HealthMysteries

Here is Andy, in his usual pose, talking back to me.  He would also like to take a moment to say thank you to the folks who read my blog and offer terrific input and suggestions from their own experiences and knowledge about topics in the healthy lifestyles portfolio.

This blog is only two months old, but it is growing and has given me an outlet for my writing on health challenges that keeps me going, motivated and striving to take control of my own health issues. In March, I will be taking a trip to enjoy the whale migration in the Dana Point area of southern California.  I will be keeping up my blog while I am there and hope to have some great experiences, pictures and fun stuff to talk about.

California is such a different animal than the northeast.  People are more relaxed and laid back. I want to absorb some of that mentality while I am there.  Thanks again for coming back for more.  Your feedback and comments are an added bonus.

There are times when I feel the presence of God in my life.  And when this happens, I feel renewed and more alive.  I have had very vivid and beautiful dreams about God and angels.

I have also had vivid dreams about my mom and my grandmother, who passed away five years ago and thirteen years ago, respectively.  These are good signs to me and though I am not a church going, self-flagellating, evangelical Christian, I believe in God and a higher power and purpose in life.

Lately, I feel a spiritual tug on my sleeve and expect that dreams will be coming to me soon.  If they are similar to those I have had in the past, they will be beautiful, hopeful and will fill me with a sense of profound purpose.

If you have the time to visit my http://Careermysteries.today.com blog on Sunday, March 1, I will be publishing my poem, God Dreams.  I hope you enjoy it and thanks for stopping by for a visit.

pix courtesy of Floating Imitations at flickr.com

These beautiful shots of Tuscany are so lovely and relaxing.  It seems like people over there in that part of Italy do very little in the way of work. If you see anyone it is usually someone gardening or in this case, riding horseback through the stunning countryside.  What a life!  Where do I sign up for that?

Anyway, stress comes and goes with the ups and downs of my life.  My dad is sick in the hospital and each day seems to bring more findings and more concerns.  The importance of looking at the big picture of things becomes even more critical.  Not fretting over the details can be tough.

Just like in the workplace.  It is so hard not to get sucked in and bogged down with stuff that gets you mad or people that rub you the wrong way.  The wise person is the one who lets things roll off his back.  Taking things too personal can hurt you and manifest as illness and physical pain.

Be that horseback rider in Tuscany without a care in the world.

One thing I have learned and it has taken many years for me to get to this conclusion.  We are all, each one of us, alone in the world.  We come into it alone and we die alone, even in the company of friends and relatives.  What makes us great is what we do with the time we have between coming and going.

Don’t let the little things beat you up.  They are not worth your time and efforts.

Reading labels and comparison shopping in the grocery store and the drug store is very important. One thing I learned about reading labels is to always use the unit price to make an apples-to-apples comparison.

Another sound practice is to look for generic brands for product purchases.  You can save lots of money this way, and you will be using an equivalent product with the same active ingredients to solve your nutritional or medicinal need.

Things like aspirin and ibuprofen are often the exact same products that are produced by different companies.  One company, the product inventor, had a patent or trade mark on the product for a period of years.  This allows the company to recoup their initial investment of research and development costs. The second company to package the product can do it cheaper, since they did not have to pay to invent it.  Don’t pay more than you need to for anything you need.

One of my friends commented recently on the need for patients to take responsibility for their own healthcare and decisionmaking.  I can remember a time not very long ago, when patients would not dare to question their medical providers about the treatment plan or diagnosis.  You were expected to have some sort of blind faith that your doctor was infallible and incapable of making mistakes.

Now, the world sees things differently but in a healthy way.  Doctors are men and women who have concentrated knowledge is some areas but may not be all that well informed in others.  One good example is nutrition.  Medical school does not prepare the doctor for understanding nutrition in any depth.  Therefore, it is up to the patient to read up and get a firm grasp on what good nutrition is all about and practice their own sound self-treatment. 

Better yet, consult with a nutritionist for the best of all worlds.

I know that some of my blogger buddies are caretaking for not only themselves but their families and sick relatives as well.  This is something that can go on for long periods of time and when the caregiver gets burned out, it is hard to know what to do or where to turn. 

Caregivers need to find the time and the the substitutes who can step in at least once in a while so they can recharge their batteries.  Just recently, my father has been hospitalized out of state and I am and will be running back and forth for the three hour drive to visit and help out.  

The hardest part of this picture is the fact that I have a very serious heart ailment that is causing me more and more problems with congestive heart failure, fluid in the lungs, sleeplessness and the like.  (One of the reasons I booked my trip to California is because I am afraid I won’t be able to travel because of my health problems, in the near future).

Even though I am sick with my own stuff, I feel as though I just can’t say no - that I won’t be able to visit or do anything to help. So I am walking a bit of a tightrope in doing what I think I can handle, without causing harm to myself in the long haul.

You have to be willing to put your own health on the same plane as the health of others in your family and immediate circle.  Try to make it a priority to take care or yourself so you will be well enough to do what you can for others.

 We have been talking about the effect of nature on our minds and bodies.  In particular, the fact that feeling a oneness with nature gives us an inner peace and celebrates our connection with the natural world.

This photo struck me with such a feeling of beauty and peace.  So rich are the colors, with sunbeams dancing off the tree branches and the fluffy snow.  You can almost feel the coldness and see the smoke coming from your mouth as you imagine being there, perhaps on an early morning walk.

Now is the time to appreciate the richness of winter’s edges, since soon enough we will be taking the heavy velvet quilts and warm flannels back to the attic for another year of waiting to be held and caressed on a windy winter’s night.

Pix courtesy of Hobby-Photograph at Flickr.com

One thing I discovered about myself in early adulthood is the fact that I love to travel.  I never flew in an airplane until I was 23 years old and going on my first business trip to Pennsylvania.  Since then, I have been to about half the states and several foreign countries, including two trips to Europe. (The best part is that almost all of this travel was paid for by my past employers since they were business trips.)

Travel is exciting and the thrill of not knowing what you might find over the next hill or beyond that meadow keeps me coming back for more. It is natural to want to experience new things and to experiment with different surroundings.  The other important piece for me is the motivation I feel to write about where I have been, what I have done and to share the details in the form of words, with others.

So I will be off for my second trip to the west coast in about two weeks.  The anticipation of going is almost as good as the fun of doing it, but not quite.  I will fill you in on the fun details, so you can have an armchair view.  We will be starting our voyage at the Dana Point Marina, just north of Capistrano Beach, where many whale watching vessels are preparing to take us to see the migration of the Gray Whales.  Don’t forget your boat shoes!

In continuing the discussion on things that make us feel good mentally and enhance our minds as well as our bodies, I look to nature to nurture my mind and spirit.  Seeing a group of ducks swimming in a nearby estuary on a lovely winter day fills me with tranquility.

Watching a small group of deer gathering in my backyard one evening around dusk helped me feel more alive and in touch with the world just to be part of the landscape.

Nature and animals are one facet of these spiritual longings.  Some feel a similar closeness with the earth when they are gardening and watching their labors materialize into plants, fruits and vegetables.  That sense of achievement and satisfaction cannot be denied.

Having experiences that give us happiness or oneness with nature or even more directly, love for others through volunteering is a great way to enhance your mental health.  So get out and enjoy a walk in the woods or a visit to the local hospital.  You will be a better person for having taken the time to do things you truly enjoy.

pix courtesy of hobby-photograph at flickr.com

 Are there things that you can do to enhance your well being and ensure that you will stay mentally healthy? Of course there are.  Here are some ideas to make mental healthy a more likely state of being for you.

Maintain a strong support system.  Bad things happen.  And at some point, bad things are going to happen to you.  How you deal with these things is critical, and if you have people to talk to and to turn to, you will be in a better state of coping.

Be in touch with your own emotions.  That means that if you tend to stuff things inside, like filling an old pillow case with bad thoughts and feelings of anger or regret, you are only denying your own well being. 

Be open, honest and get stuff out of your system instead of bottling it up inside.  You will feel better and the bad stuff won’t be able to fester and poison your body, mind and soul.

We will talk more on this subject again soon.