Welcome to December 1, 2010...and the beginning of Spiritual Wellness month!
Here in the wonderful world of LiveWell, we are celebrating UC San Diego’s 50th birthday with a series of 8 bookmarks (one for each dimension of Wellness) that list 50 (count ‘em!) ways to live well. If you already have the “50 Ways to LiveWell” bookmarks for Emotional and Financial Wellness, great. If not, it isn’t too late—you can pick them up at The Zone.
This month, The Office of Student Wellness collaborated with The Center for Ethics and Spirituality to bring you the “50 Ways to Live Spiritually Well” bookmark. The ideas listed on this bookmark are so magnificent that entire books are devoted to each of them—however, in the interest of busy student schedules The LiveWell Blogger brings you…
50 Elaborations on 50 Ways to Live Spiritually Well
1. Explore meaning. Things are not always as they seem, and for that matter, they are not always as they don’t seem. Look deeper into the nature of people, places, and things. Meaning is not something to be clutched, coveted, or coerced. Rather, it is something to cultivate, cherish, and communicate. What means something to one person might mean something entirely different to somebody else, and the two together mean more than the sum of their parts.
2. Sing praise. From “Wow, this sandwich is amazing!” to "Amazing Grace," there are infinite wonders in this world, all worthy of admiration. Human beings have been inspired to sing for as long as they have been inspired to breathe. Break into song. When you feel a little flat, it will change the tune of things. And if you aren’t feeling inspired by one of the great melodies composed by another musician, create an ode of your own. This morning I sang a little number about finding the perfect parking spot.
3. Follow your bliss. This is great advice from a clever individual by the name of Joseph Campbell. He said, “If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be.” Hear, hear.
4. Give thanks. This simple gesture has profound power; gratitude is one of the strongest positive vibrations a person can emit. The best part is, there is always, always something to be thankful for. You can choose to be thankful for anything, at anytime. At this very moment, I am thankful for the chair I am sitting on, because otherwise I would have a terrible back-ache or knee-ache or pain in my neck trying to see the computer. I am thankful for the apple I ate twenty minutes ago. I am thankful for air, water, and sunshine. I am thankful for my friends and family for accepting and supporting me throughout my many shenanigans. I am thankful for the opportunity to share my passion for Wellness with the UCSD community. I am thankful for my strength to overcome fears, and I am thankful for my fears for showing me my strength.
5. Create art. Many people think they aren’t “artistic,” simply because they can’t draw like DaVinci or paint like Picasso. But have you ever really looked at a Picasso? The man simply painted what he saw in his head, and declared it genius. You can do the same. It will be art, it will be genius, and nobody can say a word about it.
6. Join a community. You don’t have to belong to a specific religion to enjoy spiritual community; any congregation of people sharing similar intentions and/or interests has the potential to stir your spirit. A wholesome community provides inner enrichment and growth, fosters synergistic and supportive relationships, encourages joy and celebration, and works to make a positive contribution to the world.
7. Lend a hand. One of the best ways to enhance your well-being is to enhance the well-being of somebody else. Carry a bag, open a door, pick up a dropped pen, provide directions, do the dishes. Little things, when put into perspective, are actually quite big—so don’t hesitate to help out.
8. Make peace. Work to create harmony both within yourself (Me, Myself and I—can’t we all just get along?) and in the world around you (again, can’t we all just get along?). The next time you encounter some type of “attack,” think about how you can bring peace to the situation, whether by thought or action.
9. Practice generosity. As you give, so you shall receive. When you are generous with your time/energy/resources, with no strings/expectations/hidden agendas attached, you send an image of abundance into the world that will be reflected back to you!
10. Find beauty. They say that every cloud has a silver lining, and in like fashion, so every ugly duckling has a beautiful swan. Or something like that. The point is, beauty is always there for those who see it. Behold.
Stay tuned for the next batch….
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