G Spits It: Being Your Healthiest You

Greetings!!

Today is Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day. Radio Personality and philanthropist Tom Joyner began this tradition six years ago to underscore the necessity for Black people to take a proactive stance in physical and behavioral health.

There are two words that make this call to action critical in our community:

Healthcare Disparity

Black people are disproportionably impacted by chronic and life threatening conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. Now you know that we have been through some things – Slavery, Jim Crow, and discrimination where we live and where we work. I am proud to say that we have managed to rise up against opposing forces to make a better life for ourselves and our loved ones. The one thing that we have struggled with is our health. Some of these struggles are born out of ignorance and most of it, in these days and times originate from fear – we simply don’t want to know. I think that the reason that distresses me the most is the health crises that are the result of the arrogance some people possess because they simply think it will not happen to them.

Guess what? You can’t afford to fall victim to any of these rationales.

Whatever it is keeping you from maintaining your most important commodity, think about this – it IS possible to live life in extreme vibrancy. In order to do that you must be the healthiest YOU that you can be! If you are scared to make your health your first priority, think about your parents, children, partners/spouses, and/or friends that will agonize over you when you are ill and grieve if you don’t make it. It is not fair of you to hand your inner circle any less than the best that you can be.

So I am going to keep this short because in the coming weeks I will deal directly with some of the issues that plague us and the personal ways that it has affected me. Until then, click on the links below to get more information, make an appointment with your primary doctor. If you don’t have a regular doctor, health insurance, or can’t afford to pay, drop in to your local clinic and get a check up. It is the first step to making it right…make it right TODAY.

With that I wish you all the best today and always.

G