"The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn
another, until who knows where the trembling stops
or in what far place my touch will be felt."
Frederick Buechner
"All human beings are interconnected, one with all other elements in creation."
Henry Reed
"Happiness is when what you think,
what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi
Our essential interconnectedness with each other and our planet is undeniable. It can be seen each day, in every hour, minute and second. To me, our interconnectedness is beyond what I can fully comprehend. My interaction with people, consciously and unconsciously, verbally and energetically, affects people and myself in ways that are beyond my comprehension. And, the interconnectedness will continue beyond my immediate interactions, to so many people around the world.
When I ponder about how interconnected we are, it brings to the forefront (for me) the importance of being the best person possible, for myself, and others. Being a parent has provided me the opportunity to see our personal impact upon others and our self. When I am functioning in a completely balanced manner (nourished physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually), my husband and children feel this and it helps them to find and maintain balance. When I am functioning in an unbalanced manner (IE: physically ill, emotionally upset, not present, etc.), my family feels this and they feel a little off.
As a result, I strive to maintain my own balance, for my personal wellbeing, and that of my family and others. To do this, I nourish myself on a regular basis. This can be difficult as a wife and parent, because it is easy for me to forget about myself in the midst of activity with my family. However, I always remind myself that all of us in the family are equal, and that we each need to nourish ourselves, as well as our life together as a family. When we do this, we function well. We enjoy the days and have wonderful learning experiences.
So, how can we as parents, find time to fully nourish and take care of ourselves, for our well being, and everyone around us? I think it is different for all of us, but in general, we need to nourish ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, so that we can live well. Some of the ways I nourish myself these days are:
I begin each day by spiritually connecting with myself, my husband and my children. This helps my day move smoothly and I have more energy.
I listen to my body. I eat well and drink water. I exercise in some way: chasing children around, yoga, stretching, biking or walking.
I listen to my emotions. When I feel happiness, sadness, frustration, etc., I allow myself to feel the emotion. I let it flow through me and observe what it is telling me.
I focus on the positive. I begin the day with a gratitude journal.
I laugh and enjoy my family each day.
I slow down and know I don’t need to do everything. I need to enjoy my day.
I follow my intuition and do that which serves me, rather than overextend.
I breathe consciously. Breathing connects me physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
I forgive myself and I allow those challenging moments to shift my awareness to what I can do better, rather than focus on what I wish I did.
I make time for myself each day, even if it is just 5 minutes to breath. This helps me relax and prevents burnout.
I end each day with gratitude and love.
Just writing and reading my list of nourishing qualities brings me peace. It helps me to have this posted so I can read the list each day for a gentle reminder. And when I accomplish an item on my list, I smile at the reminder of how beneficial self nourishment is for me and my family.
So remember, find something that will nourish you each and every day, so that you can be the best person possible. Because, by nourishing yourself, you nourish your family and the world.
Blessings,
Claire
