« Dr. John Travis' definition of wellness includes the belief that wellness is a choice, a decision you make to move toward optional health and style of life that you design to achieve your highest potential for well-being” (Hales, p.9). Many factors can affect our well-being, but the most important are our health behaviors. Our health behaviors can also be categorized under one of the twelve key determinants “Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills”. According to information found on the Public Health Association of Canada website, "this key determinant refers to actions by which individuals can prevent disease and promote self-care, cope with challenges and develop self-reliance, resolve problems and make choices that improve their health. health." The key word here is choice. Most, if not all, of our behaviors are initially inspired by our choices. Behaviors we might engage in that might be harmful to our health are like smoking, using drugs, not not wear our seat belt, etc. All of these choices could affect our well-being According to page eleven of the manual "An Invitation to Health", a report from the Chief Public Health Officer states that "if the. trend continues, six out of ten people in Canada in 2008 will die from either circulatory diseases, such as heart attacks, heart failure, stroke or cancer. This is a very frightening number when you consider. that most of these illnesses are often preventable through appropriate healthy behaviors and keeping in mind that there are six dimensions of health that we can strive towards. The six dimensions of health include: social, professional, spiritual. , physical, intellectual and emotional. Below is a brief description of each of these dimensions. A more in-depth assessment can be found on pages ...... middle of paper ...... eliminates all non-nutrients and will focus on eating a diet consistent with Canada's Food Guide2. I will exercise for at least half an hour, three times a week.3. I will drink more water. The commitment is to reduce my current body mass index from 23.75 to 22 by 2011. When I reach this goal, I will reward myself with a whole new wardrobe. In the meantime, I will seek support from my family and friends and ask them to remind me of my strengths when I need it most. Anyone can make a change if they put their mind to it. It takes dedication and a lot of hard work, but it will definitely be worth it in the end. Remember to evaluate your goal and the obstacles surrounding your goal. Get informed so that you are prepared for whatever may arise. I am ready to make this commitment. I am ready to change. Are you?