Choose To Be Well

 

Firstly I want to acknowledge that “wellness” looks different to each individual. When I speak of wellness, I am not speaking of living without illness or disease. You can live “well” even when you have physical or mental illness. You can live “well” even on your worst day…Just one movement towards wellness or one choice made is one right step.

I have used on my blog previously many hashtags such as #WellnessOverWeather, #ChooseToBeWell, #WellnessNoMatterWhat……Essentially, it’s a topic that is dear to my heart. I feel that so often in this life (perhaps a reflection of our culture or upbringing) we let the business of life or the responsibilities we hold take over our day to day and we neglect the care of the self. There will honestly ALWAYS be something that could potentially get in the way of those intentions. 

Sometimes to care for oneself looks like going for a long walk, practicing some yoga, going for a swim, sweating it out on the row machine or going for a run. (Whatever your choice of physical exertion.)

It may also take the form of choosing to eat well so that you have the energy to do the above mentioned physical activity. Or it may look like going to bed earlier, drinking less wine, or reading a good book. 

The point is that we need regular reminders that in order to “choose to be well” we need to actively CHOOSE. We need to take that step towards our intentions. There are choice-points that arise for us all throughout the day…opportunities where we can move towards our intentions or away from them…No one is responsible for that choice except for us. 

So, what brings you joy? What makes you feel full of life and energy? What helps your back hurt less, your joints ache less? What helps you sleep? …Choose those things!! Choose what fills your cup to overflowing. 

“Let the choices I make today - even though they are the harder way - move me closer towards my intentions” ~ Namaste 

What if we are too noisy to hear the breeze?

I always find with hiking/tramping there is a perfect scene set for contemplating life, and uncovering such rich truths. 

The truth I uncovered today was simple: We are too noisy in our lives to hear the breeze... The chatter of this world is too intense for us to hear the tiny trickle of the small flow of water falling over a rock.....Until we settle into silence; we miss it all. 

I went hiking this morning and when I arrived to the car park the place was booming. There were excited hikers all over the place and everyone was happy to see the sun shining and to get out on their mountain bikes or hit the high trails. There was one particular group of folks that started this whole contemplative thought process in my mind.....They were SOOOO noisy!! They were yelling to each other so loudly and obnoxiously and they had music blaring. This is how they were planning to hike the beautiful, peaceful mountain. 

Obviously I avoided being around them at all cost....so I took a totally different route and added 1.5 hours to my own hike just to put distance between us....

I say this not to imply that I am in any way better than those folks. (I am sure they had fun with whatever their intention was for the day)...But I had come out to nature to rejuvenate and to commune with nature. To be at peace. 

This is the question that really stood out for me....Is it possible to hear the breeze if we are so distracted by our lives, by our business, by our chaos and noise? Can we truly appreciate the tiny leaves dancing on the tree limb or really hear the sound of the bird? Or do we even take time to step outside to bare witness to those things? 

What do you need to re-adjust in your life so that you can hear the breeze? 

What changes do you need to make in order that you can sit for a few moments and tune into the changing seasons and the beauty surrounding you? 

If you are already there, siting in the quiet bliss of this present moment, then that is so wonderful - offer up gratitude that you have found your solitude..... But if you are like the rest of us and just need a little prompting.....that's okay too! 

"Wherever you are today - be at peace, and appreciate the simple things" ~ Namaste

What does it mean to see the light in others?

What it means to see the light in others is to acknowledge on a very basic level that the same Spirit and light within me, is the same Spirit and light that exists in you, and in all human beings. While we all have our unique differences, and these differences should be both honored and respected, we also have within each of us a oneness of Spirit that we share. 

It would seem that in this time of life there is a push towards identifying the things which separate us, which place us on opposing sides, the things which cause us to hate rather than love. 

So it is both my challenge to you, as well as my encouragement for you, that we explore what it might look like to notice the elements of life in each of us that are the SAME. 

Have you stopped to consider why in our society some lives are more "valued" than others? Why we weep over the loss of one life while entirely disregarding the loss of another? 

I believe that one of the greatest gifts we can provide another human is to truly see them, to care for them, and to acknowledge that they are deserving of love in the same way that we are. 

My posting this past year has been quiet because I feel that we are all overwhelmed by a tremendous amount of "content" and our minds are weary of all the commentary and discussion available....However, I also feel that it can be helpful to offer encouragement to all of us to stay kind and care well for one another. 

So I leave you with this message of peace ~