A gentleman once said, "The poorest person would not part with their health for money, but the richest person would gladly part with all their money for health."

Consider for a moment that your body is like a cherished car you never plan to sell. As your dream machine ages, you will notice subtle changes in both appearance and performance.

You have a choice as to how to respond to those changes. You can choose to:

--Trash the car, with no concern for the future.
--Sell it to another person.
--Hide its defects, instead of correcting them.
--Provide ongoing care in order to maintain the machine in top running condition.

Now, when the car is your body, the option to sell ie and gee a new one does not exist. Your body is yours until your final day. How you maintain it, though, is indeed up to you. You're in control.

So, don't be like the per- son who said, "If had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself." Certainly, you are not guaranteed a disease or injury-free life, but the care you give your body today will be reflected in the way you feel and Look 20 years from now. It's not too late, even though at times you may feel like it is.

The question now is, What are you going to do to take charge of your health and make some healthy lifestyle choices! Here are three tips I encourage you to consider:

--Set goals for living a healthy lifestyle. I realize this technique is as old as time, but it works. Goals give you a much-needed sense of purpose. Goals give you a vision that keeps you pressing on. Work to set goals that are realistic, specific and measurable. Write down your goals. This helps to crystallize them.

Set deadlines for accomplishing your goals: one day at a time, one hour at a time, five minutes at a time. Remember the adage "By the yard, it's hard; by the inch, it's a cinch." In striving to accomplish your goals, be patient, because changes don't happen overnight.

--Be change-oriented. Rather than being to resistive, too reactive and too closely tied to old habits, like you know we can be, you need to get out of your comfort zone. View change as an exciting challenge, view change as a new opportunity, as a beginning for making today a turning point in your life for choosing wellness. Believe me, it's a decision you won't regret.

--Be committed. A commitment is a promise to yourself from which you will not back down. Commitment influences behavior and behavior determines results.

Keep in mind that there is a definite difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.

When you are committed to living a healthy lifestyle, you exercise, you check your cholesterol, you develop better eating habits, you manage your stress, you limit your alcohol intake, control your blood pressure or anything over which you have control.

Consider this: six months from now, ask yourself, "What have I been doing to live a happier, healthier lifestyle? I hope you are able to list wellness activities rather than give yourself a laundry list of excuses. You know how we can do: "Well, I woulda, coulda, shoulda, butta, iffa..."

One of our most famous excuses -- "I don't have the time." What you're basically saying is that doing things that contribute to a healthy lifestyle such as exercise, eating nutritiously, practicing stress reduction techniques, getting regular medical checkups, those activities are not high on your priority list.

It has been my experience that somehow, some way, we always find the time to do those things we really want to do. In this vein, I sincerely encourage you to tune into personal wellness, consider the Nike commercial and then, "Just do it."

For more information on the services Dr. White offers through her company, Success images; to discuss having Dr. White present a seminar for your organization; or to order her quick and easy·to·read career resources, "101 Winning Tips for Setting a Job, " please contact her at (800) 932·3170 or (225) 769·2307, or e·mail her at info@successimages.com