Healthy Living...

So today a friend gave me a list entitled "Factors for Wellness and Healthy Living." She further explained that the list was compiled by a research psychologist working in a village of a third world African tribe. The psychologist worked closely with an indigent people group whose greatest challenge was survival. The list was compiled from the elements of the greatest importance to the least of importance from their perspective. I have realized more than ever that humanity remains to be a mere humble existence in comparison to the vast galaxies that God has created...and yet He chose us. I am so encouraged that God yearns to see us thrive and grow: emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically. This list is posted on my bathroom mirror so that I can start each day grounded seeking health and wellness in all areas of my life.

Factors for Wellness and Healthy Living

• Love and Be Loved. One cannot exist without the other. Engage in fulfilling relationships with others.
• Maintain physical wellness. Engage in regular exercise to ensure the energy and vitality to accomplish what you want to do.
• Enhance your own self-esteem. Talk well of yourself every day. Catch yourself and others doing something right each day.
• Establish reasonable goals for yourself. Set goals you want to achieve in all spheres of your life. Celebrate when they are achieved.
• Find satisfaction and meaning in your work. "Work is love made manifest."
• Eat healthy. Make healthy choices in your diet. Drink plenty of water.
• Maintain a positive attitude. Keep an optimistic point of view. See hope and challenge in your future. Envision a positive outcome of your current actions.
• Express your creativity. Explore your imagination. Create something new and different...daily.
• Enjoy nature. Honor the earth. Spend time with the environment. Allow it to soothe and stimulate you.
• Spend time with yourself. Plan for time to reflect, relax and interpret the nuances of your life and experiences. Pursue your thought and dreams.
• Explore your spirituality. Recognize the influences of God on your life experience. Embrace the joy and wonderment of life.
• Balance activity and rest. Get enough sleep and rest, as well as, activity.
• Cope effectively with stress. Learn and utilize a variety of mechanisms to reduce and manage stress and anxiety.
• Open yourself to learning. Develop a passion for learning. Engage in hobbies. Ponder new ways to doing or viewing things. Think outside the box.
• Secure economic essentials. Secure enough income to provide the essentials of living, not the acquisition of wealth or material possessions.