Part 2, Episode 4: Finding BIG Levers

Two weeks ago I was getting antsy.  I decided it was time to put my action where heart was – it was time to get back to the RED-iculous effort but this time to set out toward a grander personal vision: “Better Health for Every American in THIS Lifetime” and I am happy to say that things are well underway.  Last week I decided I would start by lighting candles and featuring stories of candles lit.  Why candles? Because nothing quite symbolizes the start of a transformation like light breaking through the darkness.  That, after all, is what we’re doing here……moving from sparks, to light to heat to the contagious wildfire that health can be in people, communities and society at large.  RED-iculous? Yes. But, as the saying goes, with a lever long-enough, we can move the world.

Here’s a story that makes the point:

Mr. R is a 50-something year old man who I’ve known off and on over the several years, generally in a consultative capacity.  Mr. R used to be a very big man….well over 300lbs. He also used to be a smoker and used to not move a ton if it wasn’t required by his occupation.  Used to.  A few years back he got tired of it all.  He was sick of being sick (lever) and he was ready to move on.  First, he set his mind to getting rid of the cigarettes. It was tough going at first, but he stuck with it and succeeded.  Then, as it sometimes does, the weight started to accumulate….but, rightfully, he figured if he could quit smoking he could get his weight under control – so he started to learn how to eat.  He began to realize how wrong he’d had it over the years and that his weight was something he could change.  Improve the quality of the fuel, change the result….and it worked.  His weight started to decline steadily (100+ lbs).  And, as he puts it:

“I don’t care if it sounds wimpy; I remember the day I buttoned a pair of pants with a 34-inch waist. I hadn’t fit in a pair of 34’s in a very long time….since like grammar school.  I sat on the edge of my bed and I cried. It was a major achievement.”

Mr. R has since worked hard to take additional steps toward better health.  He has been working with his medical team to get a handle on a few other question-marks we found. He has taken control and he is making steady progress…awesome. However, perhaps the most powerful thing he shared with me was this:

“I’m doing things I NEVER thought I could.” – Freedom

He’s a good person and he’s finding his best self. I couldn’t be happier for him…..but we need more.

Find a big lever. Light a candle and Get Free.

We’re starting a #MOVEment – and we need you!

Reply or tweet me your stories.

– Mike E.

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