Whole Living Today

This is an article I wrote several years ago that has appeared on many websites as well as printed publications. Decided to add the full article to my blog as well.  Enjoy!

“Work like you don’t need the money, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like no one is watching.” 
— Satchel Paige

What a great philosophy to travel through life’s journey with! It was interesting to receive this quote in an email as I have told many people “you just need to dance as though no one is watching.” This statement can be taken literally - go out dancing and just let your spirit soar, enjoy yourself, have fun - or, figuratively - dance through life and just let your spirit soar, enjoy yourself, have fun … does it really matter what other’s think? I’m not talking about throwing away all responsibilities (we do live in a real world), but rather about taking time to be or explore who we are. Work on finding a balance. Be true to yourself, don’t live your life to please others. Live to please yourself and others will be pleased. Emotions are infectious; why not spread happiness, joy and love?

Take the time to watch a seagull in flight. Some days, depending on the weather, they appear to just float, soar and really enjoy themselves. Watch again on a windy day, they have to work a little harder to get where they’re going. Notice how when the weather gets stormy, they land and just hang out for a while. Here’s a quote from “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach: ”Seagulls, as you know, never falter, never stall. To stall in the air is for them disgrace and it is dishonor. But Jonathan Livingston Seagull, unashamed, stretching his wings again in the trembling hard curve - slowing, slowing, and stalling once more - was no ordinary bird.” Next time you get to a stormy day, read this book again as an adult. Everyday brings something new; learn to notice something new each day. Life will always be filled with challenges, make the best of them. Enjoy life, be happy. Go with the flow.

As we learn to “work like you don’t need money”, our jobs become less of a burden or struggle. Isn’t life more pleasurable when you are doing something you enjoy rather than something you “have to”? Look upon work as something rewarding. Money isn’t everything. Take pride in your tasks, be the best you can at what you do. Smile more. Try this for a couple of days; watch your job transform into something more enjoyable. Chances are, more money will also come your way. Just imagine the difference in tips for a waiter/waitress who smiles and makes their job more enjoyable compared to the person that really doesn’t want to be there. Or the possible job promotions when you put your best foot forward. 

Now, the tough part - “love like you’ve never been hurt”. Everyone is unique, every relationship is unique. Give that person every opportunity; don’t compare them or limit the relationship because of fears from the past. Learn from the past. Release yourself from the past. Live the present moment. Don’t look back and don’t look forward. What you have is right now. It’s guaranteed that if you expect to be hurt, you’ll find it. Openness, understanding and honesty are important aspects to any relationship; they reduce expectations and allow us to “see it as it is”. People change, they grow. Love involves allowing the other to grow, to be who they are - to accept the possibility that you don’t walk the same path anymore. Love may not last forever but if you enjoy every minute you have of it and can look back without regrets … we are all here to live life to it’s fullest, to learn from it’s lessons. Everyone has something to share, be it good or bad. It is up to us to determine how fully we experience living.

So, now let’s tie this philosophy to a health column. By living our lives more in tune with our natural spirit, we add more balance into our lives, our bodies are more at ease - not dis-ease. Stress levels reduce. With a reduction of stress, blood pressures reduce, sleep routines become more restful, digestion problems subside, tension headaches disappear; anxiety, nervousness, and depression reduce … the possibilities are endless. Take the time to enjoy life.

Time waits for no one …

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured and far away.” - Henry David Thoreau

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