Silly question, right? Well, amazingly I am told all the time that the reason that I succeed with vegan whole foods diet is because I am strong willed. One of my family members told me that I have been dubbed “The Iron Lady” among my relatives for that reason. Hearing things as such never ceases to amuse and amaze me. It really cracks me up.The same person that shared the family “secret” with me has an indescribable weakness for sweets—she is head over heels for them and according to her own confession “could not LIVE without them”, even if she tried, because… she does not have a “strong will”. The same person suffers from various ailments: high blood pressure, allergies, etc., and constantly tries various diets on her and her husband trying to lose weight. Their typical diet lasts about 30 days, sticking to certain food groups, and at the end of the 30 days they go on a binge of all things they “cannot live without”.
So, this phenomenon leaves me speechless and dumbfounded… oh, who am I kidding? It makes me want to scream at the top of my lungs: “Are you crazy? You have got to be kidding me!” How can someone with a “weak” will be so strong headed and set on a path of destroying their health, which affects not only them, but their children?!
So, are we BORN with a strong will, or is it an acquired skill?
Here is my opinion. I believe that some personalities are more predisposed to have certain traits—being head-strong is one of mine. By personality time I am nearly a pure choleric, however, as I grew and matured I worked hard on the traits in myself that I did not like, changing them to be positive, rather than negative. I also acquired certain traits found in other personality types, especially sanguine and melancholic—but only the ones that I consider positive and those that would enhance who I am. Although being more persistent in the things of my life than others, it does not guarantee that my personality will ensure me having a STRONG WILL. A strong will is nothing more than a solid resolution to succeed and then act on it, i.e. IF YOU WANT SOMETHING BAD ENOUGH YOU WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN!
I wanted good health, which required for me to give up certain habits that I acquired from my childhood, such as eating meats, cheeses, dairy products, and some that I acquired after moving to North America, such as eating boxed and processed foods. I had a simple choice to make: 1. Continue with my lifestyle and keep paying the price with my ever worsening health; or 2. Change everything that I knew to be true up to that point and re-gain control of my and my husband’s health. There was nothing else: Option 1 and Option 2—nothing in between. I chose life and I stuck with it.
Has it ever been hard for me? I had certain temptations, but I never got to a point at which I wanted to regress to my old ways. It would be much easier, as some think, certainly especially when it comes to family gatherings or any other social engagements involving food (which is nearly 100% of the time in our society). It is not a pleasant experience to come to a party where everyone is loading up their plate and gorging on various dishes, while I and my husband end up with a few green leafs (apparently that is the only thing that most can come up with that is vegan) and a cucumber or an apple. But we know that we made our choice and we have to be OK with that! It is that simple! What we get in return is much more rewarding: a clean bill of health, more energy, longer lives (eventually, God willing).
Strong will is nothing more than a decision to make a change, and a resolve to see it through. We all have to make decisions that are contrary to popular opinion at one point or another, and choosing to have a better diet is not harder than choosing to be a Christian in an atheistic society (I grew up in one so I know)—at least with food no one is going to hold a gun to your head and make you choose life or death based on your willingness to eat junk.
So, if you happen to talk to me, please, please do not use “weak will” as an excuse for your failure to feel better. Call it what it is: being lazy, going with the flow, being lazy (or did I already say that?), unwilling to live, choosing momentary pleasures over long term benefits, paying for your selfishness with your health and making your family pay for it [someone is going to have to take care of you when you eventually get really sick, and your, your family’s or my [taxpayer’s] money is going to have to cover the expenses]. Call it being self-indulgent, call it whatever you may, but please do not tell me that you are “weak willed” because it takes a lot of determination to slowly kill yourself also.
I have heard many times: “I would rather die from cancer than give up meet!”, “I would rather enjoy my life and be happy when I die than give up… (fill in the blank)!” But then I saw the same people willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive, when it is a little too late. Some get chemo, some have an open heart surgery, limb amputation… you name it. There are some, however, that do get smart, but not always in time to get well, and change their eating and lifestyle habits. But I hope you are not going to be one of those who are a little too late to enjoy perfect health.
I also hope that you will realize, if you are struggling with this, that developing a Strong Will is like developing a muscle--you have to work on it on a regular basis!
And just to show you that change IS possible if it is DESIRED, here is a transformation of a meat-loving cowboy into a vegan—his changes was prompted by a simple desire to LIVE!
And just to show you that change IS possible if it is DESIRED, here is a transformation of a meat-loving cowboy into a vegan—his changes was prompted by a simple desire to LIVE!
So, do YOU think that Strong Will is a gift or an acquired skill?
