Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.
Henry Van Dyke
It’s Hump Day. Wednesday. The middle of the week. We’re closing in on Friday and we’ve got a lot to do so we can enjoy the weekend. With that in mind, today, we’re going to talk about a different aspect of fitness. As I have stated many times in this blog, fitness is about more than an exercise or diet regimen. It’s about a lifestyle commitment that involves exercise, regular sleep, decreased stress and a healthy diet. We’re going to focus on the healthy diet portion of this recipe today.
Consider for a few minutes what is a healthy diet for the physical body? What is a healthy diet for the mind? What is a healthy diet for the soul? What is a healthy diet for the heart? Just eating the right number of carbs versus calories and including the right percentages of nutrients and minerals is ideal for the physical body, but not so much for the rest.
So today is a day to challenge yourself. To look at the diet you have for your mind, your heart and your soul. To look around you and realize that your actions and your words to others are as much a part of that diet as what you listen to and read is.
How does this work?
Well consider the following as you go throughout your day, your week and your month. If you are a person who journals, this would be a good thing to journal about. Reflect on the results and understand that the results are all personal and the only one who can judge whether they are good, bad or indifferent is you.
Answer as many of the following as you can:
· How do you feel when a friend calls you just to say hi? They don’t need anything. They aren’t asking for favors and they aren’t calling to vent. They just wanted to touch base and hear how you are doing.
· In your home, your office, your car – somewhere – do you have a favorite or inspiration quote that is hung somewhere you can see it? A quote like “Life is not measured in the number of breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away.” If so, what is it? If not – why not?
· Do you offer to help others and then forget to do what you offered? Does it happen a lot? How do you feel about it? How do you feel when someone offers you their help and support and then they don’t follow through?
· Do you laugh? Do you laugh with others? Do you laugh at others?
· Do you listen? Do others listen to you?
· Do you get invited by others to do things? Do you accept the invitations?
· Do you invite others to do things with you? Do they accept?
· Do you remember to say thank you?
· Do you remember to smile?
· Do you pause to hug the ones you love? Do you squeeze a shoulder? Don’t just blow a kiss, but plant one on the cheek?
· Do you say, “I love you”? Do others say it to you? How do you feel when you hear it and you say it?
These are all incredibly simple things. But it is the simple things that get lost in the daily hustle and bustle. It is the simple things that people treasure and yet the first to go when the going seems tough. These are the simplest things we can offer to each other and to ourselves as a part of any program geared towards better fitness.
Our communication helps us to stay in touch with those we love and care about. It’s what allows us to connect with another human being. It’s the jolt you get when the lady you see at the drive through window everyday gives you a warm, welcoming smile and asks if you’re feeling better. When you look at them quizzically and they tell you that you mentioned feeling bad the day before.
It’s the little things that make us human and healthy and whole.
Reflect on these thoughts and consider them for yourself and the people around you. If you find that you say no to a lot of them, then maybe it’s time for you to take your personal fitness to the next level.