Whole-istic Health...it's all in your head.

I think people are intimidated by the concept of holistic or natural health, mostly because they don't really know what it means. Accordian to Merriam-Webster online, holistic is defined as "relating to or concerned with complete systems rather than with individual parts."  Wikipedia says, "Holistic health (or holistic medicine) is a diverse field of alternative medicine in which the "whole person" is focused on, not just the malady itself."

Ok, so we're looking at the whole person. What does that mean? Health is in your physical body, but also in your mind and your spirit. Many things affect your health, including your happiness in your relationships and your career.  All of that feels a little overwhelming to focus on, but my experience has been that once you start "fixing" one aspect of your life (like finances or relationships), the other parts magically come into alignment also. All the various aspects of our bodies, minds, and spirits are very closely related and affected by each other.

It's easy to focus on physical health, because that's really tangible. You can eat certain things and exercise a certain amount, and the doctor can even do certain scientific tests to see how healthy you are. How do you quantify spiritual health? How do you work on being happier?

Let me suggest two very simple exercises: 

1. Make a habit of focusing on the positive. Express gratitude for everything you have. Think about how well you are served by the possessions you already have, and forget about things you think you need. Appreciate the food you have, and the car you drive, and the fact that you have a reliable job, and your family, and your sturdy house that keeps you warm and dry. Notice every detail of your life that works well and brings you joy or stability. The more you do this, the more natural it will become. And I promise you will be smiling more.

2. Pay it forward. Be very generous with compliments. Tell people what they mean to you. Say thank you to people and explain how they've helped you in your life. Have you ever run across someone who really just made you feel good? They gave you an unexpected compliment or noticed something about you that they appreciated. Didn't that completely change your mood?  

I felt really compelled to write this blog, for no particular reason. I just had things I wanted to say, and didn't have a specific audience in mind. Now that I've started doing it, I realize it's like a journal. And I think it might be useful in my new career as a health coach. I have to admit my confidence was waning a little because I haven't gotten too many comments, and not very many people are reading each post. 

Yesterday, someone I know and love came up to me and told me that they love this blog, they find it inspiring, they make a point to read it every morning, and they've started to get back on a healthy track because of it. I cannot explain what a huge difference this made to me. It completely changed my perspective, and gave me a huge boost of motivation and confidence. Thanks, that guy.

I hope everyone has a peaceful and productive Wednesday!