I have always been curious about the way in which we all seem to be striving toward this idea of perfection.

The perfect life with the perfect job (or, for some, not having to work at all), the perfect partner (otherwise known as ‘the one’….no, not Neo from The Matrix, the other ‘one’) and, of course, perfect health.  Just downright squeaky, really.

In my wanderings and wonderings I have come to the conclusion that perfection is both an illusion and a constant.

Perfection is, in reality, unobtainable.  So we can say that it is an illusion.  But if we stopped to look around, we would probably realise that what we actually have is pretty special.  Life is constantly, in its own way, perfect.

About Utopia

The modern idea of Utopia was adapted by Thomas More in 1516 in his book Of the Best State of a Republic and of the New Island Utopia.

In essence, the book is about an ideal community or society.  However, if we look at the original Greek definition, Utopia means ‘not place’.  Our current use of the term ‘Utopia’ assumes the prior interpretation: that of a place of perfection.  But it’s core meaning is really about non-existence.

Careful how you head into the new year…

As we settle into the New Year, we tend to put our attention towards making this year a vast improvement on the last.

So far, many of us have managed to work our way out of the Christmas cheer haze.  We have had a chance to look back on the ‘mistakes’ we made in 2009 or the areas on which we think we need to ‘perfect’.

Some of us are come out of the 2010 gates at a sprint, tackling every challenge we have laid out for ourselves head on.

Are you one of these people? 

If so, I admire your enthusiasm.  But remember that this quest for a better body, more energy, self-improvement, a better life, etc. is a long distance event.

Why we often give up

It is easy to accept the idea that we can’t transform ourselves overnight.  And yet when we don’t see immediate results for our early efforts, we give up. That is, unless we haven’t started due to feeling completely overwhelmed by the list of imperfections.

The idea of beginning action immediately - trimming those Christmas thighs, refreshing our New Years liver, or re-educating our eggnog brain – is very seductive, but…

STOP.

Look back for a moment.  You have probably taken on this approach ever since you can remember (depending on the depth of eggnog abuse).  And let’s face it, this approach hasn’t worked so far.  Why do you expect anything different this year?

My mother often said:

‘If you continue to do what you have always done then you will continue to get what you have always got’.

So perhaps this year it is time to try something different.

The horse example

If you want to learn to ride a horse and know nothing about horses, you don’t just sidle up to a horse in a paddock, throw on a saddle and climb on, do you?  You find out who owns a horse and can give you some lessons.

The same goes for your health. To just jump in with no (or incorrect) information is to risk finding yourself on a bucking bronco.  Unsurprisingly, the results are generally disappointing.

At Evolve we can help you take a structured approach to achieving your health goals – an approach that is reasonable, manageable and adaptable to suit your situation.  

We don’t just provide acupuncture, massage and Chinese herbalism.  We also can help you with diet, exercise and lifestyle advice.  All of these elements are important when it comes to breaking through the walls of the past effectively.

Want to become better and better?  You can, and we can help you get it right.