Nourishment

Let’s have a cup of tea (or java) and chat a bit.

Tucked away in the Note section on my phone, I found where I had jotted “What am I nourishing within myself?”  That would seem to be a question to reflect on periodically since we so easily can get sidetracked from our good intentions.

My intentions are always good!  I will exercise.  I will eat more fruits and vegetables, consume less sugar.  I will meditate and pray daily.  I will spend more time in nature, less time on electronics.  Perhaps you have a similar list.

I recognize a glaring error in that list:  every statement is stated in the future.  It is much more effective to put those in present tense:  I am exercising more.  I am eating more fruits and vegetables, consuming less sugar.  You get the gist.  This gives the brain different material to work with. 

The brain really is a marvelous instrument with capacity to respond to our instructions.  Too often the messages we give our brains are negative and limiting. I can say “ I am such a klutz!” or “I am paying more attention to moving safely.”  Which is more likely to result in fewer embarrassing moments, perhaps even fewer bodily injuries?

These messages can be affirmations that support our growth and wellbeing.  Keeping them simple and specific helps. Posting them numerous places where you are reminded is useful: on your mirror, on your calendar, on your car’s dashboard, anywhere you look frequently.

Some people object that they feel they are speaking things that aren’t true.  The point is to set the affirmations in motion to become true over time and with frequent repetition. But for those who find affirmations difficult, it may be helpful to phrase the affirmations in terms of learning or practicing: I am learning to….say something uplifting to myself daily; I am practicing…to express gratitude daily; I am growing into a meditation routine of at least three times a week. 

The messages we give ourselves don’t even have to be spoken or written.  I once kept a photo of an ocean scene near my office computer.  Every time I viewed it, I reminded myself to be calm, to breathe deeply.

Consider it a regular “wellness check” to ask yourself: What am I nourishing within myself?

“Wellness is the complete integration of body, mind and spirit—the realization that everything we do, think, feel and believe has an effect on our state of wellbeing.”—Greg Anderson, author of The 22 Non-Negotiable Laws of Wellness