caring for oneself.

 

When you are in a well cared for state of being, with all cared for and of, you are not defensive, offensive, not overly wary of others, and more apt to be good to all those who come into your sphere.

Was listening to Marty Seligman talk about the recently-emerged field of Positive Psychology, in which all the best of mindset is studied; we are so often wrong about what will truly make us happy.  But a person who has been nurtured, does "dog will hunt", does as he or she is trained, and is not dismissive or manipulative, but yields that same good treatment to all around, just as he or she was trained early on.

pass it on: compassion

 

Amy Lowell's poem Happiness

Happiness, to some, elation;

Is, to others, mere stagnation.

Days of passive somnolence,

At its wildest, indolence.

Hours of empty quietness,

No delight, and no distress.

Happiness to me is wine,

Effervescent, superfine.

Full of tang and fiery pleasure,

Far too hot to leave me leisure

For a single thought beyond it.

Drunk! Forgetful! This the bond: it

Means to give one's soul to gain

Life's quintessence. Even pain

Pricks to livelier living, then

Wakes the nerves to laugh again,

Rapture's self is three parts sorrow.

Although we must die to-morrow,

Losing every thought but this;

Torn, triumphant, drowned in bliss.

Happiness: We rarely feel it.

I would buy it, beg it, steal it,

Pay in coins of dripping blood

For this one transcendent good.

-Amy Lowell, Happiness

a quick meditation or relaxation on Wellness Wednesday: "How are you?"

A "mindful moment" on Wellness Wednesday.

When someone asks, "how are you?", we usually give a quick, "good" or "okay", and we don't probe our answer.

If you don't know how you're doing, how could you expect someone else to know?  Guess, maybe?

*relax your breathing

standing or lying, feet about should-width apart

stare into space vacantly

count backwards from 10, slowly.

Another strategy has a person counting to 5 on each part of the breath.  

Breath in, as you count to five.  

Breath out as you count to five.

From time to time, evaluate yourself, almost like a doctor or therapist might.  Stop and ask yourself, "how are you?" and think on the answer.

pass it on: nature

 

pass it on: self care.