Having a positive attitude, embracing diversity and avoiding stress can lead to a healthier life, Dr. Mehmet Oz said Monday, Oct. 16 in a speech broadcast at Texas A&M University-San Antonio.
“You have to give your heart a reason to keep beating,” Oz said.
About 60 people attended the broadcast hosted in the auditorium by the National Society of Leadership and Success. Oz was speaking at Thiel College to a packed room of 500 people as well as hundreds of people watching across the country via the live broadcast.
Oz is not only a cardiothoracic surgeon, but the host of the nationally televised “Dr. Oz Show,” where he gives advice on a wide range of topics, which is what he did during his broadcast.
“The person you’re competing with is the future version of yourself,” said Oz when giving the audience a pep talk about self-confidence. He said he feels that people can be the cause of their own downfall if they let stress hold them back. To him, stress is fear, and people can become overly stressed if they lack the tools to manage their everyday lives.
He encouraged the audience to take risks in life without the fear of failure, though it may occur. The power needed to make a change in your life is within yourself, according to Oz. Fear can lead to isolation, which can keep people from experiencing true satisfaction in life.
To Oz, openness can keep people from self sabotage. He said genetics can influence how people perceive the world, but looking at life without any judgment and fear is the way to start.
He encouraged the audience to embrace diversity and welcome things that can make you uncomfortable. You’re not doing yourself any favors by filtering your outlook on life. He said he feels the world is better off because no one person is the same.
While encouraging open-mindedness, he also championed positivity.
“People do not change based on what they know; they change based on what they feel,” said Oz as he asked his audience to be the good in the world.
He urged people to be kind to one another, to be more accepting and helpful. If good people do not step up, the bad people in this world will win. He explained that even though you may have the power to wield the sword, you have to be strong enough to not use it. By being positive, you’re spreading positivity.
Oz also gave the audience lifestyle advice. He said he is an advocate for personal and mental health.
He spoke about how, as a cardiothoracic surgeon, he feels immense guilt when he has to perform procedures that could have otherwise been prevented, so he gave the audience tips on what they can do to improve their health in both departments.
He recommended that viewers sweat a minimum of 60 minutes a week. He also said to do exercises that you are most comfortable with. You should not exert yourself in any way that is uncomfortable or unnatural for you.
In keeping up with mental health, Oz said it is important to write down things that bother you. The stress of letting things pile up on the inside can lead to an implosion of emotions that can damage your mental health. The most important thing, though, is to want help if you need it.
