Knowledge Is Power!

I know we have heard this many times over the years, but it is so true! Without knowledge, we rely on other individuals to make decisions for us. We rely on experts, but what most of us do not consider is the alternative, the other side of the story. We go to the doctor, and we expect that he or she know best in regards to our health. We go to the dentist, and we expect that he or she knows best for our teeth. But are we asking enough questions to be certain that the results make sense for us? What if I told you that by doing just a little research on your own, you could be armed with the information you need to make some vital decisions that could change your life?

Part of my persistence in the journey to become a title holder was to be able to have a voice in matters in which I feel passionate. My platform – Healthy Today, Healthy Forever – is just that. It’s an all encompassing stage for issues of health and fitness, nutrition, emotional strength, financial stability, and ethical and personal values. I pride myself on living a healthy lifestyle. I work out regularly (even if it’s just my 15 minute morning bathroom routine), eat well, have worked hard on gaining financial stability, and have created my list of what I call “non-negotiables” on a personal and ethical level. I have created a place for myself where emotional strength is always a possibility by taking control of the reactions I have, and while I’m far from perfect, I have made tremendous strides.

What I have not done, and what I feel needs to be done, is change the focus, even if just briefly, from what we are doing or should be doing as listed above to what we are NOT doing as a society…research!

I suppose I should give you some history on what prompted this post. In a recent visit with my mom, I read an article about a school district that had scheduled the nasal vaccination for the H1N1 virus (the “Swine” Flu) for every student. It was a little disheartening for me to read on so many levels - first and foremost on a personal level, having a very solid belief that these decisions should not be forced upon everyone but a choice of the family/parents -- which leads me to this post.

People today are not dependent on the Encyclopedia Britannica to find the answers. Only a small percentage of society spends time researching information for the purpose of gaining knowledge and having a better understanding of how and why things work. The majority of people do not know why they do what they do – they just do it, because it’s what they were told, because it’s what they observed, because everyone else is on the bandwagon, or because someone said it was appropriate or right. But how many of you consider that maybe the latest breaking news and what the majority of the population is doing may not be the best decision or the right decision for you?

If I help any one person do something for themselves through my reading, my hope is that I inspire you to do your own research! Don’t believe what you hear just because it’s on the news, or it’s the next “big thing”. The media does not always tell us the whole truth. Instead, because of financial funding and marketing, the media tells us what certain individuals want us to hear. The media, advertising, magazines ads, billboards, are designed to encourage us to purchase the products, not necessarily to be a healthier individual. Don’t fall into the trap that society has set to keep us in need. Read, ask questions, Google, search your library, talk to experts, get both sides of the story – and then ask yourself, what makes sense for YOU? We are not always given both sides of the story, and sometimes that is used against us for propaganda purposes, marketing and advertising, and to drive the economy. Fair? No. But true nonetheless, and sad that more people do not take advantage of the resources available to create our own destiny.

Do not get me wrong -- the media has many advantages, and some of what is written or produced is very beneficial for most. Just make sure it's right for you!

Imagine, for just a moment, being so healthy that cancer cells cannot survive or multiply within your body. Imagine being at the top of your game and in a peak performance state all the time, not being tired. Imagine being emotionally healthy, standing strong in your personal values and having to confidence to not waver for anything. Imagine experiencing financial freedom and not having to work to live, but being able to work so that you can enjoy life.

All of this is possible within everyone. We all have the ability to create our own future, to be whatever we want it to be. Society tells us otherwise, and through the years and over time we have just been inclined to trust what we should question, and question those we love. The only way to overcome this, the only way to have true freedom, is to create it for ourselves, within ourselves! So get curious, get opinions, ask questions - start today! The more you know, the better....