What are your most restorative activities

What are your most restorative activities?  How can you use them as natural remedies to pick you up or calm you down when needed?

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Jenny Hill

Meditation, exercise, and sleep are three of my most restorative activities.

Whenever I find myself a bit off my game or feel out of sorts, I go to these habitual activities to renew and restore my balance and well-being.

When meditating, the focus is often on the breath where the inhale picks you up and the exhale calms you down.

Knowing this is not enough.

It’s in the daily practice that we ingrain the capacity to routinely smooth out the rough edges of our lives.

EXERCISE:

What activities do you use to pick you up and calm you down throughout your day?

Consider exploring this subject with friends and family to expand your repertoire of options.

Friday Review: Action

Friday Review: Action

How often, and how quickly, do you take action? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

 

“Without jumping off its perch, the bird would never fly.”

 

 

 

“You cannot talk your way out of something you behaved yourself into.”

 

 

 

 

“Your mind is a garden, your thoughts are the seeds, you can grow flowers, or you can grow weeds.”

 

 

 

 

 

“What small step can you take today that will put you on the path toward something wonderful?”

“What small step can you take today that will put you on the path toward something wonderful?”

James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits

Image from Unsplash by Hayley Murray

Each morning I take a three mile walk with friends from my neighborhood. Our time together usually involves discussing current events, our lives, and our various interests.

We unconsciously take the same 8/10ths of a mile circuit walking in a counter-clockwise direction.

Although we sometime comment on the state of our landscaping and repairs being made by our neighbors, the path we take is unremarkable, with the same inclines and curves we never seem to notice.

The other day one of our fearless leaders dragged the rest of us outside our development to visit a local park which provided a nice change of pace to the path we usually take.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life are you going in circles and not noticing anything particularly wonderful?

In what ways can you step off this path to investigate aspect of your world previously unexplored?

 

Life begets life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending myself that I become rich.

“Life begets life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending myself that I become rich.”

Sarah Bernhardt, 20th Century French Actress

Image from Unsplash by The Tampa Bay Estuary Program

Today’s quote brings a lot to consider! Each sentence could easily be a post on its own. It’s the third sentence that captured my soulful interest today.

In economic terms, it is clear that when we spend our money we have less following our transactions.

The concept of spending oneself on matters of great significance is very different. Pouring ourselves into important matters and the people we love creates a richness money just can’t buy.

EXERCISE:

Which part of today’s quote sparks the greatest interest for you?

Please share your perspectives from your own rich experiences.

Seek opportunities to be more active

Seek opportunities to be more active.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Anupam Mahapatra

We all know exercise does a body good. Here are some benefits you may already know, and perhaps a few you don’t:

    • Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss.
    • Exercise combats health conditions and diseases including stroke, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, type two diabetes, depression, anxiety, arthritis, and many types of cancer.
    • Exercise improves your mood and boosts your energy.
    • Exercise promotes better sleep
    • Exercise can help put the spark back in your love life for both men and women.
    • Exercise can expand your connections with family and friends.

EXERCISE:

In what ways can and will you introduce more opportunities to be more active each day?
Consider checking out the Mayo Clinic for more information.

Life is like skiing. The goal is not to get to the bottom of the hill

“Life is like skiing. The goal is not to get to the bottom of the hill. It’s to have a bunch of good runs before the sun sets.”

Seth Godin, American author and former dot com business executive

Image from Unsplash by Banff Sunshine Village

Do you or have you participated in winter activities such as skiing or sledding? Although I tried my hand at skiing in my late teens and made it down a few bunny slopes, sledding was my thing as a kid.

When our wintry prayers were answered for snow days, I was out the door with my friends to visit venues we named Suicide Hill and Dead Man’s Drop.

As fast as we would race down each run, we would immediately dart right back up each incline again and again, holding on tight to our flexible flyers, snowboards, and toboggans.

We couldn’t get enough and only frozen toes, growling stomachs, and looming darkness would have us head home.

EXERCISE:

How many good runs have you had in your life?  What intentions and actions are you planning and taking to make the most of every day you wake up to see the sun?

 

Contemplation often makes life miserable

“Contemplation often makes life miserable. We should act more, think less, and stop watching ourselves live.”

Nicolas Chamfort, 16th Century French writer

Image from Unsplash by Lucas Vasquez

Ed Kotch was the mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989. In his efforts to be a good mayor and serve the city well, he would often ask How am I doing? to gain feedback and enhance his efforts.

How often do you evaluate your own efforts and contemplate how you are doing? Where are you judging yourself and making comparisons to others to see how you stack up? Where is this habit causing you misery?

EXERCISE:

How would taking yourself out from under your microscope of judgement free you up to simply act more and think less about your life?

How would assuming that you are doing just fine at being who you are help you be far happier and satisfied with your life?

Action makes more fortune than caution

“Action makes more fortune than caution.”

Luc DeClapiers, 18th Century French Essayist

Image from Amazon

The past few years have been times of considerable change for most of us.

With time to reflect and explore changes in myself and others, I’ve recognized today’s quote as being spot on.

Wendy and I recently moved to a senior community outside of Philadelphia. Since then, I’ve noticed a number of trends among the residents.

The people who remain active are far younger at heart and generally have richer lives that include better health and vitality. Those folks that are less active, venture out less often, and have fewer social interactions seem to experience the opposite.

EXERCISE:

Consider reading The Power of Full Engagement by James E. Loehr and Tony Schwartz to see how being in action can support you in leading a more energetic and richer life.

The forced separation from ordinary ambitions

“The forced separation from ordinary ambitions temporarily right sizes one’s life.”

—Arthur C. Brooks, faculty member of the Harvard Business School

Image from Pixels by Lukáš Vaňátko

How often do you wake up in the morning with a strong sense of peace and calm?

What percent of the time do your thoughts spring into action with all the to-dos for the day, before your feet even hit the floor?

When do you first check your phone for texts or emails that have piled up overnight?

How many truly important messages do you receive each day, and how many do you consider clutter of junk?

Although we are now well into summer, there is always time to do a bit of spring cleaning.

How would some forced separation from your ordinary ambitions that clutter your various inboxes help you right size your life?

EXERCISE:

Where would unsubscribing and removing various barriers to your aliveness make the biggest difference?

Where can and will you begin today?

“Without jumping off its perch, the bird would never fly.”

“Without jumping off its perch, the bird would never fly.”

—Mark Nepo, author of The Book of Awakening

Image from Unsplash by AARN GIRI

I love to watch documentaries and educational programing about animals and our natural world. The best programs include outstanding visuals and a compelling story about how these creatures go about securing food, avoiding predators, finding a mate, and adapting to their environments.

Among all the animals, there is something magical about young birds. They go from helpless, blind, squawking mouths to feed to soaring sparrows and eagles that can inspire even the most sedentary couch potato of us to get up and spread our wings — even if it is just to secure another snack.

EXERCISE:

Where is it necessary for you or others in your communities to jump off your perch and spread your wings? What will you do, and where will you go when you fly?