Are you living the life you want to live? Or, do you find yourself surviving by reacting to the world around you? Now, more than ever, we find ourselves responding to so many demands on our time and energy. These can be exciting times and they can be overwhelming times in our evolution as human beings. The key is our ‘state of being.’ How we view the world and ourselves in it will determine our state of health and vitality. How we navigate the changing currents in the flow of life without losing ourselves influences our wellness. The choices we make for ourselves and the attitudes and beliefs we find important create our state of being. We have the power to create the life we desire if we commit to our wellness. Read more to discover the Gifts of Wellness.
What is wellness?
Wellness is a state of being that strives for balance within and between all parts of Self. Wellness is a continuous process of honoring the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual evolution of Self with reverence. It does not mean being free of illness, disease, stress or challenges. It means being present with Self no matter what conditions or situations are at hand. Wellness is the center point that anchors us as we embrace the chaos of life.
Why is wellness important?
Being present and striving for balance within ourselves allows us to create a life of our choice, not a life of reacting to others or the past. We become co-creators navigating our course of self-discovery. Although we cannot stop the storms within the chaos, we can be prepared and influence their impact and duration. With wellness, the turbulence within life becomes manageable and our lives become our own. We become responsible for our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health and release the victim mentality of blame, shame and guilt. Besides self-responsibility, wellness cultivates self-empowerment and all of its gifts.
What are the “Gifts of Wellness?”
In choosing wellness, we are blessed with a multitude of gifts. Many of these gifts surge together building a stable foundation for life. These “gifts of wellness” include:
- Abundance
- Timing
- Connection
- Consciousness
- Unity
- Synchronicity
- Clarity
- Harmony
- Laughter
How do these gifts manifest in our lives?
Wellness, as I have described above, has been known to create a continuous flow of abundance even when faced with difficult circumstances. During the most challenging times in our lives, we are able to experience an abundance of joy, gratitude, love and support which compels us forward on our path. Staying on our chosen path during the storms allows us to remain in our natural rhythm, our “Timing.” Our timing keeps us in the present moment within ourselves and within the world around us. We are where we need to be when we need to be there. This ability to stay present allows us to remain connected to Self, others and the Divine. Connection roots us in a deep understanding and practice of faith. With faith, we are invited to blend our physical body with our spiritual being, allowing consciousness to blossom. As consciousness expands, we understand unity, paradox and possibility and reject duality, polarization and limitations. Living in unity, we awaken to synchronicity, which allows everything in its time and miracles to happen. At this point, life becomes fluid and manageable. We no longer need to resist the chaotic climate. We just need to ride out the occasional storm by anchoring to Self. As this awareness settles into our intellects, we are blessed with clarity in making our decisions and our choices. This clarity showers us with harmony, which we can freely bring to the outer world. Eventually, we are plagued with an abundance of laughter and our hearts become lighter. In receiving these gifts of wellness, we are able to share them with others through example.
How do we receive the “gifts of wellness?”
First, we need to be willing to embrace all of life and all of the storms it presents to us. With this willingness, we reduce our stubbornness, our resistance and our need for control. These are the states of being that cause disharmony, distress and disease. When we have our own agendas and attachments to the outcome, we lose our ability to be fluid and receptive. We become reactive to people and situations outside of our control. This generates more storms in our lives, depleting us of personal power. Second, we need to find our center point, our willingness to honor the Self and its process. In choosing to honor the Self, we become aware of our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual needs, valuing each of them equally and completely. Once we have awareness and acceptance, we can commit to discovering the necessary tools to address our needs knowing they change with time.
What are some of the tools to achieve wellness?
These tools vary from person to person because strengths and weaknesses differ. Recognizing our parts of Self helps to identify the necessary tools we need. Mentally, resources for reality checks are useful tools since many of us have been conditioned to think in black and white and programmed to believe what we are told. Valued friends and/or mentors are able to assist us in discovering our truth by expanding our limited perspectives. Emotionally, learning to identify and express all of our emotions in a safe and appropriate way is an essential instrument. There are many helping professionals who are trained in various approaches to gaining emotional intelligence. Physically, realizing we have bodies that need sleep, proper nutrition and some form of exercise is the greatest vehicle for our wellness. Spiritually, committing to a practice that is life giving is a technique to find our resting-place. Here, we can be calm in the most threatening of storms. Exploring various tools to achieve wellness can be a grand adventure, a gift in itself.
Copyright © 2003 Maureen Pelton, MSW, LICSW, All Rights Reserved.