Balance and Pearls of Wisdom

I am alive and well, in case you were wondering.

I just returned from a fantastic Functional Medicine Meeting on Sports Nutrition.  I’ll gather my thoughts and tell you about it soon.  I also have two other medically minded blog posts spinning around in my head.  The problem is, I haven’t been in front of my computer much lately.

Kathy, a family friend has graciously taken me under her wing and helped me decorate my new apartment, she’s an interior decorator.  In general I’m not a shopper, especially a furniture/accessories shopper, but I’ve found that shopping with someone who has an eye for design and who likes to shop, makes me really enjoy the process.  I’ve never put much energy or thought into my environment, I’ve spent most of my 30’s traveling, building a business and focusing on my own self-improvement.  But something started brewing inside me about a year ago.  Creating a “home” became increasingly important to me.

It has been exhilarating yet weird at times to put money into MY space.  Kathy has been my cheerleader and helped me every step of the way.  I love my new home.  A friend said last weekend, after stepping in my front door, “this feels so sophisticated, cozy and fun!” I think that sums it up well.

Here’s an old chair I had.  I intended to throw it out but Kathy intercepted that process, she had it recovered and returned it to me four weeks later looking like this.  I love it!

I also unpacked and have been using my tea set that I bought in London 15 years ago. I never used it because “I didn’t have the right kitchen space.”  I tell people all the time to not deprive themselves of their favorite foods in the name of “good health.” Balance is my teaching mantra.  Yet I deprived myself of a cozy living environment all my life.  Why?  I was waiting until I bought a home, got married, knew exactly where I wanted to live, what colors/style of home I would have etc.  But I began to need a cozy, uplifting, living and work environment as much as needed air to breathe.

The waiting game was not serving me or my health any longer. I think people do this with various areas of their lives, for example; “when I’m a certain size/weight then I’ll do XYZ”, “When my kids leave home I’ll do XYZ”, “I’ll do XYZ when I have kids, a relationship, a certain job, specific amount of money, more time or more insight.”  At what point do we just live?  See #21 below.  I tend to look in the rear view mirror of life way too long while I wait for the future to happen.  In the end I miss the present.  See #35 below.  Creating a beautiful home that I can live in today has been a liberating, a healing and a symbolic rite of passage for me.

I know times are hard for a lot of people these days, but I have to say as soon as I started my moving-purging-organizing-creating-with-a-dose-of-honesty-process two new business contracts entered my life.  I definitely have more energy.  And I’ve met some new people along the way. Not everyone needs to physically move, but I do think paying attention to your physical environment (work and home) is a component to how you feel and how balanced things remain in your life.

And now for the explanation of the list below.  My high school social studies teacher forwarded this to me last night.  She retired in Taos, New Mexico and she keeps me on her email list. I thought there were some good pearls of wisdom here, hence my references above. Read through and see if a pearl or two jump out at you?   #26 and #40 are two of my favorites.

Written By Regina Brett, 53 years old, Cleveland , Ohio “To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written.  My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more”

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose life .

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s,we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

45. Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.