve had to postpone events and meetings that I spent a considerable amount of time looking forward to and preparing for but when life gives me lemons I like to plant seeds…

Literally and figuratively! The literal seeds we’re planting are well -duh- a garden! If you have never gardened before now is a perfect time to learn! We are still learning ourselves and very much enjoying the process. Watching things grow increases your dopamine levels in a much healthier and more wholesome way than through eating a sugary snack. 

The figurative seeds we are planting are providing more life-changing information to our wonderful community! We believe that health begins in your home. YOU are the doctor of the future. Do you notice that the only health/medical advice we are given during this pandemic is: stay home, isolate yourselves, and wash your hands?

What a disservice!

We all can do better. And we start by individually choosing to take responsibility for ourselves and changing our own habits for the better so that we can collectively change in a positive way. 

If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself. If you want to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.

-Lao Tzu 

Effective Things You Can Start Doing Today To Change Your Life:

• Prioritize Self-Care: Carve out time to sit in silence and reflect. One of the absolute best ways to do this is to quiet your thoughts and go out in nature. Stop and look at the tree that you pass by on your walk. Really look at it. Enjoy the beauty of the rough bark, the dark green moss growing, and the millions of little ants scurrying about. 
• Balance Your Circadian Rhythms: This one is so important! Restorative sleep doesn’t start in the evening, it actually starts first thing in the morning. When you wake up try to go outside, even if it’s cloudy, and even if it’s just for 5-minutes. This signals to your brain that it’s daytime. As evening comes, turn off your overhead artificial lights and instead turn on soft lamps. We love using salt lamps for a warm, natural glow. Cover your body with clothes or blankets because it’s not only your eyes that have photoreceptors, your skin does too. In every way, send signals to your body that it’s time to start winding down. Getting adequate, restful sleep is key to proper immune function!
• View Media as a Form of Entertainment: When you allow yourself to become fearful or anxious from watching the news you activate your sympathetic nervous system and put your body in a state of fight or flight; this increases cortisol levels and decreases immune function. Instead of letting yourself get all freaked out by the news either choose to not watch it or don’t take it for face value and view it as a form of entertainment. 
• Learn to Grow and Cook Your Own Food: What better time than right now to learn how to garden or at the very least learn how to cook your own meals at home! This can be such an enjoyable process and one of the most effective things you can do to restore health and start feeling your very best. If you have children, include them in the process and make it a fun family event. 

This pandemic has caused a shift in healthcare and in the world as a whole. You have the power to be on the cutting edge of the positive change that’s going to be happening if you take your health into your own hands right now. You don’t have to go to school for many years or be an expert in any particular field in order to make positive changes in your life. You only need to know how to apply what you know to be best for yourself. 

People’s greatest fear during all of this is not dying, it’s having an unlived life. So live your very best, most healthy, and vibrant life so that you can fully experience the beauty of it all and inspire others to do the same.

Author: Sachin Patel

Sachin founded The Living Proof Institute as part of his own personal transformation. When he couldn’t find answers through conventional medicine he began to explore functional and lifestyle medicine and it dramatically changed his life.

Sachin has delivered hundreds of community workshops and his videos have been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people and his online posts have reached millions all over the world. He is an advocate for changing the healthcare paradigm and has devoted his life for the betterment of humanity.

Sachin leads by example and motivates others to take ownership over their own health. He is a passionate visionary that serves as both a teacher and a guide to help people create their best life and bring out their inner healer.