Tap Into Your Avatar of Change

This week’s podcast guest Belldon Colme was working in construction when he had his first heart attack at the age of 39. Though he admittedly hadn’t been the picture of health, it still came as a huge shock and served as a wakeup call. Belldon dove headlong into doing the “right things” – seeing a nutritionist, starting a new exercise program, and taking a host of medications for heart disease. It didn’t work. Shortly thereafter, he had his second heart attack. Doctors told him, “Whatever you do, don’t have a third.” He was given 5-10 years to live.

A childhood fan of Evel Knievel, Belldon decided to embody the stunt performer’s utter fearlessness and go all-in on learning about his body at a very deep level. Though he did end up having a third heart attack in the process, Belldon was ultimately able to completely turn his health profile around. About two years after his initial heart disease diagnosis, Belldon went to his cardiologist and asked to be taken off his last medication. The doctor was reluctant considering everything he had been through but admitted that he wouldn’t prescribe anything for Belldon if he came to him as a new patient. 

Belldon now runs a company called Nutritional Fitness, which is the culmination of 17 years of deep study into cellular biology, biochemistry, psychology, and human behavior. He teaches others how to elevate their health by making simple changes about what they are putting in their bodies. 

Try it yourself:

• Think about how you want to experience life and make decisions accordingly. Belldon has reframed his attitude around food. Rather than thinking, “What flavor do I want in my mouth right now?” he decides what to eat by considering how he wants to experience life. Would he prefer to feel energetic or lethargic? Does he want to have acid reflux and have to pop a pill, or does he want to breathe freely and feel strong? Then, he is strategic about making sure the fuel he is putting in his body matches that aim. How do you want to feel when your alarm goes off tomorrow? What choices can you make today to set yourself up for success? 

• Choose your avatar. After receiving the prognosis after his second heart attack, Belldon remembers sitting in a chair trying to figure out what to do. He kept coming back to his childhood, when he would pretend he was Evel Knievel and do all kinds of wild stunts. Nothing could stop him, no matter how beat up he became. He decided that he would employ the same determination when it came to repairing his body. He started diving deep into the rabbit hotels of biochemistry and cellular biology with the fearlessness and intensity of Evel Knieval. Think of your most audacious goal. What kind of person would you have to become to achieve it? How can you start incorporating that avatar’s traits into your daily life? 

• Redefine perfection. When we’re on our own journey, whatever that might be, it’s so easy to get caught up in the outcomes and think that our only option is all or nothing. When we stumble, we think it’s an indication that we’re not on the right path and that we should give up. During our conversation, Belldon had a great line on this topic: “Perfection is doing the best you can with what you have where you are.” Every journey is an evolution. If you are doing the best you can with what you have right now, you are exactly where you need to be.