My Human Flourishing

INTRODUCTION

            “The healer is the key to the evolution and fulfillment of the integral healing process” (Dacher, 2006).  We as health and wellness professionals need to be ever evolving.  We need to know what works and what doesn’t work.  We are the “experiment” in our own profession.  How are we able to help others if we cannot help ourselves?  We need to know or at the very least be learning every aspect there is to know when it comes to developing psychologically, spiritually and physically.  Most individuals really do want to make a change in his or her life what they seem to be lacking is someone that understands their struggles.  That is where we come in as health and wellness professionals.  Individuals want us to connect with them and not just rush them through the process and feel like another number.  By developing our own psychological, spiritual and physical life, our clients will know that we understand exactly what they are going through!  “Our personal work becomes sacred responsibility, a way that we can help others and create a better world” (Dacher, 2006).

            When it comes to my personal development “I’m a work in progress” in all three areas!  My ultimate goal is to achieve total balance within myself by incorporating mind, body and soul exercises.  I will say I have come a long way since the start of this class.  I have learned to change my way of thinking by adding more positive affirmations to my day and adding spiritual practices (bible devotions and prayer) to my daily routine.  Right now at the current moment I do believe I’m lacking physically because I have let school get in the way of my daily workouts.  I keep telling myself at the end of the three classes and ten weeks I will be able to get back into a routine.  When in essence I need to get back to my workouts now so they will help me power through all the assignments and course work.  I believe by being mindful and doing something each day that relates and develops my psychological, spiritual and physical health I will be able to achieve the ultimate human flourishing.

ASSESSMENT

            In our unit three-blog assignment we had to rate ourselves on a scale of one to ten in each aspect of our integral health.  At the time I rated myself five for spirituality, five or six psychologically and an eight physically.  Now I would rate myself an eight for spirituality, seven or eight psychologically and a six physically.  I stated my goals were to find a church we felt connected with in regards to spirituality, to feel 100% inside and out physically and to always be able to see the positive in everything.  We are still trying different churches but with each visit I feel more connected spiritually.  I believe by attending church and socializing with like-minded people this is what is helping me on my spiritual aspect.  When it comes to my psychological well-being I start my day with positive affirmations such as this particular quote that hangs on my refrigerator “It doesn’t matter if the glass is half empty or half full. Be grateful that you have a glass, and there is something in it” (Wisdomquotes.com, N.D.) and telling myself it is going to be a great day!  Physically, as stated above, my score has dropped, due to me putting school before my workouts.  I guess the good thing is I’m doing something small a few times a week as I teach a senior fitness class and I go walking twice a week with a friend.  This is just a small setback that will by the end of this unit.  The positive in all this is before it would have taken me months if not years to get back on track now it is just a few days or week!  See I’m seeing the positive in it and letting the negative move on!  That is a huge score in itself!!!

GOAL DEVELOPMENT

            I still have the same goals in each area that I had in unit three but since I’m actually moving forward to reaching them goals it is time to establish new goals.  I also believe that my goals will always be evolving as my integral health continues to evolve.  Then again I believe that is how one is always learning and moving forward, by having goals!  Spiritually I would like to attend a retreat that involves meditation.  All of these exercises that we have completed have been great and very helpful.  I think to actually get away from it all and have a actual guided lesson by an experienced mediation person would be even more beneficial.  Psychologically my goal is to respond with loving-kindness always, to find the good in others along with forgiving others that I feel have harmed or hurt me in one way or another.  Responding with loving-kindness will reduce the stress and in turn make me look at others (especially family members) in a different light and with love instead of anger.  Physically my goal is to quit focusing on the number on the scale and to continue loving my body for what it has and can do for me instead of what it looks like.  I’m sure some would think this is more mental than physical but for me it physically drains me due to the fact that when the numbers don’t go down I either go overboard with working out or I give up all together and do nothing which ends up in me gaining weight!  How does one do this physically, well if you’re a mother look at the amazing gift of a child that your body did for you.  Along with performing workouts that you think you can’t do, such as running a 5K or just trying a new workout.

PRACTICES FOR PERSONAL HEALTH

“Productivity and efficiency are two major keys to success, and having a strategy will put you in the best position to obtain these attributes” (Chilton, N.D.)  Goal setting is great, but if you don’t have a plan or a few steps listed on how to achieve them goals, then the goal just becomes another thing on your list that doesn’t get checked off.  So what better way to achieve a goal then to write it down and list several things that you can do to achieve that goal.  So here it goes!

Physically:  I want to quit focusing on the number on the scale and continue loving my body for what it can do for me!  1.  Quit stepping on the scale every day and looking at the number by removing the scale from the bathroom!  2.  Instead of hating my flabby belly, look at my belly and say thank you for carrying three beautiful boys to full term without any complications!

Spiritually:  I would like to attend a retreat that involves meditation.  1.  Start researching on how to attend a meditation retreat along with cost and location.  2.  Create a saving fund specifically for the meditation retreat.  3.  Ask a few friends to join me to reduce the cost of travel and rooms if possible.

Psychologically:  Start responding with loving-kindness always, to find the good in others along with forgiving others that I feel have harmed or hurt in one way or another.  1.  I believe by writing in a journal about who hurt me and how they hurt is a start.  Getting it out of my heart and head and on to paper is one step towards release.  Then asking God to help me forgive that person for what they did to me along with asking God to find his way into their heart and help heal them with any of their troubles.  I don’t necessarily need to tell the person I forgive them at this time, I just need this time to start healing and changing my anger from hate to understanding.  2.  When it comes to loving-kindness, instead of disliking and getting angry when my family doesn’t help around the house I will look at my stay-at-home mom duties with love, knowing that I’m taking care of things at home so my family can go off to work and school with no worries.  This will enable them to concentrate on their responsibilities instead of worrying about me being angry with them for not doing something at home!

COMMITMENT

            It takes a strong sense of commitment to achieve our goals.  Many of us though if we want it bad enough we will do whatever it takes to achieve the goals that we have set for ourselves.  If we are trying to inspire and motivate others then we have to achieve our goals so we can show it can be done!  How does one stay committed by tracking his or her progress? By assessing their progress, assessing progress or lack of progress is as easy as having a to do list.  Using this exact plan that we have just created for unit nine and reviewing it at least weekly will help determine if we are making progress towards achieving integral health.  Keeping a daily journal and writing down our feelings so we are able to go back and read what we have written will let us know if we are responding with loving-kindness or with anger.   The other aspect of assessing our progress is as simple as knowing how we are feeling.  If we feel off balance in any of the three aspects or we feel out of sorts all together then we will know that we are not making progress.  We all know our own minds and bodies, we know when we feel great and we know when we feel bad, that alone will be the strategy to tell us if we are making progress or not! 

 References:

Chilton, J. (n.d.). How to build and implement strategies to achieve personal and professional goals for success. Retrieved from http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/how_to_build_and_implement_strategies_to_achieve_personal_and_professional_goals_for_succes

Dacher, E. (n.d.). Meditation: Relaxation or awakening. Retrieved from http://www.elliottdacher.org/meditation-relaxation-or-awakening.html

Wisdomquotes.com. (n.d.). It doesn’t matter if the glass is half empty or half full. Retrieved from http://www.wisdomquotesandstories.com/be-grateful-have-glass-something-in-it/