Live fully
That is, really living in the moment, in the here and now,
whether it is working on a task or eating an ice cream. Practice the art of
just being, experiencing with all your senses. If you bring this art of being
to whatever activity you engage in, you will find that life starts to become
more full. Living fully is also about learning, becoming more self-aware and
self-reflective about your life, relationships, and your capacity to experience
and channel the range of human emotions available to us.
Laugh often
It truly is! Laughing releases serotonin and increases
endorphins – happy brain chemicals that improves our immune system, reduces
stress, symptoms of depression, and leads to a positive sense of well being.
Laughter is a healing activity. Laughter operates on biophysical and
biochemical levels. At the biophysical level, laughter moves lymph fluid around
your body simply by the convulsions you experience during the process of
laughing; so it oxygenates your organs, boosts circulation & immune system
function. The harder you laugh, the greater this effect.
Have you ever laughed
so hard that your stomach hurt and facial muscles were exhausted? If you have,
that’s some serious exercise for your face and stomach muscles! At the
biochemical level, laughing, as stated earlier, releases positive biochemicals
that are distributed throughout our bodies. When you laugh, you generate a
wealth of healing biochemicals. I encourage you to find more things to laugh
about in your day-to-day life with friends, family, and co-workers.
Love deeply
Let us start with
ourselves – loving ourselves deeply, for our genuine, true selves. Once we know
love in ourselves, we can learn to love others and accept love into our lives.
It is my experience that loving and accepting ourselves, with all our human
flaws, insecurities, vulnerabilities, intrapsychic conflicts, and angst, takes
tremendous courage. In fact loving ourselves demands the courage to heal, to
re-author the script or narrative we were taught, learning how to be kind,
accepting, and loving toward ourselves. Between work, chores, family and daily
responsibilities, expectations, and obligations, you may find sustaining a
healthy, vibrant, and meaningful relationship with yourself and/or with others
more difficult. If you are struggling with living life more fully, living your
best life possible.
