Health, Wealth & Wisdom Defined

Boy, have I been busy today, scurrying around clearing out piles of “ideas” that have accumulated in my office over the past year.

I’m putting the finishing touches on the launch of my new coaching program, “12 Baby Steps – The Foundation Formula for Creating More Clarity, Serenity & Success” and I had to clear the way for all the amazing energy that’s flowing in that process.

I came across this blog post, by Keith Collins, from his blog at http://www.theinnercoach.eu, defining wealth, wisdom and health. It is so perfectly aligned with my vision for all of you Wise Well Women that I had to share it.

Wealth is the feeling of being emotionally powerful.

It is the measure of our State of Being.

Wisdom is the knowing that we are making our choices with authority.

It is the measure of our enlightenment in the direction of our Life Path.

Health is the ability to see how to live life with power and authority.

It is the measure of our quality of Life and our ability to live Life to the full.

Being Healthy, Wealthy & Wise are attributes of Attaining Well-being.

When we feel well, we are Wealthy.

When we know that we are well, we are Wise.

When we can see that we are well, we are Healthy.

When we are Healthy, we become Content.

When we are Wealthy, we become Joyful.

When we are Wise, we become Fulfilled.

When we attain Wellness, we also attain Happiness.

Health, Wealth & Wisdom are milestones on a journey of Expansive Personal Spiritual Development & Growth.

In the spirit of wisdom, wellness and prosperity-
I wish you well-

Keith Collins is a UK based life coach whose mission is to use his Power, Authority & Ability to Personally Develop & Spiritually Grow and to help others to do the same.
To connect with Keith, please visit http://www.theinnercoach.eu/about

Breathe In, Breathe Out: Baby Step #2

In my special report, Becoming a Wise Well Woman: How to Baby Step Your Way to Wisdom, Well-being and Wealth, I talk about conscious breathing, Baby Step #2 – Breathe, as a way to bring some relaxation into your life. It really works for me. Yet, I am aware that relaxation isn’t the only benefit experts talk about that comes from conscious breathing.  Certainly, there is plenty to share on the topic.

These baby steps are so simple, and yet so powerful that I feel compelled to elaborate. And since I’m not a breath expert, I decided to do a little research to share with you.

In fact, most experts agree that we are generally oblivious to the power of our breathing. We breathe in and out all day and all night long unconsciously, almost automatically. In fact, our breath really is on “autopilot”. Unless we have suffered a debilitating injury or illness, most of us never have to think about breathing.

We breathe in life-giving oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, cleansing our systems continuously. On his website, www.breathing.com, Mike Grant White shares with us that breathing suplies over 99% of our entire oxygen and energy supply. Clearly, optimal breathing improves vitality and quality of life, and poor breathing causes or worsens illness and disease.

Carlos R. Zalaquett, Ph. D., who created a health series for college students titled “Breathing Techniques” (http://www.coedu.usf.edu/zalaquett/Help_Screens/breath.htm), describes the vital role that oxygen plays in the respiratory and circulatory systems. He continues to highlight the dangers of irregular breathing and the contribution to the general deterioration of health in individuals of any age. Dr. David Anderson, a senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging, has seen evidence that slower, deep breathing helps some people lower blood pressure. Dr. Woodson Merrel, author of Power Up: Unleash Your Natural Energy, Revitalize Our Health and Feel 10 Years Younger, believes that the practice of deep breathing can increase your energy. “It makes a dramatic difference in lowering down the level of stress and calming your nervous system,” he says.

Johnnie D. Jackow Sr, Fitness Expert/Author, is often quoted saying “Oxygen is fuel for your body as is food.”

And we’ve all seen on http://www.Oprah.com and in the magazine, Oprah’s famous “Breathing Spaces” feature. In an article on breathing in a recent issue, the author described one of the best ways to calm yourself down when you are stressed is to simply stop what you are doing and take a deep breath.

In a famous “What I Know For Sure” column titled “Cure for Being Overwhelmed”, Oprah described the cure as simply being to take a day and do nothing!

And she went on to write…”And I wrote in my journal: I am grateful for my breath and the recognition that I am here, alive. Breathing. I am grateful for life.”

We know now that simply by concentrating on taking air in, and letting air out, you can actually decrease tension in your body, relieve anxiety and improve circulation. Some say you can improve metabolism, too.  Combine all these things and you can achieve optimal health.

Wow! Can it be that simple?

Yes and here’s how you do it:

There are many practices and techniques, some include deep breathing, and some counted breathing, some imaginative breathing, some circular breathing. For me, for my “Baby Steps”, I focus on natural, slow, gentle breathing.

The best description I found comes from Thich Nhat Hanh, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, and author of The Miracle of Mindfulness. He describes a technique he calls “watching the breath”:

Your breath should be light, even and flowing, like a thin stream of water running through the sand. The instant you sit down to meditate, begin watching your breath. At first, breathe normally, gradually letting your breathing slow down until it is quiet, even and the length of the breaths fairly long. From the moment you sit down to the moment your breathing has become deep and silent, be conscious of everything that is happening in yourself…Making your breath calm and even is called the method of following one’s breath. If it seems hard at first, you can substitute the method of counting your breath.

As you breathe in, count 1 in your mind, and as you breathe out, count 1.

Breathe in, count 2. Breath out, count 2.

Continue through 10, then return to 1 again.

Thich Nhat Hanh goes on to describe in his writings “the miracle that happens when we attend solely to our breath.” When we focus solely on our breathing we stop thinking, and that is a miracle already, he contends. In his teachings he says that because we think too much, we are not truly ourselves, and that by focusing on breathing in and out, we stop thinking and begin to be where our body is. Thinking separates our body and our mind, and by practicing this form of concentration we achieve Oneness of Body and Mind, seeing clearly and deeply, that which is true in ourselves.

I call it “quieting the noise” in my head!  And simple, relaxed, conscious breathing helps me to do that every day.

Baby Step #2 on the path to becoming a Wise Well Woman.

So, when you’re feeling overworked and overwhelmed, just stop for a minute, and take a breath. You’ll be surprised by how relaxed you can become!

Cut for the “Cure”

“Cut for the Cure“.

I had my hair cut today at A. Rossi Salon here in Boca, where ALL proceeds from the day were being donated to Susan G Komen Foundation in honor of Elite Salon Systems founder Linda Martens. What an amazing event—all day long, professional hair stylists cut hair, receiving no pay, just passing on their time and energy to support this great cause. I salute you all!

Amazing, isn’t it, that there was time when no one was willing to talk about Breast Cancer. Many young women don’t realize that it was not that long ago, just 20-30 years ago, that no one would have a conversation that included the word “breast”, let alone talk about an illness that concerned women’s breasts and impacted our lives so significantly. Did you know that an estimated 92,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer will occur among women in the United States during 2009?

Some women survivors I know are the 1st generation of women in their families to openly acknowledge the disease in their family history. Only at the point of diagnosis did these women discover that breast cancer was a common killer in their family in earlier generations. How sad is it that no one felt comfortable sharing that vital medical history information until it was too late. What we know today is that early detection is the key to ensuring long, productive lives for the survivors.

And though “we’ve come a long way baby”, why is it that I still meet women who won’t prioritize their own health? Why is it that we still put the needs of others far before our own, and some, we never seem to get to our needs on the “to do” list?

And sadly, there are more than emotional consequences for that habitual ignoring of warning signs.

So my request to all that read this today is to listen to your bodies when they tell you that something isn’t quite right. Please don’t disregard unusual symptons or repetitive symptoms that don’t seem normal.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation lists warning signs here at http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/WarningSigns.html, and they include:

The most common symptoms of breast cancer are a change in the look or feel of the breast, a change in the look or feel of the nipple and nipple discharge. These are listed below:
• Lump, hard knot or thickening
• Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening
• Change in the size or shape of the breast
• Dimpling or puckering of the skin
• Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple
• Pulling in of your nipple or other parts of the breast
• Nipple discharge that starts suddenly
• New pain in one spot that doesn’t go away

And you should already know that getting regular screening tests is the best way for women to lower their risk of dying from breast cancer. Screening tests can find breast cancer early, when it’s most treatable. The standard screening tests used today—mammography (including digital mammography), MRI and clinical breast exam—are very effective at identifying areas of concern.

Make time to schedule these exams. My annual exam comes due November of each year, and I can tell you that today was my reminder to make my appointment NOW…not when I get around to it…but today.

To all those courageous cancer surviving women out there who are fighting to make sure that no women goes without an option for early detection, and that no women goes without treatment and support, I applaud your strength and pledge my support.

And I promise not to let your voice go unheard, and to take action to avail myself of all the screening and preventative treatment options available to me today. And I promise to spread the word to all those who will listen.

Will you schedule your appointment this week? Is there anything more important than your health and your life? How will you take care of everyone else on your priority list if you are suffering with the debilatating condition of late stage breast cancer? Give them your best today, and schedule your appointment for your annual exam and mammography.

And if you’ve had yours, but you know someone who hasn’t, encourage them to go today!

In the spirit of wisdom, wellness and prosperity,
I wish you well-
Nanette

Taking Simple Steps to Improve Your Self-Care

A week ago I began to jot down a list of the “must do” things I consider to be part of my necessary practice of self-care. I quickly came up with 10 items. And as I looked at the list, I immediately asked myself the question, “If I had to pick one of those things to do for myself that I couldn’t live without, which one would it be?”

That’s a really tough question for me. They are all so important to helping me stay physically and emotionally well that I don’t think I could live without any of them.
Certainly, though, when I get really honest with myself, I am more focused and disciplined in some areas than I am in others.

And as I allowed my thoughts to wander, I was drawn to the question “if I polled varying groups of women, how would they rate these items in level of importance to them?”. That was followed by, “could I discover the 5 Most Important Self-Care Practices?”.

So I gathered up my list, and sent it out to a few women as a test, and I was surprised that I didn’t get any stand out answers. Every woman said something different! The best part is that what they did say is that the simple act of thinking about their self-care practices made them realize they needed to shift some energy in that direction.

And better yet, one woman rated her list with what she wanted her priorities to be, and what she thought they currently were and wrote in that she was surprised and enlightened by seeing her gaps on paper.

So, if you want to give it a try, I’ve included the list below. Rate each item with the number 1 – 10, with each item receiving a unique value, and 1 being the most important to you, and 10 being the least. Don’t use any number more than once.

Meditation/Prayer

Journalling/Scripting

Exercise

Eating Well

Affirmative Reading

Group Support

Mentor/Coach Support

Resting/Sleeping Well

Maintaining a nurturing environment

Participating in a creative process (painting, singing, writing, cooking)

Feel free to add your own if I missed something.

Honestly, are you giving your priority items your full attention? Are you truly practicing self-care? I know the past two weeks I have not been — and boy, do I feel it. And though I generally do a good job of staying on track with my journaling, affirmative reading and group and coach support, I still have not found my rhythym with eating well and exercising consistently. Writing up this little exercise made it obvious to me that I need to direct some energy to those areas.

What practices are the most important to you? Please share your thoughts with me. Post a comment on this blog, or comment on my Facebook page at http://companies.to/wisewellwomen. I’ll be compiling and share the total results here, too.

So, today I commit to making exercise and eating well an integral part of my self-care practice. I’m not sure yet what that’s going to look like or how I’m going to do it, but I know I’ll get there.

Will you join me?

 

I Wonder Why? Finding Joy through Your “Little Girl”

Today I headed out for my ritual Sunday morning beachwalk, only to find that, because I was a little later than usual, and it was a postcard perfect day, I couldn’t park in my usual spot.

So, rather than parking up next to the beach, I had to park in the parking garage two blocks away. That gave me the perfect opportunity to browse in the little local shops along the way.

This year I made three commitments to myself regarding “buying things”:

1. I am limiting purchases to only things I absolutely need. I “shop” in my own closets, drawers and secret hiding places and find most everything that comes to mind!
2. I diligently re-purpose and revitalize everything I can.
3. And when I must shop, I head to the thrift store first. If I have to get something new, for gifts mostly, I shop local.

I needed a couple of gifts—one for a new family addition, and the others for friends I’m re-connecting with next weekend—so the little beach store on the corner was the perfect stop.

They have a great collection of children’s gifts, most with seashore themes, which always catch my eye. And today, the one that grabbed me was a wonderful book called “I Wonder Why The Sea Is Salty” by Anita Ganeri.

As I flipped through the brightly colored pages filled with wonderful questions like,
“Is the Red Sea Really Red?” and “Which Fish has Headlights?” and “What Makes Waves Roll?” I could feel a huge grin coming over my face.

How wonderful it is to see the world through the eyes of a child!

It has taken me years to re-connect to myself as a little girl. I am so grateful I have invested the time and energy in developing wellness practices that led me back to that feeling of the giddy, pure joy that most toddlers roll around in every day.

With the help of my gentle friend and coach, Rochelle Schwartz, just last year I finally stripped away the layers and layers of “adult gunk” that got in the way of me recognizing my beautiful “little girl”. At Rochelle’s urging, I dug out a picture of me as a toddler, and hung it on my wall. I greet her everyday. I continue to be amazed how such a seemingly simple act could have such a profound impact on my life.

When was the last time you went “outside to play”? Have you built a sand castle, or searched for a four leaf clover any time in the past 10 years? Or scribbled aimlessly with crayons on a blank piece of paper?

Where are you hiding your “little girl”? Dust her off, and say “hello”, she might even be able to tell you “Why the Sea is Salty”!

In the spirit of wisdom, wellness and prosperity—
Nanette

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