There are eras in our lives where we feel it necessary to "clear the clutter", "re-organize" and "purge" the old to make way for the new. You may be thinking I am referring to material possessions. But no, I am referring to the art of personal transformation.
You may be very aware through the media and repeated advertising that it is healthy to focus on your physical health. One way to enhance your physical health and immune system functioning is to complete a Detox Program in a safe manner carefully supervised by your Naturopathic Physician. What about your emotional health and wellness? Can we say that most of us are guilty at times of paying attention to our physical health and avoiding or neglecting our emotional health?
The art of personal transformation respects and honors the process of becoming who you need and desire to be. Personal transformation can take many different forms and can be achieved through a variety of avenues. Let's look at three essentials paths towards transformation.
The first essential path is being selective with your relationships. The art of transformation involves becoming more fully aware of who you are presently and what your requirements are for a healthy and joyous life. It is essential to surround yourself with the people who you know intuitively are supportive of you. There may be relationships you are presently involved in which leave you feeling depleted, anxious and feeling unsure of yourself. This circumstance may be the result of being involved in a toxic relationship. We can define a toxic relationship as one that is filled with negative communication and negative intentions, namely intentions that are not fully supportive of the other person. These relationships may involve criticism, jealousy and competitiveness. The negative intentions get communicated in obvious or subtle ways through our communication. If this is the case in your personal situation, then you may want to consider some "spring cleaning" regarding the relationships in which you are presently involved.
The second essential path is turning inward and paying attention to your thought patterns or running stream of consciousness. You may start to notice that you may be harsh and critical of yourself. You may find that you are harsh and critical of others. In the art of transformation, practicing patience, tolerance and compassion with yourself and others as well as cultivating feelings of empathy can help you in your quest for a richer quality of life.
The third essential path involves acquiring the skills necessary to manage your stresses and adopt healthy lifestyle and wellness habits. It is very easy to succumb to emotional eating. Most of us have probably gone this route at one time or another in our lives. In the art of transformation, discovering your routines and what works for you taking into account your unique set of stresses will enable you to effectively manage them. Everyone needs their own plan of action as to how to effectively manage stress. Each person's circumstance is unique to their own situation.
Once we have this routine in check, we can focus our attention towards exploring how to eat more healthfully and exercise more regularly. The key here is to think, "How can I move more throughout my day to help me lead a more active lifestyle"? This is not about going to the gym five times a week, although if you can this is ideal. The fact remains that in many people's lives, getting to the gym consistently may not be a reality. Making this a New Year's resolution without the essential supports in place may be setting you up for failure. Instead, this is about how can I be on my feet and move more throughout my day, as opposed to sitting. As you think about how to accomplish this, you can become very creative. Climbing the stairs as opposed to taking the elevator and parking your car a little farther from your usual parking spot so you can do more walking can go along way towards your life becoming more active. As you effectively manage your stresses, make healthier nutritional choices and lead a more active lifestyle you will undoubtedly feel better and better about yourself and your life in general.
Stay tuned for future articles on the art of transformation and living the life you have always dreamed of living. You can do it!
"When life throws you lemons, make lemonade"
Sharon Kader
Psychologist