The Whole Human

Introduction

In our finite human existence, there are needs we must meet to live fully. Our lives can be filled with pain and suffering, joy and excitement, or something in between—bland and neutral. For me, I want to thrive and make the most of life. I seek deep soul fulfillment and everything that God has for me. That’s what I want for you, too! If I can help, I’m doing my part.

Take Control of Your Life

Consider your body a vehicle. Without realizing it, most of us let society steer us in the direction it wants for us. We walk through life wanting, wishing, and expecting different results than what we are getting because we haven’t taken control of our own lives. We’ve been mindlessly going through the motions. Remember, your body is a vessel to be led. It’s a vehicle that takes you from destination to destination. Your mind is the driver, and you have control. Your body might want to be lazy, but your mind has the power to tell it to get to work anyway. The moment you take the wheel and decide to push for greatness in every aspect of your life is the moment you take control.

The Whole Human: Building a Firm Foundation

The Whole Human is not about goal setting. It’s about having a firm foundation to build your life on and having the empowered confidence to drive your life in whatever direction you want. The Whole Human is a guide to taking care of the most important aspects of our lives—the foundational aspects. I believe there are three most important foundations in our lives. When we take care of these, the rest works itself out, giving us The Complete Human Experience: living a happy, fulfilling, meaningful life with a purpose.

The 3 Foundations

To be whole is to be unbroken and completely put together. Optimal life is optimal health. When we keep each aspect of our lives unbroken, whole, vibrant, and healthy, we make up a whole human. The Whole Human focuses on optimal health in three foundations that come together to create The Complete Human Experience:

- Spiritual Health

- Mental Health

- Physical Health

When you take care of these three foundations, the rest works itself out. You can walk out your life with purpose and passion by keeping these foundations first with no compromise.

Self-Improvement is Not Selfish

I say this a lot, but this is NOT a selfish thing to do! It’s not selfish to develop yourself, to learn, to grow, and to become better. By becoming a better you, you’ll be better for the people around you. Never let someone convince you that bettering yourself is a bad thing. If I had never improved, I can’t imagine what my relationships and lifestyle would be like today. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to keep improving. This process benefits you and everyone you come in contact with. The more confident and whole you are, the more peaceful and healing your presence will be.

Course Overview

In this course, I’m going to take you through a deep understanding of The 3 Foundations and their importance in our lives. You’ll see how subcategories fall under The 3 Foundations and how they are all built up by processes. The processes are activated and made reliable in life by the actions they consist of.

Think of it like building blocks:

- The Whole Human: Take care of The 3 Foundations and their subcategories.

- Processes: Implement the processes to take care of the foundations.

- Actions: Take specific actions unique to each person to implement the processes.

It sounds like a lot, but trust me, it’s simple. You’ll see that throughout the course. By the time we are finished here, you’ll have the tools, depth, and understanding to live your most fulfilled and whole life. That’s what it’s all about! I’ll give you an understanding of how it all works together and compounds to make up our presence, impact, and happiness. I’ll provide advice on building yourself up and taking care of yourself to become The Whole Human.

Let's Get Started

With that, let’s start looking at the way we view things—our perspective! Let’s get it.

Perspective

Your being attracts the type of life that you live. When I say "your being," I mean your actual presence. The way you think, your beliefs, your thoughts, words, actions, and habits all have a huge effect on the life that you live. If I could do one thing to help you, it would be to completely convince you that you deserve to be fulfilled. You deserve to blossom and grow with time. You owe it to yourself and to the people you will have the opportunity to impact in your lifetime.

The Power of Perspective

You know the saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” It’s true. Perspective has so much to do with your life. Two relatives can eat at the same restaurant and order the same meal. One of them could leave the restaurant thinking the food and service were great, while the other could leave thinking the food was terrible and the service was awful. With the same food and service, what’s the difference between the two relatives? Perspective. It’s not always the case that things are bad; sometimes it’s just your perspective.

Consider those people who find something negative in every situation. That negativity doesn’t come from a place of happiness, and it doesn’t always mean they have terrible circumstances in their lives. I’ve known happy people with little and unhappy people with a lot. Just like the story of the family members, given the same circumstances, people can have completely different outlooks. Therefore, our happiness is not based on our circumstances but on our perception of them and our attitude toward them. That’s perspective.

Influencing Your Perspective

Our perspectives have been influenced since we entered the world. We are marketed to all day, every day, and conditioned by friends and family. Most of us are either ignorant of this or desensitized to it over time. The good news is this: if we can be influenced by others, we can choose to influence ourselves. Remember, you are the driver. You get to choose.

If you can’t be happy, it’s not because of your circumstances; it’s most likely because of you and your perspective. You’ve got to own that. Why do most people think, believe, and talk like their parents or the people they’re around? Genetics are solid, but perspective is malleable.

The Impact of Perspective

What I’m trying to show you is that perspective can and will be influenced. Either consciously or unconsciously, we are all influenced. So go ahead and consciously choose your influences. This is not just about negativity or positivity. I’m not trying to make you an upbeat person or change your personality. I’m trying to show you that greatness is for everyone. It comes from a certain way of doing things, a certain action, a certain type of thinking.

How can two people with the same education, in the same town, starting from ground-zero, end up with vastly different outcomes? It’s simple: it’s the way their minds work that differentiates the results in their lives. The mind drives the action.

The Malleability of Perspective

Perspective is malleable. It’s changeable. We can shape our minds. Our actions can be intentional. We can change. We can get better and better. Improvement is progress. Progress is success.

I had to realize the hard way that I was the problem when my life was very different than I had expected. I was broke and being taken advantage of. I was a victim. The best thing I did was decide that maybe I didn’t have the best way of doing things and started searching for answers from those more successful than me in areas where I needed improvement. That fueled this love and drive I have for greatness now.

Goals for This Course

I want to help you. I want you to be so full of love, joy, and passion that you overflow and reach others. The goal of this part of the course is to give you the tools and equipment you need to make the most of your life. Ultimately, I want to give you a new way to view your life! I want you to be able to prioritize The 3 Foundations in your life and think about life that way so you’ll be able to thrive.

I want your perspective to be that of greatness. I want you to desire greatness and believe that you’re capable of reaching it because you really can. Thanks for coming on this path with me.

Understanding The 3 Foundations, Subcategories, and Processes

Now that you have an overview of what we’re aiming for, it’s time to dive deeper. This is where I want to start laying out what I mean when I mention The 3 Foundations, Subcategories, and Processes. Before we go in-depth on each specific piece of The Whole Human, let’s understand how these elements work together.

Understanding The 3 Foundations

The 3 Foundations are:

- Spiritual Health

- Mental Health

- Physical Health

Imagine a triangle. At the top of the triangle is Spiritual Health, with everything else trickling down underneath. Taking care of one foundation leads to a greater capacity for taking care of the others. There is synergy between The 3 Foundations—they work together, feed into each other, and benefit each other.

Understanding Subcategories

While committing to The 3 Foundations, you’ll notice that there are Subcategories that fall under each foundation. An example of a Subcategory is Financial Health. The health of our Subcategories greatly depends on how well we take care of The 3 Foundations. Some Subcategories will take care of themselves as a byproduct of your commitment to being The Whole Human. For example, taking care of Mental Health will greatly impact your Emotional Health as well.

Understanding Processes

Committing to The 3 Foundations and their Subcategories will influence the Processes in your life. In return, these Processes will impact The 3 Foundations. Processes are the means of achieving and sustaining health in The 3 Foundations and Subcategories. The relationship between The 3 Foundations, Subcategories, and their Processes is cyclical.

For instance, fitness and healthy eating are Processes that fall under the foundation of Physical Health. By committing to physical health, you are also committing to the Processes involved in staying on track.

These are only example Processes for demonstration purposes. We will discuss Actions later, after thoroughly understanding these elements. That’s when you’ll be able to apply all of this to your life.

Understanding How They Work Together

Taking care of The 3 Foundations will intersect to mutually affect some of the Subcategories. For example, your Social Health will depend on your Spiritual, Mental, and Physical Health. Your social relationships will be defined by the intersection of your foundations. When all the categories of your life meet, you have SELF. This illustrates the importance of taking care of your foundations.

The relationship between The 3 Foundations, Subcategories, and Processes ebbs and flows, giving and taking. There is synchronicity between all categories in our lives and the processes we use to achieve health in those categories. For example, taking care of your relationships will improve your Mental Health, and being in a better mental state will help you take care of your relationships. This give and take happens between the categories and actions in our lives.

Processes can vary from person to person because what makes one person spiritually, mentally, or physically healthy might not be the same for another. However, The 3 Foundations and their Subcategories are consistent for all of us, and most Processes will be similar. Individuals may choose to add or remove certain elements, but this won’t happen often.

The Whole Human isn’t meant to design your life. It’s meant to give you the perspective and keys to design your own life. The Whole Human is your guide to designing your life. It’s the hierarchical blueprint to having The Complete Human Experience. We will discuss the foundational elements with some examples for helpful insight, but the details are left up to you.

Let’s start breaking each piece down.

Foundation #1: Spiritual Health

No matter your religious beliefs, it’s important to look beyond the influences you’ve encountered throughout your life. Go deeper than religion and tradition. If your spirituality is built solely on traditional activities, it may be nothing more than a set of shallow routines.

True Spirituality

Consider taking out the trash. Why do we do it? Because we know we should—it’s a routine. Similarly, your spirituality should be deeper than just routines. It should be about a relationship with the Creator. Search for answers and experiences yourself.

Approach the Creator humbly, acknowledging that a greater power has brought everything, including yourself, into existence.

My Perspective

I am a Christian. For me, the essence of Christianity is faith. As 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." This scripture addresses those who seek logical answers for everything. While I believe science and logic can support faith, I don't need all the answers. Faith involves believing in what we cannot see or fully understand.

Experiencing God

I experience God personally. I’ve submitted humbly as a created being in a vast universe, acknowledging my imperfections. I suggest you do the same. When you truly submit to a higher power and humbly seek answers, God will reveal Himself. You might find He’s been revealing Himself all along—you just weren’t searching with the eyes of faith.

Spiritual Health and Its Importance

Regardless of your beliefs, coming to terms spiritually is powerful. Recognizing that your actions can have a domino effect on existence is profound. Your presence on earth significantly impacts yourself and others.

Spiritual health is the foundation of The Whole Human for many reasons. Without it, achievements can feel empty. True soul satisfaction comes from a deeper connection, and this connection is spiritual.

Building on Spiritual Health

When connected spiritually, your actions have deeper meaning and purpose, leading to soul satisfaction. Therefore, taking care of yourself spiritually is paramount. It is the foundation upon which everything else is built.

Let your Journey of Intention begin with spirituality. Build on this foundation to avoid the emptiness that can come from achieving everything yet feeling unfulfilled.

Luke 9:25 says, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?"

Daily Spiritual Practices

Each day within your Journey of Intention, start by taking care of yourself spiritually. Minds, bodies, actions, goals, relationships, and finances are temporary, but the spirit is eternal.

Key Practices:

- Daily Prayer: Begin your day with prayer, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to live, learn, and make progress.

- Reading Scripture: Keep your perspective aligned by reading scripture.

- Assembling with Believers: Engage with others who share your faith.

- Serving Others: Find ways to serve family, friends, or strangers.

- Affirmations: Use positive affirmations to reinforce your beliefs.

- Practicing Gratitude: Regularly express gratitude for your blessings.

This is the concrete foundation that supports your Journey of Intention. With the Spiritual Health Foundation, you have:

- Identification of a Creator

- Relationship with the Creator

- Meaning behind your actions

Stay on track with your spiritual processes. Now, let’s move to the next foundation.

Foundation #2: Mental Health

We are all at different places mentally, influenced by various factors. Today’s society constantly bombards us with information, adding to our responsibilities and limiting our attention.

Taking Control of Influences

To improve our mental health, we must consciously decide to control the influences within our power. Be mindful of:

- The people we surround ourselves with

- The books we read

- The podcasts we listen to

- The narratives in our own minds

These influences significantly impact our perspective and mentality. We need to nurture our mental health foundation and cultivate a healthy mind space.

Importance of Mental Well-Being

Your mental well-being profoundly impacts your life. If your mind is cluttered, it’s hard to stay present. While having direction and goals is great, living fully in the present is essential.

Key Points:

- Having a future direction is important, but being present is crucial.

- Your goals should be integrated into your identity, not just destinations to reach.

- Each moment has something to teach you, making you better prepared for your destination.

This perspective can greatly benefit your mental health, freeing up mental space and bringing peace. Learn, grow, and make progress by being present.

Internal Perception

What we take away from each experience in life is less about external events and more about our internal perception. Taking care of yourself mentally is foundational because our routine habits, actions, and thoughts originate in our minds.

Mental Health Impact:

- Healthy mind = healthy thoughts

- Healthy thoughts = healthy actions

- Healthy actions = healthy lifestyle

Our mental health determines how we think, speak, and act, ultimately shaping our lives.

Flow of Foundations

Just as Spiritual Health influences everything, Mental Health does too. If we struggle mentally, it affects our work, potentially leading to financial issues. It can also cause us to lash out or say things we don’t mean, impacting our emotional and social health.

Garden Analogy:

- Consider your mind a garden, with thoughts as seeds of action.

- Bad influences lead to poor thoughts, resulting in poor actions.

- Protect what you let into your mind to influence you.

Compounding Influence

Every bit of influence we encounter has the power to compound.

Compounding Process:

- Compounding influence = Compounding thoughts

- Compounding thoughts = Compounding actions

- Compounding actions = Compounding habits

- Compounding habits = Your life

Mental Health Foundation

Key Components:

- Conscious control/ownership and responsibility

- Influence and environment

- Clarity and presence

Processes for Mental Health:

- Prayer/meditation

- Exercise

- Hobbies

- Self-development

- Acts of service

- Time alone/with others

- Journaling

Taking care of your mental health is essential for a balanced and fulfilling life. Now, let’s move to the next foundation.

Foundation #3: Physical Health

We've covered the Spiritual Health Foundation and the Mental Health Foundation. Now, let's discuss the importance of taking care of our physical health.

Key Concepts:

- Spiritual Health: Spirit is being.

- Mental Health: Your mind is the driver.

- Physical Health: Your body is the vehicle.

The Importance of Physical Health

Our minds can be fully equipped to steer us in the right direction, but our bodies must be capable of carrying out the actions. What good is having a destination if your vehicle breaks down on the way?

Most of us understand the importance of physical health, but many do not prioritize it. If you want the most out of life, you need to take care of your body.

Impact on Relationships

Imagine you have a son who wants to throw a ball, but you've neglected your physical health for so long that it's no longer an option. Whether due to pain or exhaustion, this neglect impacts your relationship with your child. It affects your social relationships, which in turn affects you mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The decisions, or lack thereof, you make today compound to create the life you’ll have tomorrow.

Consider a 22-year-old woman with a fit body and big goals. Do you think she's looking for a partner who won't be healthy enough to raise a family with her? A good indicator of someone on top of their game is their dedication to physical health. It's not about superficial vanity but about taking care of yourself.

For me, I want my body to reflect my mindset and soul. I aim to be a powerhouse when it comes to my health. The good news is that it’s never too late to create a better tomorrow. Taking care of your body now will lead to more positive changes in your life.

Building Confidence

You need the confidence to know that whatever dream or goal you have, you'll be able to see it through. You want to wake up feeling youthful, alive, and vibrant. That’s what The Whole Human is all about.

People of all ages can be in great shape and health, or in poor condition. There are no excuses. Find a way to make your health a priority.

Simple Tips for Physical Health

I know it’s hard to determine what’s healthy these days with so many diets and food options. Let’s keep it simple. You know water is good for you. You know healthy portions of food are good for you. You know exercise is good for you. Start there and learn along the way.

People make it all so complicated, but here are a few helpful tips for exercise focused on pursuing greatness in life, not bodybuilding:

Tips for Physical Health:

- To lose weight: Use an app like MyFitnessPal to track your daily calorie intake. Reduce your daily calories by 500 to lose weight.

- To gain weight: Similarly, increase your daily calories by 500.

- Macronutrient Ratios: Experiment with different ratios of protein, carbs, and fats.

- Strength Training: Lift enough to be strong.

- Cardio: Do enough cardio to stay in shape.

I’m not perfect. I love sugar, snacks, and energy drinks. But I always make an effort to take care of my physical health. When I stray too far, I snap back and refocus.

The Physical Health Foundation

Key Components:

- The Vessel: Your body takes you from destination to destination.

- Importance: Understand the significance of maintaining your physical health.

- Balance: Find the sweet spot for your eating and exercise routines.

Processes for Physical Health:

- Healthy eating

- Exercise

- Sunlight

- Drinking water

- Stretching

- Rest

Now, let’s move to the Subcategories.

Subcategories

Now that you understand the importance of The 3 Foundations and how they work, you can see how taking care of these foundations empowers you to be more efficient in all of life’s subcategories.

Focus on Subcategories

Some subcategories will get more attention than others, depending on the individual. I’ll outline each subcategory and offer tips for staying on track, but my primary goal is for you to become conscious of taking care of The 3 Foundations. When you take care of The 3 Foundations, you’ll naturally stay on top of the subcategories. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want processes for everything because you seek greatness in all areas of life.

Subcategories and Processes

Social

Processes for Staying On Track:

- Daily, weekly, monthly phone calls

- Daily, weekly, monthly visits

- Vacations

- Movie nights

- Consistency

- Intimacy

- Communication

Emotional

Processes for Staying On Track:

- Vulnerability

- Being proactive

- Being optimistic

- Accountability

- Social connection

- Hobbies

- Exercise

- Quality sleep

- Practice gratitude

Financial

Processes for Staying On Track:

- Investing

- Tithing

- Saving

- Building credit

- Passive income

- Active income

Intellectual

Processes for Staying On Track:

- Journaling

- Reading

- Learning a new skill

- Taking courses

- Writing

Environmental

Processes for Staying On Track:

- Protecting your atmosphere

- Keeping a clean space

- Being around positive influences

- Keeping encouraging content close by

- Spending time outdoors

Now, let’s move to the final piece of the puzzle: action.

Action

It’s time to make all this applicable to our lives. That’s where action comes in. Action is the core of processes. Without action, your health in every aspect of your life is left up to chance.

The Importance of Writing Things Down

In this section, you’ll understand the value of writing things down. This is where you’ll put the details into your life and hold yourself accountable by noting specifics like time and place. For example: Gym, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 6:00 PM, After Work.

Plan of Action

When creating a plan of action, consider:

- Who

- What

- When

- Where

- How

Making a plan of action creates a path to your goals, which is specific and unique to each person. This is how you attain health in each aspect of your life.

Breaking It Down

The structure of The 3 Foundations and Subcategories can be as complex or as simple as you want. They each have defining traits, but the detailed level we break them down to and how we achieve them varies from person to person.

Example: Physical Health

- Foundation: Physical Health

- Process: Fitness

- Actions: Weight training, gym sessions, wake up at 4:00 AM

This breakdown helps you have everything laid out for yourself, making it easier to understand and removing any guesswork.

Utilizing the Graphic

I’ve put together a graphic for you to download and fill out. This will help you get clear on taking care of The 3 Foundations and Subcategories in your life, the processes you need in place, and the actions required to make it happen.

Action Steps:

- Print the graphic, fill it out, and place it somewhere you’ll remember.

- Alternatively, save it to your phone for easy access.

- Fill in each section with specific actions to eliminate guesswork when it’s time to act.

Making It Actionable

Taking the time to write down your plans and make them actionable is crucial. None of this is possible if you have to think too much about it when it’s time to act. By planning and mapping everything out in advance, the execution becomes simple. If it’s too complicated, you either won’t stick to it or won’t do it at all.

Key Points:

- Take the time to plan and map out your actions.

- Define exactly what you need to do to stay on track.

- Make your plan actionable and straightforward.

I hope this all makes sense. Now, let’s wrap it up!

Conclusion

After everything that’s been said, you should see how your life and the actions you take work like building blocks. I like to have a clear view of everything—it helps me stay focused and know where I’m going and what I’m doing. For this reason, I’ve created downloadable graphics for you and me.

Simplifying Your Journey

It’s effective to lay things out and make them simple for yourself. This approach removes the questions. For example, if you know you want to be healthy and have written down to eat a banana every day, when the time comes, you don’t question what to do—you just eat the banana.

I’ve followed some form of this exact step for the past 6-7 years. The main thing is that I hope I’ve broadened your mind and opened you up to a more fulfilling life and perspective.

Setting Your Intention

Now that you’ve begun to build your foundation, it’s time to set your Intention. The Whole Human is about the health of your being. Setting your Intention is about finding your vision and passion in life. If that sounds like something you’re interested in, check out http://ZachBanes.com/Intention

While I aim to equip you and lead you in the right direction, my content is more about provoking you to find the greatness within yourself. I want you to believe in yourself and make the most of your life!

Stay Connected

If you’ve enjoyed this or learned something, let me know. Share some love. I’m not asking for much, but every review, comment, follow, subscription, or purchase helps me progress in my life too.

I’m constantly putting out new content on my socials @zachbanes and newsletters/blogs on my website, http://zachbanes.com If you want to go further and learn more, check out my other courses.

Thanks again!

I’m your friend. I’m your brother. It’s ya boy,

Zach Banes