The Next Level

Rob Opie is a Brand Strategist, Author and 'Game Changer' to organizations, sports teams and individuals

We all have all inner desire to reach 'the next level' of performance, growth and contribution .No matter what profession one may choose in life, definite patterns of human greatness exist. In his weekly 'Game Changer Column', Rob shares some of the insights, innovation and inspiration of the great champions of business, sport and life.

Game Changer Number Seven : 'No Health, No Wealth '

There exists a fine line between human greatness and human implosion. Often, the loss of one's health is the price that is paid when one pushes the human limits too far. So, here's some of the most valuable insight on health and life - which I have uncovered to date. Surprisingly, it did not come from the medical fraternity. It came from a sporting legend - one of Great Britain's greatest ever middle distance athletes:

'We all have a finite amount of energy. Whether you use physical or mental energy it all comes from the same source .Wherever you focus your energy you're either filling or depleting the same well ': Sir Sebastian Coe

It follows that it's our job to make sure that one's 'human energy well' never runs dry. Here's how.

The human well, wellness, or wellbeing has three buckets, each one of equal importance - namely physical, chemical and emotional buckets. Physical, is what we do with our bodies. Chemical is what we put in our mouths, and emotional is what we put in our 'hearts and heads '. Thankfully the genius of modern medical science has made us all pretty adept at how to fill our 'human energy well' from the physical and chemical buckets. We know how much sleep and rest we need. We know how much exercise we need. We know which foods agree with us, and those which do not. And Prof Tim Noakes seems to keep us all 'on our toes' with the latest on nutritional thinking.

Our bodies even have wonderful feedback mechanisms to help keep us balanced in the physical and chemical realms of life and health. But, it's never that straight-forward in the emotional realm. Surprising very few people grasp how our emotions can turn toxic. Negative emotions harboured long term can kill .Often this is where human implosion happens. Unwittingly or habitually, we continue to drain the human energy well from the emotional bucket, creating an ongoing 'state of imbalance'. A tipping point is eventually reached and breached - and the human energy well runs dry. The body moves into 'a state of dis/ease '.

Here are a few valuable pointers to keep one's human energy well filled to the brim - and you on the road of ease, as opposed to dis/ease.

To fill up the human energy well using the emotional bucket - one should focus one's life on the Big Five 'positive emotions', namely Unconditional Love, Gratitude, Acceptance, Forgiveness and Happiness/ Joy. They Energize! They're life's greatest healers.

And, be sure to steer well clear of life's Big Five 'negative emotions' - namely Resentment, Guilt, Criticism, Hate and Futility/Self-pity. They Drain! If held long term, they turn toxic - and become life's greatest killers.

Ultimately, it's a human choice as to how one manages one's human energy well on the journey through life and health.

* For more insight, innovation and inspiration please visit https://www.thegameplan.co.za

Rob can be contacted at robopie@thegameplan.co.za.