Having some sort of balance in your life can help calm some of the chaos in your mind. Since looking at the emotions and environment last week, let’s turn our focus on another dimension…Intellectual.
School Learning
I admit, growing up I struggled through school. Going through stressful times throughout childhood can do that. I was bullied from 2nd grade and continued getting teased until I hit high school. Then fell into a depression for 6 years. My academic focus was pretty much non-existent at that time. I would bring home grades barely making C’s and B’s. I found no area in school that I enjoyed and couldn’t wait to get out of there. The only reason I even managed to get a bachelor’s degree was because I was so fed up with school, that I just wanted to get it done so I had something. I didn’t even bother with a 4-year college and went to University of Phoenix to accelerate the program and received my degree in 2 years.
Funny though, attending the UOP program actually helped me break through my shyness and started me down the path to who I am today. Well, I cannot say that it was what made me who I am, since it is the last 44 years that did that. But the school program at UOP required me to make presentations in every class course which forced me to get comfortable with talking in front of others.
Knowledge in the smallest form
So, why did I bring all of this up? The intellectual dimension focuses on the ability to want to learn more in life. This is not, you must read a book, take a course, go learn something new, kind of discussion. The intellectual dimension is more that you have the drive to want to learn something, anything. So, I ask, do you have a hobby? Do you like reading books, magazines, articles? How about, do you watch the news at all? Now let me see….what about at work? Are you wanting to take on something new at work you have not done before? Or like me, are you interested in changing careers?
One more to really think about. You are listening to the radio and a song you have not heard before comes on and you like it. You have not heard this group or singer before. Do you go and look them up online to see who they are and other songs they may have? What about that new movie that is out or is about to come out and you haven’t heard about it before? Do you go online to see what it is about and see if you want to see it?
It is learning
Everything I just talked about is learning. It is the drive to want to learn about the singer or the movie. To learn more about the hobby you want to start or a new tool to use in the hobby you are already doing. It is the ability to learn more about events going on in the neighborhood or across the nation. The care to learn more about the job you do or want to start doing. All of that is the intellectual dimension of wellness. You want to learn SOMETHING! ANYTHING!
That knowledge is the pathway to understanding and hopefully appreciating the world around us just a little more each day. With the world in chaos between wars and the pandemic as well as civil unrest, knowledge is powerful, and ignorance is not bliss. How can one person change the world? One step is to understand that there is a need for a change. You cannot understand that, without knowledge. There is no appreciation or care that something is in need for a change without knowledge. And finally, you cannot understand and appreciate the beauty of a person, thing, act, or being without knowledge.
To move more
One more I wanted to talk a little about this week is physical wellness. Wellness and well-being are not just for the mind. Everyone has probably heard this in some form or another, to have balance or wellness it is in the mind, body and soul (or spirit). The body has a similar amount of affect on your wellness including your mental health and well-being as your mind and emotions.
Think about it. Summer is here and in Arizona we are looking at 100+ degree temperatures right now. Because of this, the pressure in the air has dropped and you are faced with a headache in the morning. Are you wanting to be happy today? Or something a little more personal on my end. I have been a big girl most of my life. My weight did not give me the energy or motivation to want to go for a walk, let alone be outside much.
Not just about exercise
The physical dimension is not just about exercise. It is about the ability to want to move and more. As well as the understanding to know that proper rest and nutrition are essential to a physical wellness. Having your body pushed all day long and you only get 2 hours of sleep a night, is not healthy. You spend all day barely eating or just eating junk food, is not healthy. The balance is the movement, the relaxation, and the vitamins that are given to your body every day.
Exercise is only one form of movement. Yoga, walking around the neighborhood, even stretching once an hour is helpful. As long as the activity gives your body a chance to move and get your blood flowing, it is helping. But don’t forget that you HAVE to rest your body the proper amount in order to keep your muscles in shape and the nutrition you intake, to help feed your body.
Clear the fog
Giving your body the chance to move, gives your mind the chance to clear the fog. The opportunity to focus clearly, wipe away some of the chaos in your life for a small amount of time. A chance to free your mind of the clouded emotions that can have you making a difficult decision or reacting in a manner that is not appropriate. So many times, I have just walked around my neighborhood and found that I could breathe easier and think clearer about events in my life.
Please keep learning about the world around us. Every small ounce of knowledge is a step forward. And keep moving. Allow the movement to clear your mind and help you bring a peace to your life.
With great warmth,
