Keeping our lives balanced is a bit like standing on one foot (which requires balance of a different kind). It’s hard to do for very long. Life throws things at us that draw our attention away from the safeguards and healthy habits that we build into our lives.
When things get out of balance, we lose perspective and feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed, depressed or anxious.
I am driven by responsibility. In other words, I am obsessive. So, I have to remind myself daily of what it takes for me to stay on an even kneel.
Three words remind me of the of the kinds of activities I need to stay mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy.
Those three words?
Create. Relate. Recreate.
They are my daily mantra and the things that feed my soul by keeping me calm, purposeful, loving, peaceful, and refreshed.
Create. I get great joy from writing and lighting design. You can check out the lighting design at doo-dads.com. Writing something that gives words to my thoughts and is clarifying for myself and, hopefully, others is incredibly rewarding.
Relate. Many of my activities are solitary. So, I have to remind myself to break out of the bubble and engage with people, whether it is a neighbor, a service provider, or checker at Walmart. Something about this lightens my day.
When we are inwardly healthy, we tend to be outwardly healthy too. In other words when we take care of ourselves, we are nicer people. An when we are nicer people, it is personally rewarding.
Recreate. There is great value in goofing off. It clears out the cache of preoccupying thoughts and worries like a mental reboot. It might be taking time for a hobby that we enjoy, getting out in nature, physical exercise, visiting a friend, or anything where we are totally present in the moment.
We cannot be helpful to other people if we don’t take care of ourselves.
Years ago, I was listening to radio program about happiness. As it got to the very end the host asked the guest for one last quick bit of advice. Here is what he said:
Read a book.
Take a walk.
Call a friend.
It really is the same mantra.
Staying inwardly happy and healthy is the best thing we can do for ourselves and others. Honestly, we will probably need to remind ourselves of this countless times throughout our lives.
