tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9282889197273024242024-02-18T23:54:40.273-08:00Seeds of HealthSparking health naturallyAarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-86098125612787423822016-05-24T17:02:00.001-07:002016-06-30T15:05:24.298-07:00The Price of Image to Health<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPwWYYU3U7IMEmHSRONlelPa8cZhwVKiM5w1zb4To0g7IkNfMRp8DPYdWWpFE7_oZfwdiA8PhJ7-X0ukQz0Y7qs-IwrchD4F5tenIa-2CWpyNefrFliSmvGe62xtJ6ODhxrrLZi5YVGxE/s1600/computer+in+nature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPwWYYU3U7IMEmHSRONlelPa8cZhwVKiM5w1zb4To0g7IkNfMRp8DPYdWWpFE7_oZfwdiA8PhJ7-X0ukQz0Y7qs-IwrchD4F5tenIa-2CWpyNefrFliSmvGe62xtJ6ODhxrrLZi5YVGxE/s320/computer+in+nature.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In our society, which has become more dominated by screens, image is a
big deal. It's not just the realm of celebrities, performers, and
athletes these days. <b>Image affects all of us in today's world.</b>
How we portray our lives and selves to others can become such an
influential part of daily living that it can affect how we treat our
bodies, health, and those close to us. Image can impact both physical
and mental health in ways that can eventually lead to chronic health
issues and take us farther away from what we want in life.<br />
<br />
<b>What is image? </b>Image
is typically what we want others to see despite what we're feeling
underneath or what is truly going on in our lives. We all have an image,
and that in and of itself is not a bad thing. Image, or persona, can
help create healthy boundaries between ourselves and our environments,
including other people. That bit of distance helps us have space and
privacy where we need it. Everyone doesn't need to know everything. What
becomes dangerous is when image evolves into more of a lie that we even
start believing when we're alone.<br />
<br />
We may want to believe that
we're perfect, and try to show that to others instead of facing fears
that are surfacing. These days, you may also notice social and
media-induced peer pressure to <b>show happiness to ourselves and to the world</b>,
even when we're feeling sad, angry, disappointed, or some other feeling
instead. The idea of image can then start to encroach on personality
and even become who we are to some extent, often to the detriment of our
physical and mental health. The pull to be immune and safe in this
world using an artificial image is something each person goes through at
times.<br />
<br />
Image is a tool that can be helpful in the roles we play
at work and in life, when it is mostly in tune with who we are already.
When it instead plays a more suppressive role in blocking out real
emotions, thoughts, and expressions of who we are, it can also naturally
suppresses health, hormones, neurotransmitters, and our personalities.
It can become a cage in which we live with our unacknowledged fears and
emotions.<br />
<br />
The price of image overtaking who we are can be costly.
Yet, it's okay to admit this and honestly look at what image you're
showing to others, and ultimately to yourself. <b>We live in a culture where image too easily becomes everything, and many people are dissatisfied with this way of living.</b>
Even when image affects health and stifles life, it can still be an
addictive thing to pursue. However, if you remind yourself of what you
really want in life, it can become easier to see how the image you're
portraying might be blocking that. And then you can ask, what benefit is
image really bringing to your life?<br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><i>You know who you are, so what price are you willing to pay for image?</i></span>Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-65893918042808848902016-02-09T15:06:00.000-08:002016-02-09T15:06:03.239-08:00When Medicine Gets Lazy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLmiiqVHDDLk3EqWjV-j9cEC2zVMgSkMEwbWAA_KiiOFl2WECuFpHLcLzFzWGp6lRQ7vKOcF_LMBk9FjAPTpTLyvz9qs-Wy3LLuQlBp51-uuzDtRqBckJghzCNZh4A0_RhLuIdB-TlYQ0/s1600/doctor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLmiiqVHDDLk3EqWjV-j9cEC2zVMgSkMEwbWAA_KiiOFl2WECuFpHLcLzFzWGp6lRQ7vKOcF_LMBk9FjAPTpTLyvz9qs-Wy3LLuQlBp51-uuzDtRqBckJghzCNZh4A0_RhLuIdB-TlYQ0/s320/doctor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Medicine can get lazy, that's a fact. While research and
technological advances in medicine are happening everyday, the nuts and
bolts of a doctor's appointment don't always reflect the benefits of
this work. Yet, the doctor's appointment is where healing should start
taking place. Too often, patients are given the run around through
differing diagnoses, put through batteries of tests, given discouraging
messages about their health, and sparked with fear toward their own
bodies. <em>What can we do when medicine gets lazy and fearful?</em><br />
<br />
Health is not meant to be built around fear, so the first step toward supporting your body and well-being is to <strong>question and debunk the fear tactics used toward you in a doctor's office</strong>,
if you do encounter them. It's not a common topic of conversation, but
medicine is both a business and an institution in many cases, and
therefore will have its own agenda that doesn't always take into account
how you're feeling. At the same time, we're told to see medical
establishments and the providers working there as an authority over our
health.<br />
<br />
You can see the conflict of interest that can arise in
this setup. If you are told that you are helpless without a specific
pharmaceutical drug, that lab results define everything about your
health, or that your health is somehow a burden and nuisance, it's time
to take a step back from the medical system and get back in touch with
your body and how you want to feel in it. You can still seek advice and
second opinions from trusted health professionals, but recognize
yourself as an authority on your health too. After all, you're the only
one living your life and in touch with your body on a daily basis.<br />
<br />
<strong>Next, don't wait until a doctor's appointment to pay attention to your health, daily habits, and how you're feeling.</strong>
Your body gives you signals and clues on a daily basis as to where you
can show more care to yourself and how you're feeling. How you're
feeling means not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally.
Suppressed experiences, emotions, and thoughts are a leading source of
chronic symptoms and fatigue, and often apathy about life in general.<br />
<br />
Today's
medical system often does not get at the underlying roots of how you're
feeling on a mind-body level. However, you can do this type of
investigation of your health on your own. When you try this approach,
you'll be employing preventive health measures that can help you feel
better, avoid excessive symptoms, and make your health visits more
effective when you do have them.<br />
<br />
Third, stay informed. <strong>Try
not to lose curiosity and the desire to learn about yourself and your
health just because modern medicine doesn't always feel like a caring or
healing environment.</strong> There are resources and services out
there in the medical field that will work with you and use a more
educational and preventive style toward health care. However, there are
also less healthy influences in medicine which can be discouraging and
make you want to give up at times. Listen to yourself when these
unhelpful voices enter the picture, and that way you can stay informed
and educated about your options when it comes to supporting your body's
health, vitality, and longevity.<br />
<br />
Your health is not a burden,
chore, or hopeless situation and if you allow the space in your own life
to acknowledge this, you will be prepared if you happen to encounter
negativity and discouraging messages out in the world of medicine. You
and your body possess an innate intelligence and healing potential, so
communicate with it and you will find that it will respond back to you
too.Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-209622121266616212015-11-06T15:22:00.001-08:002015-11-06T15:22:34.446-08:00Taking Time to Look Around<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIa9lwPW0JDUKfJAR9XnkRZzR3p-vKyq1jG23SMECC3d0w0XZCFUR17_J0tZEzMd6rc7wif3ZD_5bR3QnIjK2uXrk_YMinCUlgZ7-gpbjwjkL72IxCv-ckoFcQ5NzPKOYPKZqVAGK0sds/s1600/ladybugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIa9lwPW0JDUKfJAR9XnkRZzR3p-vKyq1jG23SMECC3d0w0XZCFUR17_J0tZEzMd6rc7wif3ZD_5bR3QnIjK2uXrk_YMinCUlgZ7-gpbjwjkL72IxCv-ckoFcQ5NzPKOYPKZqVAGK0sds/s320/ladybugs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
When you're always looking straight ahead, it is easy to start
missing out on life that you can experience around you. We all have
goals, achievements, and responsibilities we'd like to reach, and lists
and plans that we make. At the same time, we also have pressures and
expectations, ones that can at times become unreasonable and force us
forward not with real motivation, but instead with fear. There are times
when we may be "doing all the right things" and going through the
motions of reaching the next goal or milestone. Meanwhile, the body,
nervous system, and senses--in other words, the real you--may be
requesting that you simply pause to look around for a bit first.<br />
<br />
<strong>You won't get too behind by just stopping and checking out what's going on in your environment.</strong>
Whether it's in your house, nature, a new place, an activity that you
miss doing, or your health. When you look around, you're acknowledging
that even though there's a path you're following, it's not just a
straight shot arrow and instead also involves the space around you and
within you.<br />
<br />
Also, when you're looking around you don't always have
to define what you see, form an opinion about it, post it on social
media, take a picture and record it, or even tell anyone. Today more
than ever, we're tempted to do that with many things that we see or
experience. The experience is enough as it is. <em>It might just be for you.</em><br />
<br />
What
do you risk by not looking around from time to time? You'll never know
until you look. It may be scary to leave the path alone for a little
while, for fear that you might miss out on something important. Life's
not like that though. It offers the time and space to look around, maybe
not all the time or everyday, but enough that it's worthwhile to take
advantage of it. <em><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">What do you see around you, that you may not have looked at for a while?</span></em>Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-754421379642783872015-10-06T15:51:00.005-07:002015-10-06T15:53:57.121-07:00FREE e-book "The Art of Health" for limited time (10/6-10/10)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeg6p8SoNaAJwpjhLDp2Dkyg1SujPzCfn85y-rOEZVERyFxeR0KdAo3ArWbGZVnNjVjjPDs2l-o1hY5riq28URHU77qDtR3bMjGj1Q7Ibghwf3ZZUEXzLezQrWZuY75UvFmsS9PXTLqn6/s1600/The+Art+of+Health+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeg6p8SoNaAJwpjhLDp2Dkyg1SujPzCfn85y-rOEZVERyFxeR0KdAo3ArWbGZVnNjVjjPDs2l-o1hY5riq28URHU77qDtR3bMjGj1Q7Ibghwf3ZZUEXzLezQrWZuY75UvFmsS9PXTLqn6/s320/The+Art+of+Health+image.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<h3>
Check out this FREE e-book of "The Art of Health" by Aarti Patel, N.D. from 10/6--10/10! Click on the link below:</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Health-Simple-powerful-creating-ebook/dp/B014HX40FQ/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1444167236&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Free e-book "The Art of Health"</a></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Inside this book you'll find:</i></div>
<ul>
<li data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">A different approach toward chronic hard-to-treat symptoms</li>
<li data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">How to pay better attention to the body and its signals</li>
<li data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">Why chronic symptoms are often related to one another</li>
<li data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">Tips for choosing long-term health instead of quick fixes</li>
<li data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">The power of the mind in supporting real health</li>
<li data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">The part that fear plays in health</li>
<li data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">Why labels in health care can be limiting</li>
<li data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">How to picture and live the health that you want<br /> ...and more</li>
</ul>
<h3>
</h3>
Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-6680335465961681302014-12-11T14:56:00.000-08:002014-12-11T19:40:21.440-08:0011 Story Fall: A Collection of Short Stories<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bQm6TQ-fL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bQm6TQ-fL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="400" id="main-image" rel="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81odKOwpHGL._SL1500_.jpg" style="display: inline;" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
Introducing <span style="color: #20124d;"><b>"11 Story Fall: A Collection of Short Stories,"</b></span> a new book available <b>for free</b> today and tomorrow on Amazon. Written by Aarti Patel and Jason Petersen. Please <a href="http://www.amazon.com/11-Story-Fall-Collection-Stories-ebook/dp/B00QSWKSUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418333629&sr=8-1&keywords=11+story+fall" target="_blank">check it out here</a>, and any reviews are appreciated!</div>
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"There's no easy way to put the human dilemma. We strive for perfection,
and we also want to live our lives. But really, the two are mutually
exclusive. All around us we see ideals erected on pedestals, while we
stand below and look up reverently at them. Who raises those unblemished
falsities of life up there? We do—not nature—and it drives us nuts.
<br />
<br />
Each of these eleven short stories explores this theme. The lead
characters are struggling not with trying to find themselves, but rather
with facing a society hell bent on stripping them of who they already
are. This conflict is especially real in the modern world. These eleven
stories are a present day nose dive off those pedestals."</blockquote>
Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-36631916577608435472014-11-17T19:27:00.000-08:002014-11-17T19:27:08.310-08:00Enjoy Not Knowing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8brCBjslDWhPq5Dyfk5EGDsUfxfE9BVDg5KmvVfLyvncRz943uA3UNP9Rs99aanhk5CZLduv903J3v90ilVc3xA7Vhi2FMa3vOntFXu-2pQSw-F_wFyCAEy26I8GMCUe1VpzOK1gwIO_/s1600/calender.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8brCBjslDWhPq5Dyfk5EGDsUfxfE9BVDg5KmvVfLyvncRz943uA3UNP9Rs99aanhk5CZLduv903J3v90ilVc3xA7Vhi2FMa3vOntFXu-2pQSw-F_wFyCAEy26I8GMCUe1VpzOK1gwIO_/s1600/calender.JPG" height="142" width="200" /></a></div>
When the end of the year rolls around, our minds may hover around the
fact that we don't know exactly what we'll be up to this time next
year. Uh oh, that feeling creeps in of not knowing everything! The
ability to plan for what comes next can only take us so far in life, and
the uncertainty of the future can make us feel hesitant to initiate new
changes. Some of those are needed changes!<br />
<br />
<strong>The truth is, you've never known it all.</strong>
Your decisions haven't all been based on planning each event in
advance. There is a natural flow to life that offers us challenges that
we can handle at each point in life. Staying open to uncertainty--of not
knowing--can actually be rewarding and doesn't have to feel dreadful.
Just remember that planning, and anticipating, and trying to know, and
writing on a calendar, and trying to predict <em>can't</em> <em>and doesn't</em> always apply when the moment arrives. Each moment is unique, and like wild horses these moments can't be tamed so easily.<br />
<br />
So
enjoy what you don't know! You're not the only one who doesn't know,
everyone experiences this feeling at different times in life. Give
yourself a break and let yourself off the hook when your mind starts to
demand, "But I have to know now!" Tell yourself, no---<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">life is richer than having to know everything all the time.</span>Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-52488046537406571412014-06-22T20:45:00.000-07:002014-06-22T20:47:18.301-07:00Start It and Finish It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYfpcFGCqMC_22RSZT7kNKsqpHIIeAXUDnN71KwDU9miKcDba0YLU9cN_a3v4N9Ead5MJiauOt96HL6gkwHMyEJMUgDiWeoJS5nKLgXzVdL6zhiSG2CF6xduMASSLyeNAsC8HbZlV_xwZ/s1600/swinging+bat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYfpcFGCqMC_22RSZT7kNKsqpHIIeAXUDnN71KwDU9miKcDba0YLU9cN_a3v4N9Ead5MJiauOt96HL6gkwHMyEJMUgDiWeoJS5nKLgXzVdL6zhiSG2CF6xduMASSLyeNAsC8HbZlV_xwZ/s1600/swinging+bat.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
Have you ever started something and lost momentum toward finishing it about halfway through?<br />
<br />
In
today's world, it can be easy to get the ball rolling on a project or
activity, only to fizzle out in excitement after a few weeks or months.
Our attention is constantly pulled this way, and pushed that way. With
the growth of social media and reliance on internet, distractions can make it
challenging to stick with it. Though we're in the moment when starting
an activity, this moment may pass by too quickly and seem irrelevant
after a while. What's the trade-off in not following through with what
you start?<br />
<br />
<b>"Following through"</b> is an expression
that comes up in sports a lot. Whether you're swinging at a baseball,
tennis ball, or golf ball, unless you follow through with your motion
and put your whole body and focus into what you're doing, the end result
risks being a letdown. When you commit to your action and follow
through completely, you've tried your best and may be surprised at just
how much momentum and strength you can put behind your swing. The same
goes for those things we wish to pursue in any area of life. Starting
it, sticking with it, and finishing (or following through on) it can
feel very rewarding and healthy. Not doing so can leave a unsatisfying
dot, dot, dot at the end of what we do.<br />
<br />
<b>Beware of all the clutter</b>
that may come your way that tells you it's not worth finishing what you
start. No matter how big the world feels in its apparent connectedness,
you still have the space around you in your own life in which to do
what you want. No matter how much the information on a screen proclaims
its importance, you probably have things you've started in your own life
that could feel even more substantial and satisfying if pursued
further.<br />
<br />
<i><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">Are there areas of your life where you'd like to follow through more? Put that extra umph behind your swing and go for it!</span></i><br />
<br />Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-27652415448616730452014-05-12T19:30:00.000-07:002014-05-12T19:30:22.436-07:00Avoid the Militant Mindset<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RR0q2-POr7D_iRvdUuwXIn69JI7NtNNed59moQO-xnIdXB7gjzxhKfZpCfQq8lZ-1U2CoI0PH6dJKRbxiH_ImbFSqHiZHfVmfPck3VsGl8U2LoS7aTwoirjkjHshqo8z_T_kHLL5BrFZ/s1600/straight+edge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RR0q2-POr7D_iRvdUuwXIn69JI7NtNNed59moQO-xnIdXB7gjzxhKfZpCfQq8lZ-1U2CoI0PH6dJKRbxiH_ImbFSqHiZHfVmfPck3VsGl8U2LoS7aTwoirjkjHshqo8z_T_kHLL5BrFZ/s1600/straight+edge.JPG" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
What's more enjoyable: doing something because you want to do it, or doing something because you're forced into it?<br />
<br />
For
many of us, it's more satisfying to do things when we feel like doing
them. Yet, in life and in health it's easy to develop a militant mindset
in which we become overly strict and focused on rules that we impose on
ourselves. Not only does a militant frame of mind make us overly
critical of ourselves and our lifestyle, it also takes us farther away
from what we truly want. A lot of times, this mindset can block you from
asking yourself what you want altogether.<br />
<br />
<b>Being healthy in life doesn't have to involve pain and suffering.</b>
The image comes to mind of clocking five days a week at the gym,
drinking green-colored smoothies every morning, tolerating handfuls of
supplements, keeping up with fear-based research on what food is healthy
versus not, and nervously eying the weight scale. Is this a picture of
health in your mind, and is this how you want to live?<br />
<br />
Ask
yourself where in your life you're excessively militant toward yourself.
We can all benefit by easing back from rigid and forceful approaches in
life. Let yourself have some leeway throughout your days, and see what
you can learn about yourself and your health in the process. You may
find that the militant approach is stemming from your fears rather than
your true inclinations. This mindset often gives us the false impression
that we're in control of everything when we're actually nervous about
uncertainties in life. Fears and worries still bubble underneath the
militant mindset, no matter how much we're convinced we're doing
everything "right."<br />
<br />
It's easy to spring to the "have to's" and
"musts" first thing in the morning. Try a different approach once in a
while so you can practice avoiding the militant mindset. Ask yourself
what you <i>want to do</i> for a change. Doing things when you feel
like doing them, whenever possible, sparks real energy behind your
actions and puts a natural spring in your step. This practice also helps
you to be less critical and judgmental toward yourself, as well as less
punishing about "not doing the right thing." <b>Consider that</b> <b>if you're doing what you want, then it is the right thing and perhaps the best thing for your health.</b><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">This
week, challenge yourself to step away from the militant mindset, and
see how much more you can enjoy yourself and health in the process.</span><br />
<br />Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-46475115588232249682014-05-04T14:22:00.000-07:002014-05-04T14:37:52.472-07:00Take Charge of Your Fears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-f50K9WykVJfGASuljjtdXBSjnkN0ZGlD9IbLKyVk8I-lWTOZvIjFmR5Xuv7pDdwmeKETvWLJsT4jymkX7egpt2A6GhFOWAoQD2RLJvUEhlmiRNIxlrsabdDVK-MvAVgxmWLwV6NJ5DI/s1600/man+opening+door.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-f50K9WykVJfGASuljjtdXBSjnkN0ZGlD9IbLKyVk8I-lWTOZvIjFmR5Xuv7pDdwmeKETvWLJsT4jymkX7egpt2A6GhFOWAoQD2RLJvUEhlmiRNIxlrsabdDVK-MvAVgxmWLwV6NJ5DI/s1600/man+opening+door.JPG" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
We all have "those moments" come up. The moments that seem to
paralyze our bodies and minds, shake up all notions of who we are, and
to suggest that we don't have what it takes. <b>FEAR.</b>
Whatever form it takes and however daunting it appears, fear actually
isn't a bad four-letter word. When fear comes up in life, it presents a
unique opportunity for us to learn and to grow. We all have fears, and
whether they stop us in our tracks or propel us forward toward what we
want---depends on what we do with them.<br />
<br />
There is a tendency to
want to ignore fears, fix them, and hope they'll go away on their own
without the attention they're asking for. We can start to believe that
the messages the fears seem to be sending us are true, and we seek to
avoid them even further. On top of that, there are often internally- and
externally-sparked messages that if we feel fear, that we're weak and
lacking in courage.<br />
<br />
<b>The truth is, there can be no courage in life without fear.</b>
There also can't be real excitement, determination, enjoyment, and
pride. Squashing out the natural emotion of fear in life tends to squash
out life in general and limits how we express ourselves as unique
individuals. When fear is knocking loudly on the door, it's asking us to
open up to something new in life, and it's often something that we're
ready to handle at that point. If we ignore the fear, it keeps knocking
anyway while waiting to be noticed. Eventually, we can start to feel
scared of even being afraid and this suppression takes up much of our
time and energy.<br />
<br />
<b>There is no solution to fear, and there doesn't need to be.</b>
Fear is a natural and potentially energizing part of life, and its
source in the body is closely tied to the same place excitement comes
from too. Both the feelings of fear and excitement release similar
hormones and neurotransmitters in the body. Instead of letting fears
take us over and rule how we live, we can learn to take more charge of
them. Acknowledging fears as part of reality allows us to take pressure
off of ourselves and the need to be perfect. Instead, we can learn our
way through the scary experiences. If we let ourselves face fears and
process them, we can use the energy that is contained within them to
live life how we want.<br />
<br />
Luckily, there's no magic trick to facing
fears. They're actually right in front of our faces and waiting to be
noticed, if we allow space in our lives for them. <span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">Start by opening the door that fear is knocking on and saying, "I feel scared of _____________."</span><br />
<br />Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-82523031959079230582014-03-16T18:05:00.002-07:002014-03-16T18:08:01.148-07:00Bringing Your Energy to It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_e7JxqaAymowS-92EQFdQpE2OFoXITbtr7nKmnTGMpPu3DwOd3kgnhZF6LG00JS9MyfSWCAmPM6CBHPi_MQ7SQ-vE1NnRIpsx1FiHSNcGPNXEt_77AbUJGRjCnFmJ7iL9rbvTUFeefuy/s1600/running+on+beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_e7JxqaAymowS-92EQFdQpE2OFoXITbtr7nKmnTGMpPu3DwOd3kgnhZF6LG00JS9MyfSWCAmPM6CBHPi_MQ7SQ-vE1NnRIpsx1FiHSNcGPNXEt_77AbUJGRjCnFmJ7iL9rbvTUFeefuy/s1600/running+on+beach.JPG" height="234" width="320" /></a></div>
Daily responsibilities and obligations can gradually take a toll on
energy flow, making it feel at times like there's no room to use your
energy in the way you want to. This experience can be hard to go
through, and the physical effects that often result such as fatigue and
sleep issues can make things feel worse.<br />
<br />
Even though chronic
fatigue is commonly thought of as a cluster of physical symptoms, much
of fatigue starts out on a mental-emotional level and then spreads to
the whole body. Energy may actually be available in the body, but it can
be difficult to use when it's been blocked from coming out. <b><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">Energy can then become stagnant or stuck</span></b> from lack of use. It's there, but it can feel very out of reach.<br />
<br />
In
today's busy busy world, this is a common challenge. We may have
certain uncontrollable factors that define how and where we use most of
our energy. Still, it's important to remember that being able to bring
your energy to something you care about helps keep energy flowing in the
body and through daily life. Wherever you can create a pocket for
yourself, <b><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">bring your energy to it.</span></b><br />
<br />
If
you enjoy playing music when you're done with the day's work, bring
your energy to the notes. If you have ideas on a different type of work
you'd like to do in the future, bring your energy to those ideas. If
you're a writer, blogger, or talker, bring your energy to the words you
use. Enjoy exercise and sports? Bring energy to your movements. If
you're in very busy and demanding period of life, however, do what you
can and when there's more time to rest you'll have more opportunities.<br />
<br />
<i><span data-mce-style="color: #3366ff;" style="color: #3366ff;">Your energy matters. Find ways to keep it burning for yourself.</span></i><br />
<br />
Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-66384373795483319152014-03-16T17:53:00.001-07:002014-03-16T18:08:14.693-07:00When Can You Be Proud of Yourself?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6qBsbWBr_82hpehD9LcS_9rFsfXLjUmWHRKPvRHbhPdatjZhoGCYrgOEo0lIDVQglYj3NohUvLoXnIG32ySiHIG6giduBedtF8oI4hHslGkFVGtXKW_y5Hf_wGJTaxoIRxwfNUxRR2tU/s1600/girl+studying.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6qBsbWBr_82hpehD9LcS_9rFsfXLjUmWHRKPvRHbhPdatjZhoGCYrgOEo0lIDVQglYj3NohUvLoXnIG32ySiHIG6giduBedtF8oI4hHslGkFVGtXKW_y5Hf_wGJTaxoIRxwfNUxRR2tU/s1600/girl+studying.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<b><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">It's not easy to be proud of yourself.</span></b> That's not because you haven't done or are aren't doing things that you're proud of---it's actually the opposite.<br />
<br />
We
live in a world where enough is never enough and this mindset is
contagious on an individual level as well. Often, we don't let ourselves
feel like anything's good enough. We commonly overlook what we're proud
of in favor of holding a magnifying glass to our perceived faults,
shortcomings, mistakes, and unreached ideals. <i>Is this fair?</i><br />
<br />
Denying
ourselves pride for who we are and what we do can become a vicious
cycle. Instead of facing a challenge, job, project, or other task with a
sense of satisfaction, we can become addicted to criticizing ourselves
for what we're doing wrong. We may actually invent or search for things
that we're doing "wrong" in order to perpetuate this cycle.<br />
<br />
Being
proud of what you do can even bring up feelings of guilt or fear. It's
okay for someone else to be proud of you, or for you to be proud of
someone else. What's wrong, then, with feeling proud of yourself?<br />
<br />
<b><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">The truth is, there's nothing wrong with it and you deserve it.</span></b>
You can bring the satisfaction to your own life that comes from
enjoying who you are and what you do. You don't have to wait for that
feeling to come from the outside first in the form of praise,
recognition, or a promotion.<br />
<br />
You can breathe even more life into
what you do by acknowledging what you've already done. The credit you
give to yourself is not false or illegal, even though it can feel that
way sometimes. It's natural to feel proud of yourself because you have
real and first-hand experience of knowing yourself and your work.<br />
<br />
There
will never be a perfect point in time when it's finally okay for you to
be proud of yourself. You can do it anytime you want to. Next time you
do something you're excited about and then start to feel that queasy
"No--I didn't do it right" feeling: <b><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">Stop.</span></b> Ask yourself honestly whether you're really doing everything wrong. <i><span data-mce-style="color: #3366ff;" style="color: #3366ff;">Could it be that you're proud of yourself and withholding that feeling?</span></i><br />
<br />
Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-38330105125753767692014-03-03T17:55:00.000-08:002014-03-16T18:08:29.881-07:00Is Happiness Your Truth?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqay4z-FUMvhQeluDWmCxIX2ZuDHWRjkjNqBqKfx1qNglf08r8PTtVFTi_nzEXCkdxabIBlFjxbOOR1atZNDo_zHP4PU2DacDz1e6l_4QPBo4NIbdtqce6RwPgFniFlu7rWJHai5HgQkW/s1600/balloons.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqay4z-FUMvhQeluDWmCxIX2ZuDHWRjkjNqBqKfx1qNglf08r8PTtVFTi_nzEXCkdxabIBlFjxbOOR1atZNDo_zHP4PU2DacDz1e6l_4QPBo4NIbdtqce6RwPgFniFlu7rWJHai5HgQkW/s1600/balloons.JPG" height="143" width="200" /></a></div>
In today's world, <b><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">happiness has moved beyond an emotion</span></b>
and is almost more like a discipline. There is now peer pressure to be
happy all the time and this message gets reaffirmed by commercials we
see and songs we hear on the radio. A recent song on the radio repeats
words such as "Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth" for
four minutes straight. The question is: what's the crime in
experiencing other emotions too during life? It's worth it to explore
whether happiness is your ultimate truth or whether going through life
honestly through a spectrum of different emotions feels more truthful.<br />
<br />
<b><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">It's a lot of pressure to feel happy all the time.</span></b>
When there are moments in life that don't feel so happy, you have to
act counter to your true feelings in order to enforce happiness.
Ultimately, the high that comes from uninterrupted happiness can lead to
crashes of mood afterward. Extremes can form between alternating
feelings of happiness and those of depression. These extreme and
unnatural fluctuations in emotion can also disrupt the balance in other
areas of health, both physical and mental-emotional.<br />
<br />
More than a crystallized ideal to strive for, happiness is a natural part of life that comes <b><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">alongside other diverse experiences and emotions.</span></b>
We don't need to force it in order to experience it, and forcing it
actually works against being able to feel it naturally. Next time you
feel like you <i>should be</i> happy, ask yourself whether it's a
natural urge to feel this way or whether there's an external expectation
for you to be happy. When there's a natural spark to happy moments,
you'll know it.<br />
<br />
There's nothing wrong with happiness, but it
doesn't have to become a rule that overrides everything else in life.
Life is more flavorful when you can go through the good times and the
bad times, and not always with an unconditional smile pasted on. <i><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">Is happiness your ultimate truth, or is there more to it than that?</span></i><br />
<br />
Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-76426718349732318752014-02-06T20:06:00.002-08:002014-02-06T20:08:42.404-08:00Worth Your Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIptOtsFkGkLAVBX_o4yEKq3Ldh73cx674Ll-qWiDUS3zzSe6L-7xX6ycPEhs6KjZBFw1epYCzvUmeSsqA8xt5jC9LWrJU-pYlrz_DUACVYdSdJ41JxH-SFvRf0bs3JcKueQy7HX3zKtsq/s1600/Clock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIptOtsFkGkLAVBX_o4yEKq3Ldh73cx674Ll-qWiDUS3zzSe6L-7xX6ycPEhs6KjZBFw1epYCzvUmeSsqA8xt5jC9LWrJU-pYlrz_DUACVYdSdJ41JxH-SFvRf0bs3JcKueQy7HX3zKtsq/s1600/Clock.JPG" height="320" width="272" /></a></div>
<i>What is worth your time?</i><br />
<br />
There is so much out there in
the world today, and there isn't enough time to do or see it all.
Supporting health involves picking and choosing which pursuits are worth
spending your time on. It might seem urgent to attend to everything all
at once, and it's also a subliminal message of the fast-paced world we
live in. Being stretched in many different directions has its limits,
however, and can ultimately lead to <b>more stress</b> than you need. It can also hamper enjoyment in what you ultimately spend your time doing.<br />
<br />
Being
busy is okay, but it's helpful to prioritize what's worth busying
yourself over. Are there certain areas of life where you've been craving
more action, versus other areas where you'd like to feel more calm and
less stress? No need to whip out a big To-Do list to prioritize what you
want: <b>it's helpful to feel it first.</b> Relax and try to
picture what types of pursuits you'd like to bring more of your energy
to. Leave the doubts and worries out of it for now. Let it be a simple
exercise that helps you consider the possibilities of how to spend more
of your time, your way.<br />
<br />
Time may feel like it's against us
sometimes, but often it's asking us to make choices regarding what
matters to each of us the most. Time is more than just a number. <span data-mce-style="color: #3366ff;" style="color: #3366ff;">So, what's worth your time?</span><br />
<br />
Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-29384772796233555932014-01-28T22:00:00.002-08:002014-01-30T01:58:50.685-08:00Patience Can Help<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyV2bruW8PVPAsaTsMUw2xSztYF3lehQuFghE7uKkTteky6-uDbmKyZtAMEstGyUTecjxadkFPeSpbcPZN7z_eerKxU4jf7Q_4xMMd-EPXHqCSzeTkHXm6RizE7oVM5DMF4n4_TlAT6co/s1600/MP900427669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyV2bruW8PVPAsaTsMUw2xSztYF3lehQuFghE7uKkTteky6-uDbmKyZtAMEstGyUTecjxadkFPeSpbcPZN7z_eerKxU4jf7Q_4xMMd-EPXHqCSzeTkHXm6RizE7oVM5DMF4n4_TlAT6co/s1600/MP900427669.JPG" height="244" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>What is patience?</i><br />
<br />
<b>Patience is valuable in many aspects
of life, including health, and it can take practice.</b> Even though it
involves waiting, it isn't passive. Even though it can take take time,
and often more time than trying to force an outcome to happen, it's not made
up of empty time. Patience involves the ability to accept that while
not everything is within your control, there are things within reach
that you <i>can do</i> to help you get what you want.<br />
<br />
Impatience can often set in from the fear that things won't work out,
and that if you hurry things up or control situations you can increase
the chances.<b> It can be
challenging to relax the feeling that everything has to be under control
at all times.</b> Fears may arise that it will all fall apart and head in a
direction you don't want. Outside of control, life is happening and
there's a natural flow to it. That natural flow is more accessible when
you invite patience to take part in what's important to you. Will you
always know the outcome? No, but the outcome may turn out to be more
your style than if you'd decided beforehand how things should turn out.<br />
<br />
Patience
isn't always the most comfortable feeling in the moment, but in the
long run it can help set a healthy pace and rhythm to life and
opportunities. It can also give you a chance to clearly picture what you
want in life. <span data-mce-style="color: #3366ff;" style="color: #3366ff;">What areas of life have you felt rushed or impatient about, and how can you breathe more patience into them?</span>Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-83237514562030669262014-01-19T15:59:00.000-08:002014-01-19T16:06:29.992-08:00The Feeling: "I don't care..."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSti0Oyn6snFsrwZnXK5aeADeVjNQJWWvTkEhDQCzG1PfNrNjqkdwN4jYRdVz1aDnBmRFwN5yL-IwcdNn5E3g65o3OP2lfd9ls_BAZ6cv5gD1u5JaSXiKyUcYMpmadNiPviO3_8v4LyXSC/s1600/cloud+thought+bubble.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSti0Oyn6snFsrwZnXK5aeADeVjNQJWWvTkEhDQCzG1PfNrNjqkdwN4jYRdVz1aDnBmRFwN5yL-IwcdNn5E3g65o3OP2lfd9ls_BAZ6cv5gD1u5JaSXiKyUcYMpmadNiPviO3_8v4LyXSC/s1600/cloud+thought+bubble.png" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">
<b>Ever had a feeling pop up that sounds and feels like "I don't care"?</b>
These moments can feel disconcerting when they do come up, but they're
also a part of life and can be valuable to go through. The thought "I
don't care" may not be saying you don't care at all, but more so that
you're sick of caring about expectations and pressures that don't suit
who you are as a person.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">
<b>Sometimes we can get wrapped up in caring about things that aren't really important to us.</b>
Expectations that we place on ourselves can tell us that we should care
about A, B, or C. Where did A, B, and C come from? Wherever they came
from, if they don't mean something real to your life they can make you
feel like you don't care. It's probably because you really don't care
about those expectations.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">
Expectations
and requirements that we impose on our lives can also eclipse things
that we actually do care about. A, B, and C can send messages that the
things we do care about are meaningless in the face of what should be.
When "I don't care" comes up, the true wants are bubbling up under the
surface waiting to be noticed again. "I don't care" can mean "I do
care". . . about parts of life that are being neglected or dismissed in
the face of artificially imposed values. It can also be scary to care
about real things, because we feel like it will hurt less in case they
don't work out.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">
<span data-mce-style="color: #3366ff;" style="color: #3366ff;">Next
time you have a feeling of "I don't care," try and think of whether
you're paying attention to things you don't care about over those things
that you naturally do value.</span></div>
Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-67104828095200169462013-12-03T19:25:00.000-08:002013-12-03T19:25:11.411-08:00It's Okay to Feel Tired <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40B8rbl7J94llNcmkYEhyphenhyphenff1pPrPYtk37nRpgPaJzv8NnWWpZ-tfLbtwtoCevEzx2hC7EOim2extvxQ_xFBcAm2kIzC-EE5sNbFE-DvwNC4eA6U6x4JP1O6V-F3N3ee2hy4ViHWA-zLbB/s1600/lion+yawning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40B8rbl7J94llNcmkYEhyphenhyphenff1pPrPYtk37nRpgPaJzv8NnWWpZ-tfLbtwtoCevEzx2hC7EOim2extvxQ_xFBcAm2kIzC-EE5sNbFE-DvwNC4eA6U6x4JP1O6V-F3N3ee2hy4ViHWA-zLbB/s320/lion+yawning.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
"Tired" may seem like a nasty 5-letter word in today's world. We come
to expect the body to keep up with full work schedules, harrying
commutes, family responsibilities, social responsibilities, finances,
progression and improvement, and all the worries and anxieties that come
along with being a well-rounded human being. Sometimes, the body just
has to put its foot on the brakes by making you feel tired. Is this
tired feeling evil for making you press pause? <strong><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">Should you just override it and keep going anyway?</span></strong><br />
<br />
If
you seek energy in 5-hour, 8-hour, or 12-hour energy bottles, caffeine,
or sugar, these temporary bursts of energy aren't real. These quick-fix
substances put you on overdrive so you can get through more hours with a
level of energy that your body can't keep up with. The backdrop still
remains the same---in other words, you're still tired at the end of the
day.<br />
<br />
<strong><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">It's okay and natural to feel tired sometimes.</span></strong>
Blaming yourself for feeling tired or expecting yourself to pick up the
energy overnight only rubs salt into the wound. What the body is trying
to say during periodic dips in energy is that you need more rest,
physically and mental-emotionally---end of the story. It's not trying to
tell you that you're not good enough and you need to do better. It's
not expecting you to be super human and to find a magical supply of
energy somewhere.<br />
<br />
When you're feeling tired, don't ask yourself
how you can keep up with the Jones's by pushing the body harder. Try and
see that your health is talking to you, and it's asking for a break of
some sort. <em><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">Will you give yourself that break, so your energy can start to rise again naturally?</span></em>Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-47268131166174930412013-11-24T22:33:00.001-08:002013-11-24T22:33:22.389-08:00Satisfaction in the Simple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHila0fb1apojIYFYTksIUpZQ5QaluuEdv8XvaQ2kySBty5XXuyDSgn83zjJOsFDZFhfgyRDFSjcQqiwHBdk1aDFN1DG2sLGfjx23caPh6BEQHGp_M_zpJagKtBi_vzbcy8DVHm09UFg0/s1600/mother+and+daughter+cooking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHila0fb1apojIYFYTksIUpZQ5QaluuEdv8XvaQ2kySBty5XXuyDSgn83zjJOsFDZFhfgyRDFSjcQqiwHBdk1aDFN1DG2sLGfjx23caPh6BEQHGp_M_zpJagKtBi_vzbcy8DVHm09UFg0/s320/mother+and+daughter+cooking.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
We often seek satisfaction from the biggest and the best in life. We
imagine that the bigger and better the experience, milestone, and
reward, the more value it will add to our days. Then we look at a cat,
happily preening herself in a sunny spot on the carpet, and we wonder
how that small action can provide her such satisfaction. Is the cat
weird, or are we sometimes <strong><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">out of touch with the satisfaction inherent in the simple?</span></strong><br />
<br />
Simple
avenues of enjoyment are all around us, yet we often ignore them while
chasing after the big stuff. Why? Sometimes we don't even know because
bigger and better seems written into the trends of culture. But if you
pay attention, you can feel the body and mind tugging at you to reward
yourself with more simple moments like the cat does.<br />
<br />
Instead of
seeing it as a bummer when you don't have plans on a weekend, it's a
perfect opportunity to relish in simple activities. If you enjoy
cooking, pull out that unique recipe you've had stored away for months
in a kitchen cupboard. Let the process of cooking and eating your food
deliver <strong><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">as much reward as you imagine a "big" experience would.</span></strong><br />
<br />
If
you want to try your own form of preening, soak your hands in warm
water for 15-20 minutes, then massage lotion into them while watching
T.V. or listening to music. You could do the same for your feet.
Practice a new hair do for no reason at all, that no one will see but
you. Re-arrange your closet and notice how your taste has changed over
time. Write a short story, even if you've never done it before. Play
piano or learn how to play. Make up a new song.<br />
<br />
Daily activities
like making coffee, washing the dishes, or walking the dog are all
simple moments that offer not only satisfaction, but also an anchor
during strange or stressful times. Just because you don't get a blue
ribbon or trophy for creatively stacking the dishwasher doesn't mean
it's an unimportant or useless part of your day. How you approach the
simplest moments can influence how you approach other experiences in
life, large or small.<br />
<br />
<em><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">This week, let yourself find satisfaction in the simple.</span></em>Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-36444240959208348652013-11-16T23:29:00.000-08:002013-11-16T23:29:20.891-08:00The Blank Page<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq65WZsiKfdwNDJnCAo3H6uEM-lOHVAfkg_fMMFikgUhPOOno7mrNm-OdmpHBFLcXOgPitXsfpE78iAEhbZfYu4ICY0MZrD8nHuzK_oncWoECPPzeFgd4NIDD3k_eTFXqJNGpHULrqhSAr/s1600/blank+page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq65WZsiKfdwNDJnCAo3H6uEM-lOHVAfkg_fMMFikgUhPOOno7mrNm-OdmpHBFLcXOgPitXsfpE78iAEhbZfYu4ICY0MZrD8nHuzK_oncWoECPPzeFgd4NIDD3k_eTFXqJNGpHULrqhSAr/s320/blank+page.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
Imagine pulling your resume up on the computer---<strong><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">and deleting it.</span></strong> Did your brain say <em>"ouch"</em>
at the very thought of electronically crumpling up the piece of paper
that claims to know everything you're good at and that you should be
striving for?<br />
<br />
The resume is a handy tool to get a job, and it's
also a confining piece of paper that can spark feelings of anxiety,
inadequacy, and dissatisfaction. Even without the paper itself, you can
see "resumes" metaphorically in how they affect life.<br />
<br />
Each of us has
roles that we can pressure ourselves to perform perfectly, and sometimes
unrealistically. The roles and tasks performed can become larger than
the person. The person can drown in the resume. It can feel like
nothing's ever enough.<br />
<br />
Again, imagine deleting all the lines on
the resume page. The lines that talk about being the perfect business
person, parent, daughter or son, teacher, worker, student, athlete,
human being, and so on. <strong><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">What's left?</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">A blank page.</span></strong> It may seem like <em>just</em>
an empty page, but it stands for a lot more than that. It's potential,
free and ready for you to use. How would you fill it if you didn't have
to stick with 12-point font, employment history, years worked,
qualifications, education, and skills?<br />
<br />
There are probably things
that you imagine doing from time to time, fleeting thoughts in your
mind. Maybe after you imagine them, you're habitually used to scrapping
them because there are more important things to do on your resume. Of
course the resume is bible...or is it? Maybe you do have space to do the
things you've imagined doing. As long as you do them your way. The
blank page may not come with directions, but it frees you to go where
you've never been.<br />
<br />
Just because we use resumes, doesn't mean we have to become them. <em><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">Try pulling out a blank page, and see what happens.</span></em>Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-71594710890765450922013-11-10T17:27:00.001-08:002013-11-10T17:27:45.965-08:00Wants Can't Be Discovered in Worries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1O-5Ff8xawKq732B8EdYSql-4atPGqKlB6YCmlkx_HiwAhRs5T4mH1ggH-o2Pfx-fIyMdedG5DrSw4T2DQA5RAaFD2tuMQFrz8AwgU5RZ5SeI3C5iogQpWeGdqdiV8aDRKZzA21kmeMC/s1600/man+worrying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1O-5Ff8xawKq732B8EdYSql-4atPGqKlB6YCmlkx_HiwAhRs5T4mH1ggH-o2Pfx-fIyMdedG5DrSw4T2DQA5RAaFD2tuMQFrz8AwgU5RZ5SeI3C5iogQpWeGdqdiV8aDRKZzA21kmeMC/s200/man+worrying.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Despite any tricks your brain pulls, it can be helpful to remember
that wants can't be discovered in worries. Worries masquerade inside our
heads as being caring, ambitious, and more "on it." Are they really
helping, though?<br />
<br />
Worrying is the mind's attempt to exert more
control over situations that feel uncertain or uncontrollable to us.
With enough worry, we imagine we can tease apart the ultimate answers to
life's problems and get what we want. The act of worrying <strong><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">ties up a lot of energy and potential</span></strong> that can be used in other ways.<br />
<br />
Ever
had an experience where something you want comes around when you're not
constantly worrying about it? Life doesn't usually seem that concerned
with our worries, and it may actually wait until the worrying subsides
before opening new doors and opportunities. Worrying is easy and common
to fall prey to. What's challenging is to step back from it and see what
else the world is made of. Energy, adventures, uncertainties...not
always bad uncertainties.<br />
<br />
By worrying, we can focus so much on the
unnerving side of uncertainty that we lose sight of the other shades of
it. Would you want to keep watching movies that you always knew the
endings to? With worries, we seek to know the ending right now before
going through the meat of the experience itself. Trouble is, worrying
doesn't exactly produce real endings or results, so it can leave us
spinning our wheels instead.<br />
<br />
Next time a worry is waking up with
you, piggy backing all day, and snuggling up beside you at night, look
at it in the face and ask, "What? What do you want from me?" <em><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">Reducing its importance will help you remember what you want instead.</span></em>Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-56138980977978975032013-11-03T16:45:00.000-08:002013-11-03T16:45:02.743-08:00Too Cool for School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQT4YyTLZ8xtwC-5US1mNcN2iQUKStYFwBfojHT5B5pZt6wpUoA7k3d1l5vTuL2e77isn15XU-uqFDrFgOFWETcgLeUaofdyOck_-SOzCZpYqYZGNshd3sAWvU_ERxjhGrivMOwMNQdzP/s1600/kids+ready+for+school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQT4YyTLZ8xtwC-5US1mNcN2iQUKStYFwBfojHT5B5pZt6wpUoA7k3d1l5vTuL2e77isn15XU-uqFDrFgOFWETcgLeUaofdyOck_-SOzCZpYqYZGNshd3sAWvU_ERxjhGrivMOwMNQdzP/s320/kids+ready+for+school.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In today's heavily social (media) world, sometimes a "Too Cool for
School" craze catches on. What's "too cool for school?" You stop wanting
to learn and experience life. Why? Because you're already being told
what's "cool."<br />
<br />
All of us are exposed to this phenomenon today over
the internet, pads, phones, and myriad devices. It's worth challenging
the net-like peer pressure to keep learning and discovering for
yourself. Nothing against nets. After all, spiders use nets to catch
food...just not other spiders. It's not easy to resist the pervasive
culture. But your health and well-being benefits from wisely <strong><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">choosing how much you want to be involved.</span></strong><br />
<br />
Too
cool for school tells you what's important to value. The more hits, the
more news-worthy. The more likes, the more reliable. Is that how we
really feel inside? That's a question for each individual to ask for his
or herself. When it comes down to it, tweets, likes, hits, and thumbs
up will never compare to solo and individual experience. <strong><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">Taste something and decide for yourself how you feel about it.</span></strong><br />
<br />
Even
if a million people say it's worth following, it's okay to say you
don't dig it. In fact, you'd probably rather go for a walk, write a
story, or do nothing at all. The point is, you're not uncool just for
having ignored it. Life is yours to live and learn through. Learning to
filter all the stimulus available today to decide what's valuable to you
makes a difference.<br />
<br />
If you feel out of vogue, behind the times,
not hip to it, or out of touch with the scene...maybe your mind and body
are trying to tell you something? <em><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">They're probably reminding you that you are cool for school. It's hip to be square.</span> </em>Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-72619997724250682012013-10-31T18:08:00.003-07:002013-10-31T18:08:57.945-07:00If a Tree Falls and No One Hears It...? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdwaQYA4giIM3AbXpVT5QiLGQ9L7fMX2eskkHIzTYYY_w62dwWz4NSoeycBMcz48lKf91P9-2zSdprP_I5ZfqQ5Smb_W81pxTSutNRXVOQt51Wx0X2TnpPIl7s46zTDrYTLScc57USz3g/s1600/tree+top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdwaQYA4giIM3AbXpVT5QiLGQ9L7fMX2eskkHIzTYYY_w62dwWz4NSoeycBMcz48lKf91P9-2zSdprP_I5ZfqQ5Smb_W81pxTSutNRXVOQt51Wx0X2TnpPIl7s46zTDrYTLScc57USz3g/s320/tree+top.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
The question goes, "If a tree falls and no one hears it, does it
still make a sound?" I'll shake this question up a bit and ask, <span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">"If you experience or see something, and no one else responds to it---did it still happen?"</span><br />
<br />
At one time or another, each of us faces a situation in which we strongly experience something that no one else responds to. <strong>Know the feeling?</strong>
Without anyone else echoing what you saw or felt, you may wonder
whether you imagined it all. Throughout life, it can be challenging to
hold onto your true experience when you're getting the message from
others that it's better or more convenient to dismiss it.<br />
<br />
You're
like the tree (without the falling part necessarily). The tree still
falls even if no one is there to witness it happening. That's what's
most important. In your own life when you go through something that's
important to you, it bears the same significance regardless of whether
other people acknowledge it or not.<br />
<br />
It can feel frustrating to
know your experience and then to doubt it because you feel alone there. The experiences you have that don't fit a formula or can't be categorized can feel like that the most. What's most important, however, is that it really did happen---for you.
The tree doesn't care if anyone heard it fall or not. For humans, it's
more complex than that. Still, we can learn from the tree in keeping the
integrity of our experiences even when there isn't a witness to them.<br />
<br />
<strong>This month, take in those moments that no one else but you responds to.</strong>
If you make a joke and no one else laughs, you can still enjoy the joke
for yourself. If you see or hear something crazy and there's zero
reaction around you, remind yourself that the event still happened for
you. If you see a hummingbird zip in front of your face, a lady bug
appear on your clothing just when you need a little luck, or an
unexplainable occurrence...it's okay if no one else is there to see it
or react to it but you. Sometimes the coolest moments are like that.Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-80882153212769665792013-10-20T17:39:00.001-07:002013-10-20T17:40:00.187-07:00The Door to the Invisible<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToo1gRBPJbEsJKPssx2FZPXS8VrgXnxCgrFTMTf6F-uUGQJqk6ZWNTq5yQcwKS9ZoXEzbl5Ei2AWDE0Xa5F9TyFnxBC-_E7bzc0xjKGsMUqZ4WsPxhZ1v5rflXoTj9g114JN4dio6ITSu/s1600/door+knob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToo1gRBPJbEsJKPssx2FZPXS8VrgXnxCgrFTMTf6F-uUGQJqk6ZWNTq5yQcwKS9ZoXEzbl5Ei2AWDE0Xa5F9TyFnxBC-_E7bzc0xjKGsMUqZ4WsPxhZ1v5rflXoTj9g114JN4dio6ITSu/s320/door+knob.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
Imagine you're facing a door, and on the other side of that door is
change. In order to move forward you have to open the door without
really knowing what's on the other side. The change is invisible to you
from where you're standing, and the only way to see it is by opening the
door. <span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">Will you open it?</span><br />
<br />
Often,
doors to change become visible to us at times when we're ready for
them. They're not always there, but when they appear they challenge us
to make the next move of turning the knob and stepping through the
threshold. When the door's there, it's hard to ignore it. It won't let
you forget that there's something you have to face on the other side.<br />
<br />
It
can be tempting to ignore the unknown and stick to the familiarity of
your side of the door. Besides, nothing's forcing you to make the
change. However, by pretending the door isn't there, you can miss out on
good opportunities and learning experiences. Even though you have no
idea what's on the other side, that's okay. Important doors often lead
to places where we've never been before.<br />
<br />
Do you see a door you can
open toward change? It could be in any area of your life such as
personal growth, career, relationships, family, or health. If you're
standing there contemplating whether to make a move, remember it's okay
that you're not sure what's on the other side. But the door is there for
a reason. <i><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">Open the door to the invisible.</span></i>Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-23744170556334654842013-10-17T18:29:00.001-07:002013-10-17T18:29:54.469-07:00Perfect: The Enemy of Good<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1KqSmbQtDccuhR8LZEnFGioODEVjO64ki1eNM0TXAQBtuwsbRg1phKHzuPWg-NipWm0QvshqRkzsBXKfFMwqIkfIHtKIu_izs_Txunfrt1At-xUNkmXPku8VZBuE5dQcyxEpYnmlSHLf/s1600/perfection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1KqSmbQtDccuhR8LZEnFGioODEVjO64ki1eNM0TXAQBtuwsbRg1phKHzuPWg-NipWm0QvshqRkzsBXKfFMwqIkfIHtKIu_izs_Txunfrt1At-xUNkmXPku8VZBuE5dQcyxEpYnmlSHLf/s320/perfection.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
<strong>Why is perfect the enemy of good?</strong> Think about it.
The message of "perfect" is that you'll someday attain a status beyond
which there's no point of trying, or learning, or growing. If you're
perfect already, what's the point of interacting with life and getting
something out of it?<br />
<br />
"Perfect" tricks you into believing that
there is a solution and an endpoint. Do you think that any individual
in the history of mankind created something unique by aiming for
perfection? It seems to me that more innovative results came from
casting perfection to the side in favor of creativity, autonomy, and
doing the <em>best you can. </em>If you aim for perfection, you're placing yourself in a sterile bubble by default.<br />
<br />
In
a bubble of perfection, of course you can see the exact results you
want to see in your health, social sphere, family, finances, and
personal goals...by omission. You'll have to omit all the stuff that's
not going perfect. What does this mean? You'll have to omit a part of
yourself in order to reach perfection. Human beings aren't meant to
strive for perfection, they're meant to adapt. By adapting to the world
around us and the unique events we're each going through, we stay open
to possibilities. Perfection doesn't leave room for possibilities. Why?
Because it's too perfect.<br />
<br />
Next time you're aiming for perfection,
ask yourself what your mind, heart, and body are really rooting for. Are
they seeking adventure? Are they seeking to break out of a bubble of
certainty in order to taste what life is offering? Are they asking you
to push yourself beyond previously held limitations to get to know
yourself better and what you're really made of?<br />
<br />
<strong>It doesn't help to seek answers outside of yourself and from other people.</strong>
Is it worthwhile to get down on yourself because a bunch of people who
don't even know you don't believe you can reach your goals? Who knows
you better than yourself? These are questions to ask yourself when the
dazzle of perfection starts glittering stronger than your true desires.<br />
<br />
Perfect is the enemy of good. Remember that when you're asking yourself to jump out of your skin to be something you're not. <em><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">Is the effort worth the risk?</span></em><br />
Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-71942658817612382742013-10-07T20:25:00.001-07:002013-10-07T20:25:36.255-07:00The #*!*?! Keeps Coming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8Hdq4Ldc-vNxU8RIznFLM-tcxJWWOOlCUF9Tlq0lzu4Jj9eWLs4YmVTF3gsK_b75SVCqRnnqADuOy5rbZXGokOabJsUMtLTCh1jLW-I1rYRfOPv4DlWm3LvxcPbVb50cqeJq_G6lRQ2n/s1600/fan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8Hdq4Ldc-vNxU8RIznFLM-tcxJWWOOlCUF9Tlq0lzu4Jj9eWLs4YmVTF3gsK_b75SVCqRnnqADuOy5rbZXGokOabJsUMtLTCh1jLW-I1rYRfOPv4DlWm3LvxcPbVb50cqeJq_G6lRQ2n/s320/fan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
During life, most of us hold our breath and wait for a time that
finally feels calm and accommodating to who we are. Do you know the
feeling? We work, try, and grapple, hoping that times will change and
things will get easier. After small periods of calm, we're usually
thrown back into the mix of stress and ups and downs. Just as you're
waiting to get off an emotional roller coaster, life often buys you a
ticket for a new one. What's that about?<br />
<br />
<b><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">The truth is, the #*!*?! keeps coming.</span></b>
The illusion that if you wait long enough or try hard enough, that all
the messiness and frustrations of life will stop is just that--an
illusion. So what do you do? A big part of living in and staying healthy
in reality is coming to terms with the <i>#*!*?! Keeps Coming </i>phenomenon.
None of us have a human-desired control over life. We live in a world
that is wild no matter how we try and contain it. When you live in the
wild, you have to prepare.<br />
<br />
You prepare first and foremost by
taking care of yourself. With the knowledge that storms, lightning, and
droughts may be around the corner, you still have to keep up with
physical and mental-emotional fitness as much as you can. Preparation
helps you to get through new and stressful periods of time that you may
not have foreseen (since we don't have crystal balls at our disposal).<br />
<br />
You
can also make more peace with the fact that #*!*?! Keeps Coming. Have
you wanted it to be different? If so, in what ways? Ask yourself if the
positive changes you're hoping for live in fantasy land or in reality.
Reality tends to repeatedly present challenges with a common theme if
we're ignoring the bigger picture. Unless we face the challenge head on
here and now, we'll often be met with it again.<br />
<br />
Finally, it's okay
to step back and not try so hard all the time. Trying your best is
admirable. However, some forms of trying resemble banging against a wall
over and over again. No matter how hard you try, the wall is still
there and you can't imagine it away. Try what you can and be open to
adapting along the way to new strategies if you have to. Try with a
clear, realistic, and flexible mindset.<br />
<br />
#*!*?! Keeps Coming can be
a relief in some ways. It lets you be a human in this wild world. It
helps you to realize your limits as you're using your potential. Sure,
maybe that one person is frustrating you. Maybe that one situation is
difficult, but should it be all up to you to solve the conflicted
interaction? The workplace is experiencing some tension. Why should it
be your job to solve all of it? Ask yourself why you have to sit at home
with all of the world's problems on your shoulders.<br />
<br />
<i><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">This week, notice how the #*!*?! Keeps Coming.</span></i>
Let it live and breathe in your life, so that it doesn't completely
consume your days and weeks. As you come to terms with the persistent
knocking of the #*!*?!, maybe finding solutions to all of life's
problems will feel less important. Maybe living your day as it is will
become more so.Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-928288919727302424.post-76096155325444123122013-10-07T20:23:00.000-07:002014-12-29T15:58:43.285-08:00The Turtle, the Rabbit, and You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The story goes that the turtle was slow and steady, but he won the
race. The rabbit was faster from the start line, but he thought he had a
big enough lead to be able to take a nap when tired. While he was
napping, the turtle won.<br />
<br />
The turtle was slow and steady and the rabbit was fast but lazy. This story brings up an interesting dilemma. <b><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">How do you want to approach things?</span></b><br />
<br />
The
fear of being too slow and behind everyone else can rear its head in
life. It tells you forcefully that you haven't reached where you need to
be. You should be somewhere else. This somewhere else is in line with
where everyone else is. The punch line is always that you're not good
enough.<br />
<br />
You might feel the opposite and more like the rabbit.
You're so fast that you've reached the end, the destination---without
actually crossing the finish line. You can just stop where you're at and
nap without looking further. Do either of these feelings sound
familiar?<br />
<br />
The pace you're at in life is unique to you, but it can
be easy to judge where you're at. Very often the judgement is unfair and
not helpful toward where you want to go next.<br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">How fast or slow can you go and still reach your goal? Does it matter what other people think about your decisions?</span><br />
<br />
Life
isn't a race. Ultimately, you are on your own path. Ideally, you don't
want to be so slow so that you can't imagine the possibility of reaching
your goal. In that case, fears and anxieties are most likely blocking
your path. However, the steadiness of the turtle is helpful to emulate
so that you don't give up.<br />
<br />
You also don't want to be so fast and
hurried that you prematurely run out of energy and feel tired before you
near the finish line. In that case, you're probably running toward
goals forcefully and somewhat blindly without a realistic pace. The
strong potential of the rabbit, however, is helpful to see in your own
life.<br />
<br />
Most likely, you're somewhere in between the turtle and the
rabbit and going at your own speed. Don't worry what others say, but
look honestly at whether you feel too slow or too hurried in your
efforts. It's not all about the finish line, it's about how you want to
run your journey.<br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">This week, take realistic steps to get where you want to go, and focus on running at a steady and confident pace.</span>Aarti Patel, N.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03656809295510807526noreply@blogger.com0