DAY 68 – IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE TO BE A PERSON WHO DOES OR DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE TO HIS OR HER PHYSICAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLNESS BY

I am watching a documentary about human health and psychological wellness. People of various ages are being interviewed to find out how serious they have been about creating the best possibilities for achieving better health along with a psychological wellness that brings about an inner harmony which enhances their lives. The answers are far ranging and with each person’s outlook there are implications not only for the present but also for their future.

No one ever knows how their body will function over time. We hope for the best always knowing that something could suddenly develop that creates discomfort or pain. Wishing for it to quickly pass does not answer the question if this health issue is something temporary or a precursor for a more serious condition that will greatly impact the quality of their life.

Knowing that a health problem may suddenly arise gives us the starting point to the realization that it is of utmost importance to treat one’s body in a manner that will bring about better physical health both in the short and long term. Getting off to a healthier start in life lies with a person’s parents. By helping to set up patterns where eating healthy foods, drinking beneficial liquids and getting an appropriate amount of exercise is an everyday occurrence their children will reap the benefits.

As a person progresses into adulthood it becomes incumbent upon each of us to strive throughout our lives to do what is best for one’s body. So much of how our lives progress over time is related to how each of us treats our body. The type of consciousness a person has related to his or her health can be the difference between the ability to do or not do what you enjoy doing, more or fewer illnesses and diseases, more or fewer medications taken, more or less time spent at a doctor’s office, more or fewer hospital stays and a shorter or longer life span.

Except when a person in either childhood or as an adult has a neurological problem that creates havoc for them, parents play a crucial role in their children’s psychological wellness. Children, like adults, want to be treated with kindness. They need words of praise that uplifts their spirit and not demeaning words that deflates the joy that resides within. Children need words of encouragement that keeps their inquisitive desires alive and not discouraging words that makes them unsure of themselves. When a child makes a mistake or acts immature, which is as natural to them as breathing, they do not want an annoyed and angry response by a person they rely upon every day of their young lives. It sometimes is easy to see how we have become psychologically affected by the people who raise us.

Physical illnesses and psychological distress takes its toll not only on the person who has such personal issues but also on the people who love them. It is family members who are concerned and worried when someone they love has a health or psychological problem. It is family members who do things for those they love when they are unable to do it for themselves. It is family members who take them to the doctor, go shopping for them, cook for them, clean their home and bring things to them when they are unable to do it while forsaking many of their own desires. A person who treats their body and mind in an irresponsible manner is also inconsiderate towards the people who love them because their loved ones also pay an emotional price for such irresponsibility.

No matter how a person is treated growing up it still comes down to every person’s silent words that determine how they treat their body and mind. No one can expect their body to function as optimally as it can without doing the best for it. No one can expect to have life enhancing emotions without thoughts that bring it about. The inner harmony that human beings want for themselves will not just happen without each of us purposefully striving to create it.

When the documentary ended I now realize that life can be much harder for myself and the people who love me if I do not create the underpinnings for better physical health and psychological wellness. My body and my mind are in my control and by acting with more in-depth insights I can bring about an inner harmony that serves me well.