Being Well

What does that mean? We all want it to magically happen but we also want to live a life of comfort and immediate gratification. Being well takes work in this age of distraction.

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs shows our general needs and in what order we seek them.

Being well, to me, means feeling good and grounded, physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s knowing you are on a path and while you are alive, you will be making choices, detours and summits. We are never going to arrive at our final destination but the more we energy we give it, the more we will feel it.

Being well physically (the part we can usually control) depends on what we eat and when and how we move. Being well mentally (the part we can usually control) depends on how we handle what comes our way and what we feed our mind regularly. Being well spiritually (the part we can usually control) depends on believing in something more powerful than ourself. It means having a need to help others. It’s faith that for now, this is how it is supposed to be. It includes being kind and seeing that we are all one.

Many people have tackled these issues and I know we are a work in progress. Being well doesn’t just happen. It takes work and awareness. It seems to be largely a matter of habits. Lately I have had the wake up call that my habits were leading me somewhere I didn’t want to continue to go to. These included what I was eating and drinking but more importantly what I was thinking. Interestingly, there is more and more science that what you eat and drink effect how you think. How you have habitually been thinking colors all your decisions.

I don’t know if most of us have taken the time to examine our thoughts and if they are serving us. For example one of my past habits was to try to cut and count calories instead of trying to eat healthy. That thinking led me to
“save my calories” for things I really wanted such as bread and chardonnay! Both were important to me and spinach and broccoli were not. So my thinking was why waste calories on things I don’t like. That one decision over time was really costing me my health.

Another example of a thought that guided my habits was that I hate going to the dentist. I would rather do anything than spend my time going to the dentist. Well, I am lucky to have inherited good teeth but still my mouth has suffered. Now my mindset is that I need to take care of my teeth or I will pay later (thanks Dave) so I show up for something I hated regularly and it’s not near as bad as I thought because I changed my mindset and then my habit. And on it goes for all most everything we want to focus on.

Pay attention to what you are thinking. Ask if it is serving you. If not, what will ? Do that and you have taken a step in the direction we all want to go…being well.

Be Well

“Be Patient with yourself. Nothing in nature blooms all year.