Jaime Seeman - Hard to Kill: Master the Mindset to Maximize Your Years

Published by

Fit & Fabulous, LLC

From the minute were born, the only guarantee in life is death. This may sound like a harsh reality, but as an OBGYN, its one of the things I think about every time I deliver a baby. I also think about the possibilitieswho they will become, what they will achieve, and the impact they will have on the world. Each one of us leaves a legacy when were no longer herea legacy that tells our own story about the lives we touched during our time on earth. Greatness is the ability to inspire the people around you. I want to inspire you so that you can leave a legacy that inspires others.

The guarantee of death is what makes our time on earth so precious. Its a lesson I learned after a traumatic life event that became the catalyst to change for myself and my family. Its why everyone needs to create a quality life and why I want to give you the skills to create that life with whatever time youre given. After all, time and energy are our most valuable assets, and the best way to maximize them is by becoming someone who is hard to kill.

There are five pillars of health needed to achieve a quality life and become hard to kill: nutrition, movement, sleep, stress resilience, and environment. You cant neglect one pillar for another; they must all work together. Ill provide detailed explanations about each pillar of health so that youll gain an in-depth knowledge of each one and learn how to incorporate them into your own life. Ill also provide a Hard to Kill 30-day Challenge so that you can start right away.

Being hard to kill is more than just staving off illness or disease. Its waking up each day with a burning desire to want the life you have and everything it encompassesyour body, your family, and all the circumstances that come with it. Within that structure, you learn how to be successful in all areas of your life: physical, intellectual, financial, spiritual, and social. Being hard to kill is a slow journey that takes time. Its a continuum in which you can move forward and backward on any given day. Like most transformations, not everyone in your current circle of influence will be accepting or ready to follow you. It doesnt mean you have to revert back to previous ways or make an immediate change forward, but you may have to eventually let go of some people who arent willing to support you.

Being hard to kill isnt for everybody; its a lifestyle often lived in the margins. But the margins of life are where some of the biggest influencers and thought leaders historically reside. Once you start your journey, youll find an endless network of people, like me, who are willing and eager to meet you at any point and in any capacity along the way. Even though Im a physician, my white coat hasnt provided me with a fast pass to becoming hard to kill. Ive had to work on it over many years, and I hope my experiences will serve as an example of how to implement the Hard to Kill principles.

Becoming hard to kill isnt a quick fix that happens overnight. Its a life-long mentality, and the fastest way to get there is slowly. Ill teach you the skills necessary to take ownership of the things you can control and how to truly let go of the things you cant. This will give you the ability to have a mindset in which you can select your thoughts just like you select the clothes you wear each day. This ability is the equivalent of a superpower, but a superpower that you must cultivate and practice over time. Ultimately, if you want control of your life, you must learn how to control your mind.

So, if you feel bored, stuck, stale, have become uninterested and uninspired, or have success in some areas of your life but have neglected other areas, then you are ready to become hard to kill. Nobody else is going to save you; its something you have to do for yourself. But its attainable for anyone willing to work for it. My real hope is that once youve obtained the hard to kill mindset, youll share it and help teach it to others, because a ripple effect is how we truly change the world. I want to help you create something that lasts. I want to help you create your legacy. I want to move through this together, so that you can make the most of this precious life youve been given. I want you to use your time and energy on earth to become someone who is hard to kill because your inspired, new way of living will help turn the tides of change in the world. Set aside the emotion, drama, and attitude. The solution to healing starts within you.

Y outh is Lost on the Young

One of the important principles to understand and adopt about the hard to kill mentality is the notion that no one is coming to save youthe only person who can save you is yourself. It took me a lot of years, unnecessary health issues, and a traumatic life event to embrace this fact as part of my hard to kill journey.

I grew up in the Midwest as a three-sport athlete, straight-A student, and a natural leader. Keeping busy and staying active was how I excelled. My mom was a nurse and the leader of our family, so a career in healthcare was my goal from a young age. Every activity I pursued came easily, whether it was school or sportsI never had to work extra hard to find success.

The first big challenge in my life happened as a Division I collegiate athlete, as a pitcher for the University of NebraskaLincoln (UNL). Not only was it suddenly difficult to balance the demands of school and still excel on the field, but my Exercise Science program was eliminated from the university. In a panic, I switched to biology, only to switch again a few months later to journalism, with the thought of being a news anchor. Before I started journalism classes, the university created a Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Science program. My mom had encouraged me to become a physiciansomething she wished she had donebecause she recognized my desire to help people. So as an aspiring physician, the new program was the perfect path for me to pursue.

Despite the fact I was studying nutrition and exercise, I battled an internal struggle as a female athlete. I gave no thought to foodwe were always told what to eat and when to eat itand weight lifting was a critical component to my sport. I embraced that physical challenge and was a two-time Lifter of the Year at UNL. However, I started to realize how society viewed the female athletic body. I was always physically large with big legs, living in a decade where thin and skinny were all I saw on magazine covers and TV. Weight lifting equated to masculinity, and you couldnt be masculine and feminine or sexy at the same time. I felt a divide to be one or the other, rather than smart, pretty, and physically strong all at the same time. People often commented on the size of my leg muscles. It never felt like a compliment, and I prayed for the day I could stop playing sports and my legs would magically melt away forever. I also started dating in college. By Gods grace, I met my husband, Ben, who was playing college football at the time, and there was a stigma that a female shouldnt be able to lift more weight than a male. As I entered this vulnerable period in my life, I always minimized my physical strength in hopes it would not intimidate a potential suitor, including Ben.