Habits of Health Weekly Meeting

Networking your way to Health - Community, Relationships, and Environment

The Importance of Community

It is said that we become the average of the five people we hang around with the most.

Hang out with like-minded people – Form a community that is conducive to your learning and what you want to accomplish, because the community will rub off on us and you will become the average of that group.

A huge part of community is communications.

When we are with a group – what is it that we communicate.
1. Verbally – (positive or negative messages)
2. Energetically – possibly body language – (closed or open)
3. Visibly – Facial expressions – arm and hand movement
4. Postural – Arms crossed in front of your body – indicated resistance.

Are you an introvert (keeping to one’s self) or an extrovert (out looking for new things)

Are you a closed minded individual – having all the answers – remaining ignorant,
or are you Open Minded – seeking new concepts and ideas – open to learning.

Is discernment one of your characteristics or habits? Is discernment something you value?

Even though a person is more intelligent than those in the association with them – someone in the Group may be able to paint a different picture so you can see the information in a different light.

Network yourself to success by using a community of like-minded people.

Together (with a community of like-minded people) i Can

How are the relationships you are now in, affecting you?
A relationship requires an audience of at least two. That audience can be with ourselves, or with God. Those conversations we have will often be with the committee we have chatting in our mind.

Relationships are often skewed by the way individuals present themselves.

If one person is presenting an honest and open mind and the other person is presenting a façade or something they think the other person wants to see, the relationship will not be a true one. Any relationship based on faults or non-reality is doomed for failure.

What is true about relationships is we become the average of the five people we hang around with the most. We pick up traits, habits, ideas, and physical attributes from those that we have relations with.

Many relationships based on irrational thinking or on pure emotions will generally lead to serious conflicts and misunderstandings.

If you are pretending to be something which you are not, that fake reality may at some time become real. Lies told often enough somehow become truths in the minds of those who behold them. By the same token if someone in your life is feeding you lies and unreality, just to get you to like them, the relationship is doomed to failure.

There is one relationship that I highly recommend. That is a relationship with God, the creator of all things, including you.
God by definition came before all things, nothing was before It, Him, or Her.
God by definition is Spirit so therefore cannot truly have a gender.
God by definition is perfect, just, honest, and loving.
Time is something that does not exist for God. It has been said that he sees / views the entire parade at once. The beginning, the middle, and the end. That also implies that he sees your entire life all at one time.

For me it sounds like He would be a good friend to have on our side and for us to use as an example, of how to “be”.
Establishing a relationship is easy, all you must do is acknowledge that He exists.
Acknowledge the fact that He is real and has control of the universe and everything in it.

If you establish that relationship, the attributes of being Perfect, Just, Honest, and Loving will rub off on you. The better and more complete the relationship the more those character attributes will manifest.

After you have established that relationship with Him, ask Him to guide you to those who will have a positive impact on your life.

Allow that guidance to happen and find your life blossoming, opening, becoming more serene and peaceful every day.

However, if you are happy with strife, discord, competition, challenges, then continue your path. May God go with you!

If you would like a relationship with us, we provide, Free health coaching, which is available through "Together i Can."

Together (with God) i Can

Closeness in a Relationship

John 10:30 (NKJV): I and My Father are one.

John 15:5–8 (NKJV): I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Mark 11:22–24 (NKJV): So, Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

If what you’re asking for is not coming into realization, you may want to ask yourself the questions, am I abiding in Him? Is His word in me?
A second question you may want to ask yourself is “is what I’m asking for in alignment with God’s thoughts?”

If you are a grapevine and you’re asking that your branch produce cherries or oranges chances are your prayer will not be answered.

James 4:2–3 (NKJV): Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

The above scripture promises, gives the assurance That God will answer every true petition or prayer.

Quote - Billy graham
We are not the masters of our own souls. We must not put our will above God’s will. We must not insist on our own way or dictate to God.
Rather, we must learn the difficult lesson of praying as the sinless Son of God Himself prayed, “Not my will, but Thine, be done.”

Psalm 106:1 (NKJV): Joy in Forgiveness of Israel’s Sins - 1 Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Come close to God, pray for His mercy and that prayer will be answered! Amen 🙏

What we see today in our secular society, is a concerted effort to take God out of a man’s thoughts. We have a drastic lack of enthusiasm towards God today.

Secularism teaches and preaches about how one should be totally responsible for themselves.
Secularism also teaches that government, elitists, people who have better answers, could replace God at any time.
How asinine is that?

Acceptance of bringing God into your life is an act of will, not an act of emotions or feelings.

Pray for a closer relationship and God will answer that prayer! Amen 🙏

Strength In Relationship

Galatians 5:16–18 (NKJV): Walking in the Spirit (the Holy Spirit)
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Will power – willing yourself to do the right thing may work occasionally but not long-term. This is because “will” is located in both the conscious and un-conscious mind. Unless they are in alignment the “will” will fade quickly.

So, if we know ahead of time that we’re going to screw up should we just give up?
Absolutely not. Work harder on developing a stronger “WHY”.

The only way to overcome any issue in life, is to stop fighting it using self/ego.
What you resist, persists!

Together (with God) i Can

It is very difficult to exhibit humility, surrendering oneself to God, if self and ego still run your life.
Are you into self-satisfaction, looking for ways to make yourself better, more important, wealthier?

If you are truly in alignment with God, and the Holy Spirit, you will be exactly where you’re supposed to be. You’ll have as much wealth as you’re supposed to have, you’ll be doing the tasks that benefit others that God has purposed you to do.

He will provide you with a path that will improve your relationships with others, He will improve your environment and introduce you to communities that will support you and provide answers to unasked questions.

Stay positive, be prudent, be concerned, use discernment in all things, don’t panic, trust in God. Amen

Environment

The positive and negative affects it has on your life

When I hear the word environment, what comes to my mind is my physical surroundings.

However, Environment from the dictionary: the aggregate of surrounding things, conditions, or influences; surroundings; milieu.
Milieu: surroundings, especially of a social or cultural nature

So, from this definition I get that it also includes those that I hang around with. I wonder if this includes myself. If it includes myself, then my nature, and my attitude, must be part of my environment.

How I talk to myself, how you talk to yourself, is part of your environment!
Your physical surroundings are part of your environment. This would include those individuals you surround yourself with.

The question becomes, is your environment, toxic or espousing hope and joy?

Do you put yourself down, blaming yourself for mistakes you've made or do you except those mistakes, learn from them, and move on? Do those around you have a positive or negative attitude towards life? Whether positive or negative it will have a tendency to rub off on you.

“We ALL need support!”

If you have made the decision to improve your health, then hang out with people who are looking to improve their health. Choose to be around like-minded people – Form a community that is conducive to your learning and what you want to accomplish, because we become the average of the five people we hang around with the most.

On the mental side: Mental Stress
1. Are you accepting of life on life's terms or are you looking for others to blame?
2. Do you wake up in the morning with a smile on your face and a prayer in your heart or do you dread looking forward to
another day?
3. Do you look forward to going to work or is your work drudgery?
4. People who have negative attitudes are always pulling people down towards them, never pushing them towards a positive reality.

On the physical side: Physical Stress
1. Foods can be toxic, which in turn adds weight and inflammation to your life.
2. Outgassing of the carpets can be toxic, creating the need to detoxify.
3. Filling your gas tank at a gas station, the fumes you inhale are toxic.
4. The lotions and potions you put on your skin can be toxic.
5. The soaps you use when you shower can be toxic.

Physical maladies and frugalities, can add stress to your life. Stress in and of itself, creates the chemical cortisol, which if too much is generated, can be toxic. Cortisol is a chemical that sets your body up for fight or flight. Staying in that mode can be detrimental, both physically and mentally, creating a downward spiral towards dis-ease.

Using Slight Edge Philosophy, using small positive changes daily and practicing them over a long period of time, will bring about the change we desire. By practicing Simple Disciplines and ignoring or refusing to practice Slight Errors in Judgment our environment will improve.

"Together i Can" provides a safe positive space, a place to start a relationship, a community, an environment, in which you can start your journey.

 

Join us to discuss these topics!

For more information read our other articles or contact us today!

Michael McCright
Free Health Coaching – provided by the "Together i Can Group"
Together i Can Inc.
August 8 2022

Call 619-316-6900