For the past several weeks I have taken the time to reflect. Some of the time has been spent venting here, mostly, the time has been spent on my back deck looking at the lake and re-evaluating some things. This week I wanted to touch on a few points that I think are important and how they relate to Cosmetic Surgery and Bariatric Surgery...namely, happiness and fulfillment.
Now first of all, I am not a philosopher. I did take several classes in the subject in college and I have read philosophy since, but I am not a pro.
As children, all of us start off pretty happy. We really have no point of reference to create sadness. Whether we are rich or poor, have good parents or not, are good looking or not as good looking as we think we should be, we are usually content with our existance. Then society steps in to tell us all the reasons we should not be happy. The TV tells us that if we don't have this gizmo or that, this car or that car, blah blah blah, we are inferior to others. The process worsens in school as peer pressure takes over, and the process goes on and on as we get older.
We all reach points in our life where we are not happy with some portion of ourself or our situation. Maybe we are overweight, maybe there is something about our body that is making us unhappy, maybe it's our job, family, belief system, or a combination. I personally think that it is OK to be unhappy about some things and it is OK to strive to improve them. For instance, if you were unhappy with your employment situation, you could start investigating new career options, start taking some classes, if that is what is needed, and start a new career path. If your marriage is not so great, you and your spouse can seek counseling sessions to find out why your compatability has waned and start communicating better. We have all seen situations like these where people improve their lives dramatically with a little self improvement or education.
What if we are too heavy? Of course starting off with exercise and diet may help. Physician directed diets and medication are also accepted methods and are, for some, successful. However, when they fail, it is also perfectly acceptable to seek a surgical option. My philosophy is fairly simple when it comes to bariatric surgery and similar to the philosophy when treating drug abusers....if you don't get it under control, it's going to kill you, so do whatever it takes to get it under control. For any addiction problem, it may mean drug rehabilitation and for the morbidly obese, it means bariatric surgery. The two problems are very similar as both deal with controlling desires and changing lifestyle. Rehab is a tool, and so is weight loss surgery. Let me tell you, once a person loses 150 lbs, they become happy. They realize that the extra person they have carried around for all those years has made their life miserable, socially, physically, and otherwise. Life for these people becomes much more fulfilling because they are happier, their self image restored. They are now able to get out of the house, socialize, play with their children or grand children, work and become better providers. Most of all, they get rid of the stigmata of obesity that society tags them with. I find this an exciting and life changing event. We have one life to live so live it to the fullest. If your weight is prohibiting this and all else has failed....what's stopping you? Don't let those that don't have the problem dictate what you do. Obesity is a dangerous problem that WILL shorten your life so fix the problem if you can.
Cosmetic surgery falls more into the "want to" category, but is no less important. People that have some sort of Cosmetic problem are no less self conscious than the obese person. Whether it is breasts that are too large or too small, stretch marks after children or a sagging lower abdomen, or facial changes that occur with age, all can cause a person to be less able to fully participate in society, be happy, and fulfilled. We have the ability to correct these problems so why not be happy. Of course most say that "happiness comes from within" which is a statement I believe in. However, if fixing a Cosmetic problem gives one the self esteem to let that happiness out....I say fix it! Again, don't allow others to dictate what will make you happy, and remember that most of them would have something done if they could.
Our lives are a gift from God. It is our job to make the best of that life. Live every day like it is your last, and do whatever it takes to be fulfilled and happy, even if that means fixing something. Love deeply, laugh out loud, cry when you need to, make good friends and cherish them, treat others like they are family (but love your family a little more), hug everyone, and most of all, thank God every day for what you do have in life. Pretty simple, but now you know my philosophy.
Come see us....we will treat you right, and Cosmetic Consultations are always complimentary.
918-786-7780 or 1-877-weight-0.