A Healthy Lifestyle

 

 

A Healthy Lifestyle

 

A healthy lifestyle is one that is well balanced. As far as can I remember there were five dominions of wellness that was essential to having a healthy lifestyle, now -a -days there are eight or more dominions of wellness that is essential to promote a well balanced lifestyle. I’m focusing on the eight as followers. A person’s life should be equally balance in the following areas:

 

Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, Physical, Financial, Occupational, Social, Intellectual, Environmental

 

 

Spiritual Wellness:

Spiritual wellness is the ability to establish peace and harmony in our lives. It is expanding our sense of purpose and meaning in life, and contributing to the spiritual health of others. Whether you attend church or some other entity of worship and practice meditation, you can connect with a higher power that will help you get connected to your inner feelings.

 

 Solutions to promote spiritual wellness:

• Learn to accept and tolerate the beliefs of others.
• Pray, worship, and meditate everyday and keep a personal relationship with God.
• Keep your mind focused on thoughts that reflect more positive actions and stay true to yourself and follow your heart.

Bible Verse:

Mathew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

 

 

Mental Wellness:

Mental wellness can be influenced by biological factors such as medication, imbalance nervous system, illnesses and your family history. Also your social environment can affect your mental wellness, such as having lost a loved one, living in poverty, stress, and traumatic events.

 

Solutions to promote mental wellness;

• Stick to an exercise plan and eat healthy.
• Surround yourself in an emotionally enriched environment.
• Get adequate rest and sleep and find ways to reduce stress.

Bible Verse:

Philippians 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

Emotional Wellness:

Emotional wellness includes the ability to make your own decisions, and to manage, express and cope with your own feelings. It also includes the extent to how enthusiastic and positive a person feels about them self.

 Solutions to promote Emotional Wellness:

• Spend time with family and friends discussing personal concerns.
• Attend social events alone, you can meet other people or with a friend if you prefer.
• Practice optimism and try to keep a smile on your face. 

 Bible Verse:

 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

 

 

Physical Wellness:

Physical wellness is necessary in order to live a healthier lifestyle and increase your chances for longevity. It includes exercise, eating a healthy well balanced diet and attending to one’s body by avoiding excessive use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.

 

 Solutions to promote physically wellness:

• Stick to a regimen of exercising at least 30 minutes a day.
• Control your meal portions and drink plenty of water.
• Make sure you get a consistent and an adequate amount of sleep.  

 Bible Verse:

3John 1:2

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

 

 

Financial Wellness:

Financial wellness is a person having the ability to live within their means, and being prepared for emergencies. They also have an understanding of their financial situation and act accordingly in such a way that they are prepared for any financial change.

 

 Solutions to promote financial wellness:

• Strategically plan your life beginning at the time prior to high school graduation, and strive for a career that will be lucrative to your needs.
• Seek financial counseling, if you are not good with handling money.
• You must be comfortable with where your money comes from, and where it is going.

Bible Verse:

1Timothy 5:8

"But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

 

 

Occupational Wellness:

Occupational wellness involves preparing for a career that will give you personal satisfaction and enrichment. It also involves keeping a good balance between work and leisure.

 

 Solutions to promote occupational wellness:

• Choose a career that is of your interest and that will also be rewarding.
• Remain active and involved in order to develop and maintain functional and transferable skills.
• Choose a career and company that will allow you the opportunity to move ahead and not be dormant in one position.
  

Bible Verse:

Proverbs 11: 24-25

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

 

 

Social Wellness:

Social wellness includes developing healthy relationships, being able to work together in a group socially and professionally, developing friendships, intimacy, being able to empathize with others, having good listening skills, caring for others and allowing others to care for you.

 

Solutions to promote social wellness:

• Keep in touch with the people you love and are a positive aspect of your life.
• Surround yourself with positive things and people that may nurture your needs.
• Join a support group, book club etc. or organization of your interest. 

 Bible Verse:

 Joshua 1:9

 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

 

 

Intellectual Wellness:

 Intellectual wellness involves a person excepting whom they are while seeking improvement for who they want to become. It involves engaging in creative and mentally stimulating activities and using appropriate resources to expand one’s knowledge.

 

 Solutions to promote intellectual wellness:

• Challenge your mind with intellectual pursuits and don’t allow yourself to become unproductive.
• Identify potential problems that may occur in your life and take action immediately.
• Keep your brain healthy by eating brain smart foods and taking natural supplements that promote brain health.

 Bible Verse:

 1Peter 1:13

 ¹³ Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 

 

Environmental Wellness:

Environmental wellness includes caring about your surroundings, seeking growth and living an environmentally conscious life. You don’t have to join an organization to live an emotional well balance life, there are other things a person can do.

 

 

Solutions to promote environmental wellness:

• Recycle plastics, aluminum cans, class, paper etc.
• Help keep your neighborhood clean.
• Eliminate clutter in your home. 

 Bible Verse:

 Genesis 1:28

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s Really Going On?

 

          Just want to share with you what’s on my mind today that I never want to do again in life. I am thinking about how I lost so much time and a large portion of my life in a relationship that I kept saying I didn’t want to be in, and for the life of me I still can’t figure out why was I in this relationship so long. I know the reason I did it, it was because I was made to feel guilty every time I wanted to end the relationship, but I still have a hard time

understanding why I let the reason be a factor in my life. Another reason, which is probably the main reason the relationship lasted so long was because I did not know how to deal with a manipulator.

 

          Ladies please think of yourself just as much or more than you think of the next person. I’m not saying not to care about anyone else, but love yourself, put yourself first and set your standards high. When it comes to the point that you are asking yourself while in your relationship, is this thing getting out of hand and you’re sad trying to make someone else happy, you need to know what’s really going on. Well I spent over Ten years (I lost count of the years because I don’t want to remember how long it was); trying to make a relationship work that just wasn’t working, because when I wanted out I was always told that I was not trying. I spent hours arguing with this person about why we didn’t belong together and that I am sorry, but “I just don’t love you”.

      

          When I first met this man I didn’t really know how I felt about him. We had a nice conversation, we shared pictures of our daughters, and learned that their birthdays were in the same month, and we also learned that our birthdays were in the same month. A perfect match you would think, but something just didn’t feel right. After about a month I expressed to him that I didn’t think this relationship was going to work, but he insisted that I give it some more time, so I did. I felt like I was pretending, and trying to make this relationship work, turned into many years of frustration and wasted time.

 

          He didn’t make matters any better, because he would try to make me do things for him by telling me what he claimed his ex-wife had done for him such as, run his bath water and massage his back every night, etc. He also wanted me to cook his food exactly the way his mother cooked it. I was always being compared to someone from his past relationships. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind making a man happy, but don’t try to make me do things by telling me what your ex-wife, ex-girlfriend or  your mother did for you, especially when it seems you’re just doing it out of spite and trying to make a mockery out of me and laughing behind my back. I felt like I was being manipulated. A person should know that’s the kind of thing that would run another person away.

    

     Some of the things I mentioned about him may seem small, but the bottom line is that he was a manipulator. I didn’t like his persona, because he was a person who thought he had to have his way all of the time, no matter how it made the other person feel. It seemed that everywhere we went he had to show people that he was the boss-man. He was loud and he felt he had to defend himself even before something happened, but he would always tell me I was the insecure one; He called me out of my name quite often and threw temper tantrums when he couldn’t get his way. When it comes to relationships these days I’m still trying to figure out, what’s really going on. If two people are secure within themselves, then one does not have to put the other down to make themselves feel good. We should be lifting each other up and making compromises in order to make a relationship work, instead he would tell me “A person is just who they are and there are some things you just can’t change about yourself.” Ladies we always see the signs, pay attention to them, and act accordingly. If the shoe does not fit, don’t force it.

 

Suggestions:

• Always remember that you are number one on this earth, so set your standards high, not to think you are better than anyone else but equal.
• Love and respect yourself first and it will be easier to love and respect someone else, and know who to accept in your life.
• When starting a new relationship, pay attention to the signs, such as, “Am I getting the respect I deserve?” and react accordingly.

 

Daniel 10:19

Strength Of People

He said, "O man of high esteem, do not be afraid Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!" Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, "May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me."

 

Psalms 139:13-14

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

 

 

Quit Blaming

          The speaker at the church where I visited on 7/21/2013 gave a very informative message. The topic of the message was “Quit Blaming” quit blaming other people or certain circumstances for negative things that’s happening in your life and quit holding on to the past. She actually embarked on some of things that I was already thinking about concerning myself. I guess you could say she confirmed my very thoughts, and put them into perspective. She gave nine examples of life practices that you should indulge in on a regular basis, but the one that stood out to me the most is “The voice of Declaration.”          

          "The Voice of Declaration," tells you to speak out and up for yourself, and not let other people tell you who you are, or who you have the ability to become. For a large portion of my life I stayed in a state of confusion because I didn’t really know who I was or where I was going in life. Even though I grew up in negative surroundings, I tried not to dwell on that, but at the same time it’s hard to move on when you have feelings of insecurity, discouragement, and low self esteem. When dealing with those kinds of strongholds in your life, you really have to have faith in knowing that change is always possible, but you have to work at it.  Another practice that stood out to me was “The Mirror of Self Confrontation.”

          “The Mirror of Self Confrontation,” helps you confront yourself about anything that concerns you and no one else. It helps you lift the burden of blame off of your conscious and give you a mind free of guilt. Lately I had been confronting myself about being more positive and not being so opinionated and concern about other people situations. Sometime I feel I may dig to deep into things, and make them worse than what they are. I feel that I’m showing concern. Even though you may feel you need to talk to someone about another person’s situation sometimes it may start to sound like gossip. I should be talking to the person involved in the situation anyway, instead of someone else. If I can’t physically help the person with the situation, then I should just pray for the person as I pray for myself and my situations, and always share a loving and caring heart.

 

 

Solutions:

The Voice of Declaration:

• Express yourself, but always in a positive and dignified manner.
• Learn to love yourself and change what is needed to be change.
• Speak over yourself with encouraging words every day.

 

Bible Verse:

Romans 12: 6-7

⁶ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; ⁷ or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; ⁸ he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

 

 

The Mirror of self confrontation:

• Confront yourself and not blame others for what’s going wrong in your life.
• You may want to seek counsel from your pastor, assistant pastor or a counselor in your church on whatever you are confronting yourself about.
• Practice the art of self awareness to see how much, if any, of your blame involves other people.

 

Bible Verses:

Proverbs 20: 5

⁵The purpose in the heart of man is like deep water,
but a man of understanding will draw it out.

 

Proverbs 21: 2

²Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the hearts