We are bombarded everyday with marketing campaigns that are designed to make you feel less than. You’re not pretty enough, smart enough, capable enough. Because you’re poor you can’t. Because you're not the right gender, color, from the right part of town, you can’t. Because life is unfair, you’ll fail. Now I’ll admit life isn’t fair, but I don’t believe that means you have to be a victim. A lot of people in power or companies want you to be a victim, that’s how they’re able to market to you, sell you their solutions, or control you.
There’s nothing wrong with marketing and selling but when you start to believe you’re less than and that what you’re missing is some outside offer, then I believe that’s a problem. This shifts you from empowerment and you're unable to make the best decisions for yourself when you believe that you're less than. When their product is the one thing you’re missing in order to feel completed, this is a red flag.
This is especially true when it comes to your health. How many times a day are you seeing posts, articles, videos, or blogs that are telling you how to be healthy? That everything you do is wrong and is going to end up killing you? You’re trying your best to stay up on the latest information, but it seems to change all the time. Eating meat is bad, now lectins in broccoli are bad, now carnivore is the way to go, eggs are killing you, eggs are something you should eat every day.
If you’re feeling frustrated about what to do, what to eat, how to exercise, and how you can be healthy then you’re deciding from a disempowered place. It’s easy to do with all these bold statements and fear-based headlines. All these things slowly eat away at your confidence and put you in a position of ignorant consumer.
Not all information is negative. We do want information to challenge our way of thinking so we can improve. Cigarettes used to be healthy for crying out loud. But you need to stand strong in your values and the way you're taking in this abundant amount of information. It’s important to always check in when you’re reading a piece of information.
Does this make sense to me?
Are they using language to shame or scare me into their way of thinking?
Am I feeling guilty or dumb for not thinking the way they want me to?
Am I feeling pressured to buy a book, program, supplement, or consume everything this person has published?
Do I feel like this person has the answers to all my problems?
Are they making others sound ignorant for not thinking like they do?
Am I feeling pressure from others to follow this way of thinking? To get this shot/pill/supplement?
Am I afraid of what will happen if I don’t do this?
These are important questions to ask when you start having strong feelings towards a specific way of thinking when it comes to your health.
Here are my steps for making an empowered decision. The most important thing to do is check in with how you’re feeling. If you’re fearful, it is the worst time to make a decision. What you need is space for yourself to make sure this is the right thing for you.
Research the opposing side. They’re most likely going to have the exact same tone and fear, just the other side of the coin, but this allows you to see both perspectives.
Next, take the emotion out of it. What you want is to come to a decision from your truth and values. Marketers know the best thing to motivate a buyer is emotion and fear has the biggest sales. Can you separate yourself from the fearful (or whatever emotion they’re playing on) outcome and just sit with yourself?
Then, ask if you’ll regret not taking the action they want you to take. This one can be hard to decide because we don’t know the outcome either way. But this is where your research comes in or asking someone who specializes in general health to explain the benefits or downsides. They should have an unbiased opinion and have your best outcome in mind.
What it really boils down to is, can you find the space to make a decision based on your values and what you want in life?
Do you have a good support system in place to help you stay on track with your values? Can you separate yourself from the emotional overwhelm they’re targeting to make a decision?
What is the most important take away you got? Share in on IG & don't forget to tag @kiya.hunter :)