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Posts from the ‘Health’ Category

Jan 27

Winter Playground

“Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun.” – Randy Pausch

“The true object of all human life is play. Earth is a task garden; heaven is a playground.” – Gilbert K. Chesterton

A fresh coat of snow last weekend created the conditions for a winter playground and few turned down the invitation. In the forefront, two broomball games, in the background cross country skiing, snowboarding and sliding on the side hill with blue sky and warm sun filling the horizon. A glorious day!

The purpose of play, for rest, for wandering is to restore, rejuvenate and refuel. When we “schedule” play throughout each day, not just weekends, we keep our “tank” full rather than pushing to empty, exhausted and drained.

Polarity and extremes are on the world stage right now and it begins with individuals. Heal yourself, heal the world. Choose a different path that brings internal and eternal peace through balance, reflection and play. Perhaps if each of us committed to focusing on our own peace, empathy and understanding, we could do our part to heal the world.

Open spaces, quiet, fun, laughter, meditation, music, art, craft, nature all restore our capacity for joy, contentment and flow. Each day, lay down your burdens for a few minutes, recalibrate and balance. Within our burdens are seeds and roots of blessings. When we lay the weight that we carry down if but only for a moment or two, we get a glimpse of abundance and instructions on a new way to live. Exposed long enough to quiet and reflection, our scarcity mindset transforms to abundance.

In the nourishment of play, our dry bones come alive again. We need 8 glasses of water each day to stay hydrated. Create daily rituals to hydrate your spirit and soul as well. Oasis activities of a few minutes of meditation using Insight Timer, journaling, going for a walk, listening to music, reading, sliding down a hill are the “reps” we need to build our joy muscles. Patience, hope, ease, balance, generosity, humor, enthusiasm and energy are the outcomes of oasis practices.

There’s power in play. It’s recess time!

 

Oct 16

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Gratitude Journal

“The good life consists in deriving happiness by using your signature strengths every day in the main realms of living. The meaningful life adds one more component: using these same strengths to forward knowledge, power or goodness.” – Martin Seligman

Gratitude is a key ingredient to real optimism and whole-hearted living. Starting a daily gratitude journal can transform ordinary days into extraordinary days.

A Verywellmind.com article offers some simple and doable tips on starting and maintaining a gratitude journal:

  1. Decide on a Journal – online or paper;
  2. Decide on a framework – long form or lists;
  3. Commit to a schedule – do it everyday;
  4. Keep writing – things unwind and unfold when we write them down.

The 5 Minute Journal app has a morning and evening check in a very simple format. In the morning, you record 3 things you are grateful for and 3 things you will do to make today great? And then daily affirmations – I am… In the evening, you record 3 amazing things that happened today, How could I have made today even better? You can look back and see how you make progress when you do it daily.

Being intentional, aware of your blessings daily and saying “thank you” fosters an abundance mindset. Knowledge, power, goodness.

“‘Thank you’ is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding.” – Alice Walker

Mar 5

Daily Gratitude

“It was the rainbow gave thee birth, and left thee all her lovely hues.” – W. H. Davies

“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.” – John Milton

A simple glance to the left and the rainbow caught my attention and awe entered, setting the tone for the day. That’s all it takes. Opening our eyes to what is present in this very moment and rediscovering gratitude in daily encounters.

According to research, simply expressing gratitude may have lasting effects on the brain:

  1. Gratitude unshackles us from toxic emotions;
  2. Gratitude helps even if you don’t share it;
  3. Gratitude’s benefits take time;
  4. Gratitude has lasting effects on the brain.

For more inspiration and ideas on living well, check out the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley which I just tripped on looking for quotes on gratitude. The joy that comes from simple pursuits indeed.

To be more grateful, lift your head up, open your eyes and find the rainbows woven through each day.

Oct 15

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Little Pauses

“If you are losing your leisure, look out; you may be losing your soul.” – Logan Pearsall Smith

“We will be more successful in all our endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time, and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves. And we’ll also have a lot more joy in living.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Speed over depth
Multi over single tasking
Loud over quiet
Busy over slow
Quantity over quality

Make different choices, get different results. Pause. And then pause again. Go deeper, slower and stay longer in each moment.

Oct 5

Deep Down

“You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level.”– Thomas Merton

You will be free when you move past competition and comparison with others and pursue with vigor and enthusiasm your true authentic self. No apologies, nothing to prove, no permission needed. Get comfortable with yourself, learn and grow.

The days turn quickly into years so be yourself now, uninhibited and unchained. Regardless of circumstances and challenges, keep going, confident that either things will move or you will be moved when the time is right.

Go deep down and release that hindered spirit and let it lead you back to you.

Sep 13

Cadence

“What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence.” – Samuel Johnson

Last Friday, I did a 9 mile run in preparation for the Twin Cities 10 miler which is in conjunction with the Twin Cities Marathon on October 1. I’ve completed three marathons and all were at the Twin Cities Marathon – a beautiful course. I felt good that I made 9 with my sporadic and mixed training as of late. The 9 mile run builds confidence that you can do the 10 miles so that’s the main purpose of the longer run. But what really matters is the time and effort in all distances, consistency and time on your feet.

I took it easy on Saturday and did a 6 mile run on Sunday. I got my stride, my flow and was reminded of all of the reasons that I run. It was like I was floating on air and one with the run. Those joy-filled moments when all of the pieces of work and effort come together in a beautiful symphony of cadence.

So often we focus so much on the work and effort, we miss the ease of flow and cadence of the input. When we experience it, we must celebrate it by simply taking it in and letting it move us. Daily living is a mix of ups and downs, momentum and struggle. It is the downs and struggle that are the foundation of the ups and momentum, of the cadence.

Keep moving, knowing that it won’t always be easy, but we find ease and flow when we move our mindsets out of the way and let our heart and spirit lead the way into whatever path is in front of us. Practice, repetition and getting back up every single time. With each strike of your heel, you build your cadence. And suddenly effort becomes effortless.

“The more I practice the luckier I get.” – Arnold Palmer

“The more I practice the luckier I get.” – Arnold Palmer

Jun 16

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Choose Tigger

“Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun.” – Randy Pausch

“Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun.” – Randy Pausch

“I am going to keep having fun every day I have left, because there is no other way of life. You just have to decide whether you are a Tigger or an Eeyore.” – Randy Pausch

Today, and each day going forward, have fun, no matter what’s going on. There will never be a time in life when there are not challenges woven through the victories. Create your little wins by having fun.

Don’t wait for a loved one to die or a health diagnosis to learn that life is so very short. Give more and receive all there is right now in this moment. Be grateful for the gift of this day and put some bounce in your step – choose Tigger.

Jan 10

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Flexibility

“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.” – Lao Tzu

When we’re young, we’re agile, flexible. We bend and don’t break. Experience, time, age changes us. We become rigid, rule-following, hard as rock in our ways, leading with “no,” “can’t,” “it’s too late.” Yet we have a choice to lead with “yes,” to choose differently.

So as you enter this day, start with “yes” and follow it with several more “yeses.” Be flexible and loosen up a bit. We become more agile with practice. We become more of what we want to be with practice, actually.

Laugh more, be silly, let go of all the “shoulds,” “musts” and “have-tos.” Be like water, or like puppy Abby. Softer, flexible, irresistible.

“There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.” – Bernard Williams

“There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.” – Bernard Williams

Sep 14

This is Your Life, Are You Who You Want to Be?

“We ‘reorder’ our lives when we choose spirit over the illusions of physical circumstances. With each choice we make, we either become more involved in the illusory physical world, or we invest energy into the power of spirit… Each time we choose to enhance our internal power, we limit the authority of the physical world over our lives, bodies, health, minds, and spirits. From an energy point of view, every choice that enhances our spirits strengthens our energy field; and the stronger our energy field, the fewer connections to negative people and experiences.” – Caroline Myss, PhD, Anatomy of the Spirit

As I was driving to work yesterday on autopilot, my thoughts focused on my overwhelming “to do” list, one line from a song playing on the radio suddenly caught my attention – “this is your life, are you who you want to be?”

Songs, books, nature, art all have a way of capturing our attention, bringing us back to center, to the important questions that need answers. Signs, seeds, and clues surround us begging for our attention, to wake us up and give meaning to our days.

Take yourself off auto pilot, cruise control – look and listen to what’s all around. You will be surprised what you see and hear. Suddenly, awe and wonder enter into your noisy busy, busy world that you’ve convinced yourself that you must participate in. Slow down so you can answer the questions that really matter, that define your life.

This is your life, are you who you want to be? If you don’t like the answer, do something different. Not sure what to do? Listen closely, the answers are there.

Sep 8

If Then, Only, When

If we do not center ourselves how can we be steady;
If we do now slow down, how do we find meaning;
If we do not rest, how do we find solace;
If we do not reflect, how do we find purpose;
If we do not look, how do we see beauty in our midst;
If we do not create, how will we be created.

Center
Slow
Rest
Reflect
Look
Create

If then
If only
If when

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