Several years ago I wrote a book called Failing Forward. So while I definitely believe in the principle that we must "learn from our mistakes," I'll admit that failure is not the most pleasant way to be taught.

 

Most of the time when I speak or write on a particular topic, I'm able to look back over specific decisions I've made, actions I've taken or principles I've applied and see a pattern of success. Time after time, the various disciplines and strategies God has led me to undertake have had a positive, compounding effect on my life.

 

Personal health, however, has not typically been one of them. I only have to look back to December 18, 1998, for a grim reminder of how close my negligence in this area came to costing me everything.

 

After enjoying a Christmas-party dinner that night with my employees and their spouses in a stadium club at Atlanta's Turner Field, I noticed I wasn't feeling well. Music was playing, the room was filled with laughter, and yet I couldn't shake the sensation of cold sweat beading on my forehead and the back of my neck.

 

Then, suddenly, an excruciating pain in my chest dropped me to my knees. I had never experienced anything like it!

 

As I lay on the floor awaiting the paramedics--with my wife, children, and closest friends all present and prayerful--they could have told me that an elephant was sitting on top of me, and I would've believed them. The tightness was that intense! I honestly thought I wasn't going to make it.

 

By the time the ambulance finally got me to the hospital, I was told what I already suspected: I was in the middle of a serious heart attack.

 

So for the next several hours, a steady stream of doctors and nurses worked to alleviate my pain and correct the problem. Had it not been for one of Atlanta's finest cardiologists, Dr. Jeff Marshall, and a new procedure that had only recently been developed at the time for removing clots in the bloodstream, I would almost certainly have died that night.

 

I'm sure of that. But I believe God had His reasons for transforming this potential killer into a wake-up call, not only for me, but for many others--men who are in the same shoes I was wearing a week short of Christmas 1998.

 

I realize I'm probably writing to two different types of guys. Perhaps you're a guy like me, who's always found diet, nutrition and exercise a battle--many times a losing battle.

 

Or, perhaps you're the type who takes it too far in the other direction, overdoing the weekend recreations and daily workout routines ... and hooked on the feeling!

But the truth is, no matter which side of this fence you customarily live on, the best advice of all is to meet in the middle.

 

Please understand: I'm no health expert. I realize that some of you--like me--have been given specific advice from your doctor about the health regimen you need to be on. In no way do I want to contradict what you've been told to do.

 

But for most of us, the key to physical health and fitness is not to go to radical extremes. Moderation is the key.

 

· In diet. The key to healthy eating is managing what you eat every day, which is an area I really struggle with. Keeping track of my food intake is one discipline I wish I didn't have to practice. It seems, as Mark Twain observed, "The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not." There's probably a lot of truth to what he said, but it really doesn't have to be that depressing. We shouldn't rely on crash diets and over-the-top measures except in the most extreme cases. We all know the basic drill: low-fat foods, fruit and vegetables, no alcohol abuse or cigarette smoking. A healthy balance is what we're shooting for.

 

· In exercise. The main thing in this area just seems to be consistency. I try to exercise a minimum of five days a week by walking on a treadmill for at least 35 minutes. That's what my doctor has recommended. Experts also say it's good to plan some variety into your routine so you don't get bored or leave certain muscle and body groups unaffected. It's not as important what you do as it is that you do it. Do something! And do it regularly.

 

· In stress and lifestyle. Everybody faces problems and feels pressure from time to time. Stress is not something we can entirely eliminate. The problem with stress is not that we have it; the problem is how we handle it. I've found that the worst thing I can do when it comes to any kind of potential pressure situation is to put off dealing with it. If you address issues as quickly as possible and keep short accounts with people, you'll greatly reduce the chances of being stressed out.

 

Even simple things like maintaining good posture can help your lungs fill to maximum capacity, giving you less stress on your muscles and more oxygen and energy to burn.

Even a 10-percent weight loss can make you sleep better at night, and make you less likely to snore and be annoying, as well as substantially lowering your risk of sleep apnea.

 

One recent study even stated that regular contact and interaction with other people--even if talking on the telephone--reduces stress levels and lowers your susceptibility to catching a cold.

 

With all the various options and success stories out there to choose from, the best plan for good health is simply to do the basic things, and to do them every day. If you goof it up, don't quit. Just start over again tomorrow.

 

While diet, exercise and lifestyle decisions are the obvious, inescapable ingredients to a more promising picture of health, I believe there are bigger players at work, issues that not only affect our fitness but also our effectiveness for Christ. I encourage you to give these suggestions some thought, and see if they can make a difference in your life, as they have in mine.

 

· Have a purpose worth living for. A friend who spent a lot of time with me during my recovery saw me pass up desserts time after time--something that had not been characteristic of me in years past. One day he finally asked me: "Have you lost your craving for desserts, John?" "No," I answered, "but my craving for life is greater."

 

One of the greatest motivators toward a healthy lifestyle is simply the desire to live. This means maintaining a close, intimate relationship with God, who will continually show you through His Word and through prayer that He has a reason for you being here. It means never wanting to stop investing in the lives of others. A sense of purpose will make improving your health worth the discipline that's required to get there.

 

· Do work you enjoy. Lily Tomlin said, "The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat." When the work you do is that uninspiring and unfulfilling, it's very hard to maintain the drive to excel--in anything!

 

Certainly, men may find themselves temporarily needing to work jobs that don't match their passions and skill sets, but you cannot do it for long without wearing down. To remain healthy, your work needs to be in alignment with your values and gifts. God has given you certain talents, temperaments and abilities, and it is vital that you plug them in to the work you do on a daily basis.

 

· Find your pace. If you take life more slowly than your energy level is capable of, you'll probably become lazy. But if you continually run faster than you're able to keep up, you'll almost certainly burn out at some point. Men need to find their balance.

 

No matter how long I live, I know I will always have a tendency to take on more than I should and to go at a pace that's too fast for me. There are just so many opportunities I want to pursue, books I want to write and people I want to help. But I also know that God has a pace designed for me that fits me like a glove. And when I live at that pace, He will have more than enough time to accomplish everything He wants to do through me.

 

· Laugh. Bernie S. Siegel, a physician, writing in his book Peace, Love & Healing, said: "I've done the research and I hate to tell you, but everybody dies--lovers, joggers, vegetarians and nonsmokers. I'm telling you this so that some of you who jog at 5 a.m. and eat vegetables will occasionally sleep late and have an ice cream cone."

 

I love that. We should never take ourselves too seriously. You will find--if you haven't already--that health issues can become pressing matters that weigh on you when you're not even meaning for them to. Yes, we are responsible as stewards of our bodies to care for them and treat them with value and worth, as precious gifts from God. But we can't live life overboard. Learn to take it easy. Learn to laugh.

 

I Still Maintain ...

 

I know how I got to the point I did in my personal health, before a heart attack and helpful friends pushed me in a positive direction:

 

· In my teens, I developed many bad eating habits.

 

· In my 20s, food became a stress reliever after I'd worked especially hard.

 

· In my 30s, I finally started to exercise, but it was usually last on my agenda.

 

· In my 40s, I realized I needed to change, but I failed to add the daily discipline.

 

It wasn't until I reached my 50s that I finally made the decision to both study up and follow up on some healthy guidelines for my life. And even though it's not always easy or a smashing success, it's a commitment I'm working hard to keep. I hope you are, too.

 

By John C. Maxwell, author of The New York Times best-selling book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadershipand the founder of INJOY, a firm specializing in developing leaders.