BACK TO BASICS ~
CREATE YOUR OWN HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

     We live in a society of over-achievers always striving to do more or be better than the next person. While self-motivation and success are wonderful ideas, whatever happened to common sense and balance as well?
How many times have you seen a parent with very good intentions, enroll their child in so many activities that the child becomes overwhelmed by stress? Participating in an extra activity can be fun and rewarding, increasing self-esteem, but only if it's scheduled with an overall balance in mind taking the child's total health and well-being into consideration. In addition to their regular schedule, we must allow time for day-dreaming which can stimulate creativity, play time with friends, nap time for those who still need it, and a healthy, sit-down meal where we create the opportunity to relax and talk.
     The same applies to ourselves as adults. How many times do we run from one activity to the next, dragging our poor bodies around after a long day at work to grocery shop, take care of the family, cook and clean, do laundry, and then pat ourselves on the back when we run to the gym or squeeze in time to entertain our friends.
We can do it all! But at what cost?
     We teach a relaxation technique in some of our courses and suggest it be used before bed time in order to get the benefit of a healthy night's rest. The comment usually arises, "I don't have any trouble falling asleep. At the end of the day, I just fall into bed." Well there's a difference between exhaustion and relaxation.
The underlying cause of this problem stems from the wide difference that exists between our two main levels of consciousness that we explored last month.
     Since the soul is our spiritual essence, our thinking ability is infinite and there's no end to the amount of creative ideas we can come up with as we grow in our consciousness. We think in conceptual terms, meaning we can envision a project from start to completion, all in the blink of an eye, and understand it fully.
However, it is actually the subconscious, our inner, emotional child who has to carry out all the work in the world and because it can only perceive on a step by step basis, it often becomes overwhelmed by the demands of the soul's intellect. The result is stress.
     We may think it's a great idea to add one more thing to our already full life, but if we allow this stress to continue, we eventually experience a breakdown of some kind - emotionally or physically, our health is eventually affected because the subconscious cannot put up with intolerable stress.
     And because of our soul's spiritual compassion, our natural tendency to help all humanity, we often are kept busy handling others' life problems as well, adding even further demands to our already overextended subconscious. We'll discuss this aspect further in October's Monthly Inspirations.
     But for now, we the soul must realize that the subconscious has limitations just like any child and we need to be a good parent. Even as adults, our subconscious needs time to sleep and eat and play and relax and when we take these basic needs into consideration and create an overall healthy balance, the subconscious will have plenty of energy and enthusiasm to carry out our very responsible career and life plans.
     So take time this month to reflect on your overall schedule. Do you make time for relaxation as well as work? Do you schedule in time for peace and meditation as well as time for fun? Have you created a sanctuary, both within yourself and in your home, where you can retreat to regain serenity? Healthy enjoyment of life has become a lost art, but we can welcome it into our lives if only we take the time to make a plan and then follow our new ideas.
So give yourself the gift of a better life. You're worth the time and effort it will take to create your best life. And if you need help creating your plan, join us for our next Stress Care Clinic where we'll get specific about handling each of life's stresses. Check our schedule for the next available date.

Wishing you a healthy balance in life!

SANDY DALIEGE

THE QUALITY OF LIFE

Do You Remember How to Be Kind to Yourself?

How long will You continue to berate yourself for some supposed expectation
that you have not yet fulfilled? According to Whom?

How long will You dwell on some perceived failure before you realize,
there's no such thing. Look instead, to the Courage it took to even Seek to
accomplish your goal and applaud your Bravery. Learn from your experience.

How lonely must you become, crying within, while keeping all relationships
at arms' length, due to past disappointments or unrealistic expectations?
Be Brave and Allow Love Back into Your Life.

How busy must you become before you see the senselessness of running
so hard, so fast, that you've left your Life behind?
Plan for your future, but Live Today.

How long will you judge yourself not worthy in the Eyes of God?
Would a God of Love condemn His Children for behaving as Children while
they Grow into Their Divine Inheritance?

Life is too short to waste our time focusing on nonsense
while Beauty and Love Beckon. Greet each day as if it was a precious gift,
waiting to be filled with all you hold most dear.

How many losses can One Heart suffer before it cries, "Too much!"
Perhaps, even One is too much.

But Take Heart, Dear Friend.
Lay Aside Your Burdens.
The Beloved Waits to Brush Away Your Tears
with the Gentle Kiss of Love,
Delicate As A Whisper on Your Cheek,
but Powerful Enough to Dispel the Illusion of Lack
and Bring You Into The Light of Your True Being.

Remember Your Connection with God and Draw Strength from that Bond.

The Universe Waits to Assist You.

SANDY DALIEGE