Ep. #229. Do The Work

DO THE WORK

You can’t get strong by watching YOUTUBE videos of other people going to the gym. From the videos you can certainly garner some great tips on HOW to work out effectively, but you won’t receive any results without actually doing the workouts.

If you break your arm, it’s not very useful to sit on the couch thinking about possibly going to the hospital. The longer you sit around just “thinking” about getting help for your arm, the more pain you will endure unnecessarily. If you wait a few days, your arm will start to set itself in the wrong position, causing more unnecessary long term suffering. By not addressing the issue and simply getting help, you have made your broken arm into a way bigger issue than it had to be.

If you choose to stay home and just wish you had help, you will suffer from your choices.

If help comes to your door, and you refuse to open that door, you will suffer from your choice.

This is exactly the same for people who are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Injuries. If you don’t do the work, if you don’t take positive action, you will suffer more than you need to.

By procrastinating on getting help, the injury is getting worse than it needs to be.

If you don’t know where to start looking for help, start with my show. Operation Tango Romeo has over 230 episodes that are dedicated to investigating every form of healing that I can find. I have done episodes on Nutrition, exercise, psychedelics, retreats, NLP, equine therapy, motorcycle riding, canine companionship, skilled peer support, EMDR, talk therapy, mental health first aid, finding purpose, and on, and on, and on. There IS help available, all you have to do is put up your hand and ask for it. Reach out to any of the organizations that I’ve had on the show, and ask for help.

If moving forward with help is beyond your capacity right now…what CAN you do?

Can you do one pushup an hour?

Can you walk up and down stairs?

Can you do half of a bodyweight squat?

Can you quit drinking alcohol?

Can you attend a peer support meeting, in person or online?

Can you visit with someone at least once a week?

Can you read one paragraph of a self help book every day?

Can you learn one new word of a new language every day?

Can you do yoga with the help of youtube videos?

Can you listen to one episode of my show a day?

Can you call a service officer to ask for help?

Can you help someone else?

Can you volunteer at a food bank, or any other charitable organization?

What skills do you have which could be used to help another human being, or an animal?

Can you babysit a dog while people are on vacation? Or a cat? Or a goldfish? Or a plant?

Can you water plants?

Can you compliment someone?

Can you smile?

Can you keep hydrated?

Can you make your bed?

Can you take a shower?

Can you brush your teeth?

If you can do any of these things…then do it. If you can do more, then do more. Focus on what you CAN do, and get it done.

Just pick ONE thing, and do it every single day. Eventually you’ll find the strength to do two things a day, then three, and your capacity for self care will grow. Eventually you will find the strength to reach out for help, and take your healing to the next level.

Taking massive action is great, but not necessary. Tiny steps, done consistently, will get you to a better place…but you still have to take those steps. If you don’t, you won’t move. If you don’t move, nothing will change. If nothing changes, you won’t heal.

Do the work.