The Habits of Health Transformational often talks about building or creating optimal wellbeing, and those word choices are deliberate. Building and creation have positive connotations from start to finish because those processes are often creative and result in a significant accomplishment.
We create a painting instead of changing a canvas.
We build a house instead of changing construction materials.
Framing a goal or project with these words implies a certain sense of joy and optimism in the process. Yes, building a house can be hard, time-consuming work, but the final goal makes that effort so much more meaningful. When you’re done, a family gets a home, a place to make their own and fill with years of memories.
The word change is weighed down by negative sentiments like “people don’t change” or “change is hard.” Framing your journey to optimal health this way is a disservice to yourself, your potential, and your goals because what you are doing is an incredible act of creation. This isn’t like changing a t-shirt. This is like doing a full home remodel where you aren’t just making changes, you are making improvements.
If you have ever repainted a room, you know how powerful even a small act of creation can be for your day to day life. That new coat of paint can breathe new life into that space, making it feel more welcoming, more comfortable, and sometimes like an entirely different room from the one you started with. The process takes effort and sometimes can be frustrating, but you know at the end of the process you get not just the result but the invigorating feeling of accomplishment.
You created this. You made this new positive present a reality.
Every aspect of your life fits into this metaphor because you possess the amazing ability to build and create the life that you want to live. You should be excited by the potential of your personal canvas, and you should feel empowered because you are holding the paintbrush.
So create something that makes you happy and moves you toward the future you dream of.