Sitting one evening with a group of women on a Zoom call, we came together on the strength of what we were dealing with in our personal lives. Some of us were experiencing death, moving into a new space for the first time, finding new friendships, ending a relationship, and many other things.
When our group of women came together, it was not as friends, because we did not really know one another. We came together because of our mutual commitment to wellness and wellbeing. A lot was discussed — some tears were shed, but there were also many supportive words and gestures, inspiring and gospel shout-outs. Coming together allowed us to be able to release some of those heartbreaking experiences, and to be able to learn how to let go and feel confident and feel good about doing that. We had previously been unable to move forward due to the many challenges we faced, and had ended up wallowing in our disappointments, tribulations, or stifled lifestyles.
There are many ways that you can begin to relax and begin to feel good about yourself when you focus on your wellness and wellbeing. This focus determines how you take care of yourself, how you say the word ‘no’ when necessary, and how you decide that you are going to come first. Not that others are not important, because they are, but without you, nothing will take place and it won’t matter how important you are if there is no you.
As you turn your attention to your wellness and wellbeing, you can begin your day with mantras. I have a few that I start my day with — they are:
- Do all things in love
- No judgment and no jealousy
- Keep an open mind and heart
- Always live in forgiveness
- Keep a positive mind for positive words
- Keep a positive heart for positive actions
Throughout my day, I spoon feed my mantras to myself, especially first thing in the morning in my car when I am headed to work. As you follow your own mantras, such as the ones that were just shared, believe in them. When you fall short, it is okay — get up, start over, and try it again. There is never a penalty for falling short, there is always a win for starting over as long as everything is legal.
Just saying ‘good morning’ to someone is a great way to start the day.
When you see someone in need and are able to help, those are positive ways to enhance your wellness and wellbeing. When you are uplifting and invigorating wellness and wellbeing within you, it can spread to others. Walking, smiling, and finding joy in every step you take as you grace the ground has a positive impact on people. You feel good about who you are.
Meditation, or simply being mindful for 10 minutes, 25 minutes, or however long you set for yourself, can improve your wellness and wellbeing. Yoga in the morning, afternoon, or in the evening, on the floor, in your bed is also helpful. The exercise or that sport that you participate in, all of those things are good for your wellness and wellbeing. It is not really a hard task– the challenge is finding time to accomplish the task.
This is when you are deciding to be dedicated and committed to yourself. As you commit yourself and dedicate yourself to your sorority meetings, reading the Philadelphia Sunday SUN newspaper, fraternity gatherings, or other social organizations that you are a part of, your television time, and even the time you decide to go to happy hour. Those are committed objectives that you have set to do in your life.
Remember that you are number one in your life, and that is where the commitment begins. Never forget about you, always know that a focus on your wellness and wellbeing is always where you want to begin your day, along with how you end your day. Think back on the good of your day, giving God the glory and thanks for helping you to make it back home. Keep those workouts going, keep journaling, and maintain your freedom from bogged down encounters that can impede your progress. There are many suggestions of how to improve your wellness and wellbeing that are out there. You may even have some of your own — share them with others. Identify paths to wellness and wellbeing that are good for you, and may be completely different from what others are doing. Give us a shout out when you’ve found something that works. Until next time…PEACE!
cj is a poet, educator, motivational speaker, and inspirational writer who resides in Philadelphia. If you were moved by this piece, shoot cj a “like” or comment at [email protected].
Leave a Comment