Wellness. It’s a simple word. It’s a common word. I see it in grocery stores, pharmacies, internet sites, government documents, and scattered about my home and office in books and magazines. I see it so often it is easy to overlook. So, I decided to take a moment to think about this word I use so often. What does it really mean? Importantly, what difference does it make?
I can’t remember when I first decided wellness was important in my life. It wasn’t like fireworks went off and bands played and I heard birds singing. It was an evolution, not a revolution. As I look back, what stands out are the little things, the things that now seem so small, yet collectively have been life changing. They happened slowly, choice by choice.
Wellness is all about choices. Each day, sometimes each moment, we are faced with decisions about how to live our lives. In the absence of awareness and intentionality, we continue to do what we have always done. We do some things that help us be more well, and lots of things that move us away from wellness and perhaps toward illness. We blame the hectic pace and busy-ness of our lives and when asked if we would like life to be different, we may say yes, but only when we have more time, more resources, more freedom can we make changes.
When we increase our awareness and allow ourselves the luxury of living in the moment, we find we can take the few seconds it requires to make choices and decisions that move us slowly towards wellness. Each such choice is self-empowering, and like a snowball rolling downhill, our wellness choices become self-sustaining and more and more inclusive.
So, when you get to the parking lot, park towards the back and walk a few extra steps to the building. When you eat out, choose smaller portions and take the extra home for dinner, or share it with a friend or homeless person. When you see a beautiful sunrise or sunset, stop for a moment and experience the awe of nature.
The rewards for taking small steps and making small choices are enormous: increased quality of life, better health, increased longevity. What you will notice each day are the little things: Starting the day feeling energized. Experiencing joy in the moment. Feeling a zest for life. Experiencing enthusiasm and joy in work, life tasks, and relationships.
Wellness does make a different. It’s the daily small differences that matter, as they add up. I encourage you to be aware of your life and how at each moment you make choices. Make choices toward greater wellness and you will soon find you do not have to think in order to choose. Greater wellness will continue to develop because you have chosen to set your personal autopilot to “well.” I wish you WELL!
Dr. Jane Myers is the co-creator of the Indivisible Self Model of Wellness, and is credited with introducing Vaishali to the concept of holistic wellness. For more information about her and her work, please visit her website.
