It is breast cancer awareness month. It is also the month in which I drag my entire family up the side of a mountain in a race. For fun. Haha. They’re not convinced yet (well, okay, Moses is totally on board), but they will be.

In honor of the breast cancer month, I thought I’d share some thoughts on well-being.

Let’s start with what not to do, shall we?

“We forge the chains we wear in life.” ~ Charles Dickens (Let’s not imprison ourselves!)

“Tension is who you think you should be, relaxation is who you are.” ~ Chinese Proverb (Aim for relaxation here, not tension, my friends.)

So, how do we move forward? There’s really no division between the body, the mind, and the soul – no matter how much we would like to compartmentalize ourselves into “aspects” we are one whole.

What I’ve learned:
– laugh often, and I do mean huge, rollicking, belly laughs
– read a good book
– dance, even if you think you can’t
– when you’re stuck, KEEP GOING
– when you’re sad, just cry: let it out
– forgive quickly (no, do not become a doormat or fail to keep yourself safe)
– play like a child
– go for walks (or hikes) in nature
– set your alarm and get up in the wee hours of the morning to watch a meteor shower
– volunteer
– smile
– learn the names of people you see frequently (anyone know the name of their grocery clerk?)
– see totally frivolous movies once in a while (it’s good to think deep thoughts, but it can also be good to watch stuff blow up or see Jean-Claude Van Damme save the world by doing the splits)
– love yourself and laugh at yourself: life is serious enough
– care for yourself as well as others
– remember compassion: the actions of others may be truly mystifying, but we are over here walking our own path and may be missing their internal struggle
– don’t be afraid to say NO
– if you want something: ask, work for it, set it as a goal
– breathe, move, live, love

Happy Tuesday, and blessings to you all…

Life is short, so live it!