If I asked you who you think your biggest advocates were, many of you would probably name some of your customers or partners, some of you would swear by the power of your employees, while others might look a bit puzzled, trying to figure it out.

In a nutshell, your advocates want you to succeed. They’re not just your cheerleaders but they can be your checkpoints, too. Treat this group with special care as they will also be the ones who can exercise their power to pull you through bad times if you mess up. I have talked and blogged about customer and employee advocacy over the years, I even wrote about What Advocacy and My Yoga Pants Have in Common.

While the industry continues to buzz about advocates, let’s pause for a second on the opposite end of the spectrum: your detractors. They’re a group of people that have opinions of you opposite to how you hope to be perceived. You may even feel that they are trying to sabotage you but you can actually learn a great deal from them too if you pay attention. And in certain cases, you can learn to neutralize them and even turn them into positive participants. Every company and human being has detractors, it’s just a matter of how vocal they are and how much effort they’re putting into spreading the (bad) word about you.

Introducing a different kind of advocate

Lately, I’ve been looking at the question of advocates and detractors in a completely different way. Maybe it’s my training in Eastern medicine, maybe it’s my desire to better understand the universe. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with citing your customers or employees as your biggest advocates. Because in a business sense, they are.

I’ve come to realize there’s an introspective and a very personal answer to this question. Our biggest advocates are our own cells and our biggest detractors are toxins we accumulate and hold on to over time—emotional, mental and physical.

Think about it. Our cells go to work every nanosecond to make us function. Our diet, lifestyle, hereditary and other factors can create toxins in our bodies that interfere with the proper functioning of our cells if we go long enough without paying attention to them. We all have “good” cells and “bad” cells and when our immune system is healthy, the good guys win. Just like with an advocacy program, we want to maximize the health of our cells and minimize the effects of toxins. What can you do besides getting enough sleep and exercising regularly to give your cells the VIP treatment?

15 ways to treat your cells like royalty

1. Start your day with a cup of warm water to kick start your digestion
2. Drink and eat room temperature or warmer beverages and foods (depending on the season)
3. Eat smaller and lighter meals at night (note: only eat a salad as a side dish, not as a main dish)
4. Do not overeat, especially in the evening
5. Favor cooked foods in the long run
6. Avoid late night snacking
7. Each day, have a little bit of dates, (soaked) almonds and raisins
8. Eat your fruits and vegetables
9. Watch your alcohol intake
10. Avoid smoking
11. Maintain an ideal bodyweight
12. Watch your stress level
13. Replace negative thoughts, emotions and actions in your life with positive ones
14. Take time for yourself
15. Whatever happens, do not panic

The list can go on and on, but let’s take one step at a time. What are you going to do today to nurture your cells?

Image by The Lazy Artist Gallery, Pexels