Grateful and Fully Present

So many of the ups and downs of life are impacted by our health.  Yet, we often take our health for granted.

It seems we go from being on ‘energizer bunny’ highs to ‘couch potato’ lows, exploring with our bodies every stage possible between the extremes.  And all the while, we worry and fret nonstop.

The worry and fretting aggravate the body that has become accustomed to meals on the go, tech communication 24/7 and caffeine as the main fuel to counteract the sleep deprivation so many of us suffer from.  

Why are we so fearful of making some adjustments, even slowing down a bit to catch our breath?  What do we think we will miss out on or fail to do?

I’ve been thinking about those questions, especially after one of my closest friends had a very frightening health situation recently that landed her in the hospital.  She is so weak right now, and I have been so worried about her and her family.

She is a young woman in the prime of her life.  And so, she tries to ‘do it all’ and be wonder woman.  And when she’s not actually doing, she’s worrying about doing.

I truly believe that we are here to experience and live life fully.  The tough part is to balance the experiences as much as possible, without overdoing it.  I know I’m still learning daily to create a healthy balance with my choices.

What I’ve noticed, after lots of years of paying no attention whatsoever to how I felt in the moment, is that “being present” is the key and really knowing ourselves and our body’s constitution. 

I used to define “being present” as “living in the moment” and “living as if there were no tomorrow”.  While life may end for some people unexpectedly, the reality for most of us is that THERE IS a TOMORROW.

I no longer think that’s the main focus of “being in the present”.  Whatever I do today will DEFINITELY impact tomorrow - and even if what I do today eliminates my existence, that would have great impact on others.  

So, our presence does matter and does have impact.  Being present is more about ‘not being on autopilot’ and oblivious to what you are doing, saying, feeling and who you are impacting...........including yourself. 

Being a certain way and presenting a certain image, just because it is what you think everyone wants to see from you or what society sells as the ‘successful and desired image’ might not be in YOUR best interest.

Being present is about choosing and then owning your choices.

Being present is also about noticing how we feel, appreciating it when we feel great and having gratitude.

I now appreciate that if I am truly joyful and loving, I can share those feelings with others simply by my mere presence in that state of being.  

Joy begets Joy:) 

Healthy begets healthy too!  

The healthier we become, the easier the healthier choices are because our bodies begin seeking the healthier state and rejecting the unhealthy states of being.  It becomes less about self control and more about feeling good and liking it!

And back to my friend’s condition.........a body in an unhealthy state seeks to remain unhealthy, until it breaks down and yells out for ‘help’, or it just stops altogether.  

The state of disease had a long path of actions before the disease kicked in.  The word “disease” originally means ‘lack of ease’ and ‘a particular quality, habit or disposition that adversely affects a person or group of people’.   

And most times, there were many signs and ‘lack of ease’ along the way that warned us of the future breakdown coming.

I’ve also been learning that our bodies will send us signals and messages to make healthier choices when we are in a healthier state.  Whether we choose to listen to the messages or not is a good indicator of just how unbalanced we are.

No two of us are the same, so we also each react uniquely and differently.  We cannot point to a brother or sister or friend and assume that we will have the same experience, doing the same things.

We may think that our goal is success when we push ourselves beyond our physical wellness limits, or that we are choosing happy feelings when we eat the unhealthy foods that ‘call to us’, or that we don’t have another choice other than being miserable daily, doing work we dislike or staying with a partner that is not positive for us.

It is the unhealthy state, often hidden from outward appearances, that keeps us pushing ourselves to exhaustion and poor health in the name of success!  

Yet highly successful people share that they are most productive when they eat in a more moderate, healthier fashion; incorporate physical activities in their daily routines; spend quality time with their families; and meditate to center themselves, bringing greater clarity to their vision and purpose.

Think about it - How productive could you be if you got a great night’s sleep, were in your fit and ‘feeling good’ state, felt loved and happy about your family connections and had a clear focus each and every day?

Change is difficult, plain and simple.  

If you’ve sensed for some time that your inner self is trying to tell you that the body that houses you is out of whack somehow…-…be kind to yourself and do something before you have a breakdown:)

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