A Rough Patch, A Happy Birthday, and A Life Well Lived - February 6, 2021
"It is not length of life, but depth of life." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
First, a Happy Birthday 🎈 🎂 is order for my mom. Her birthday was yesterday on February 6th 💌
It goes without saying that her life and her unique story are integral to my own life’s story. From the call into health and natural medicine to the fact she brought me into this world and the ways in which she continues to fight and fuel my passion for nutrition today. Happy Birthday Mom! 🎉
And with the celebration of life in mind, here’s a valuable quote to make us think a little deeper about the meaning of a life well lived.
It’s paradoxical, that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone. – Andy Rooney
Yes, you can live a long and happy life.
That life can be lived well, lived long, and enjoyed for all of its days. Life is not a dark hole or decrepit downhill health paired with infinite self-worry by age 40. No, life is here for the loving, health for the taking, and memories for the making.
This is something I preach week after week, day after day in my life and business. If I had a tattoo, it might as well say something similar because I wear it on my sleeve each day. I believe it in my heart.
But ya know here lately I’ve been going through a pretty rough patch. I’m not here to complain, but I am here to transparently share my life with you and encourage you along your own journey of life, longevity, love, and vitality.
As with any new position of employment or additional change in our lives it takes time to adjust. And sometimes it takes a toll on those of us who are type-A, striving for perfection, and can easily stir up too much stress for ourselves in the transition.
That’s me!
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been busier than ever. I moved in early January, I took a new full-time position at a holistic functional medicine telemedicine company, and I’ve sure learned a hell of a lot about myself along the way.
I can’t be perfect.
I will mess up, and more importantly – no one will attack me for my faults.
I will be supported by others if I mess up when I mess up.
I’m not alone. Everyone is going through something.
Take each day with renewed spirit, grasping life as you gasp for fresh air.
In a second, you could lose someone you love – so be kind, always.
One of my coworkers just lost her mother while she takes on the beautiful chaos of caring for her father who slowly loses his own grip on reality. I can’t imagine, I literally cannot imagine... it feels too painful, too emotional to even begin.
Caring for our parents when they need us most can often take a toll on the heart and soul of the caretaking child. Acknowledging the need for balance and self-care is one of the most overlooked strategies for supporting the entire family in the long-term. If this sounds like you, look inward and listen to your needs. 🧘
One of my best friends was in car accident this past week due to the treacherous weather of freezing temps, blizzards and ice rolling across the Midwest and Northeast.
*snap* - and just like that… his life could have been gone… it’s a terribly scary thought I’d rather not think for long – so I won’t. I’m very thankful he’s doing well and suffered no major injuries from his wreck, thank goodness.
The Uncomfortably Common Story Today
As for my own challenges, it’s not well known but I’ve been passed through the gauntlet of standard medical care over the past few years, exploring the almighty question of “what the heck is wrong with me?” Unfortunately, I’ve been left in the dark with no answers to illuminate my way. Despite the dozens of blood vials drawn, risking exposure for procedure and procedure, and potentially jeopardizing radiology scans from head to toe, and being juggled from “specialist” to “specialist” throughout my journey, I’m left with nothing – nothing to show for it. I’m still searching…
My story is not rare, in fact it’s the majority of stories I hear working with new clients through holistic functional medicine. You see, despite our wonderfully expensive healthcare system today we don’t actually have all the answers for people who are struggling with low-grade autoimmunity, inflammation, or chronic conditions. If I were to get in a car wreck, lacerate my spleen and break some bones then you’re darn right I would want my wonderful western medicine docs and physicians to take care of me. But beyond extreme acute care and emergency settings, the standard care models of today simply stink at actually taking care of people. 🩺
We all have our journey.
I won’t preach more today on the ways in which the body can heal itself, often from the inside out…
I won’t touch on the topics of leaky gut, autoimmune disease, high C-reactive protein, calprotectin, auto-antibodies, celiac disease or other gut-health issues.
We all have our journey. We all have our stories. We all have our struggles. And we all have our own way of learning how to hop up on the surfboard and ride the tidal wave that comes barreling down on us (sometimes out of nowhere). 🌊 If you’d like to share your own story with me or with this community, you’re more than welcome. If you do want to hear more about my story, let me know and we can talk.
A long life may not be good enough, but a good life is long enough. - Benjamin Franklin
It is not length of life, but depth of life. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Over the next several weeks I’ll be changing up my nutrition, my lifestyle, my stress and relaxation techniques, my breathwork, stretching, and movement routines in hopes to make some significant improvement in my current health challenges. I’ll keep you posted about my progress along the way.
There are many things in this life that can keep us distracted from what we really need and desire as part of the human experience. For some people, those distractions are work, technology, gaming, cultural pressures, screen-time, family dynamics, parental expectations, work or living in unsafe conditions, poor sleep, poor emotional intelligence, the bitter story told to us as children that we must rise to the top in order to gain glorious amounts of money and not be a low-life bum. 💸
Money may not buy happiness, but it sure makes comfort a much easier emotional attachment, even a potential coping mechanism or way to escape. Sometimes when we listen to cultural suggestions or societal expectations for what will satisfy our thirst for a life well-lived, we allow these pseudo remedies to eclipse our truest needs as human beings. Comfort and convenience, cutting corners to get to the result may be enticingly easy, but it will surely leave us empty inside, emotionally exhausted, stripped of purpose and probably broken-hearted. 😔
Self-Examination Sunday: 😁
just 5-10min personal time for self-care and self-awareness
If you really want to examine yourself and the health of your vital spirit inside of you, then consider some of these questions below.. what pops out to you?
How often are you eating alone? 🥡
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When was the last time you were smiling until your cheeks hurt or laughed until you found yourself crying?
What stress do you take on that’s not yours to begin with?
How much of your human social interaction is completed via digital technologies these days in which it has replaced your normal (and natural) human connection with real people in person?
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When you catch yourself wondering aimlessly, what is it that you’re mine starts to think about?
How often do you check in with yourself each day, to see exactly how you are doing - on the inside, what thoughts or emotions you are processing - or potentially avoiding?
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What gets you so excited that you start talking too loud? 🗣️🔊
What’s an activity that you did as a child and left you feeling so much joy, happiness, excitement that you haven’t done in many years?
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What are some ways that you could lean into doing more things that are inherently more you and not based off expectations or perceptions of others?
What is your purpose, your massively transformative purpose in this world?
If you don’t hop out of bed in the morning and provide your unique self and service to the world, who loses? 🛌
The ingredients of health and long life, are great temperance, open air, easy labor, and little care. - Philip Sidney
We are human beings. FACT 🧬
We are human beings, that is something that we cannot argue. We are biological human beings and we require certain experiences in this life. If you speak to anyone from any culture around the world, 🗺️ it is likely that you will find a common denominator amongst most people, that their fullest experience on this planet has been found with time spent in nature and time spent with other humans, and the deep connection and relationships that can be found between those things.
So now I ask you, how might we find true life and fulfillment while living alone - mentally, emotionally, or physically?
🎙️ What I’m Listening To 🎧
Tim Ferriss interviews Michael Phelps and Grant Hackett on The Tim Ferriss Show – recent episode from Jan 21, 2021
Dr. Oz sits down with Deepak Chopra to discuss what they’ve learned from each other over the years – last episode from his Podcast in 2019
The above episodes feature a deep connection between the guests, a common brotherhood you can hear between their vocabulary and the resonance within their voice. This is a glimpse of the effects from deeper human connection.
📘 What I’m Reading 📘
Gentle reminders on longevity, human connection, and the Blue Zones – places around the world where people live the longest lives of vitality on the planet. Lessons we can learn from people who live the longest
Check out the original Blue Zones book and recent Cookbook [The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100] if you’re interested.
You and even take these nifty little quizzes for happiness and vitality that take anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes max. If you have any time today, I strongly encourage you to explore these two quizzes for yourself as a way to check in. In fact, make the time. Happiness Quiz -- Vitality Quiz
🌱 What I’m Doing 🛒
Focusing my diet on eating more Omega-3s, Zinc, and Dark Leafy Greens
Narrowing down intake of some of most commonly consumed foods while building more diversity
Eating more beans and sweet potatoes, more onions, herbs and spices, more bitters
What I’m Investing In – Home Health for Working from Home
Rebounder – aka a small portable folding trampoline that I can use to hop on in the mornings and throughout the day for increasing my movement and blood flow throughout the day working from home. 🦘 Rebounders are also great for improving mental clarity, increasing lymph flow and lymphatic drainage.
Acupuncture Mat by Spoonk – my new coworkers were raving on their experiences with acupuncture mats for sleep, blood flow, and reduced stress and inflammation. I did some research about this modern example of ancient medicine and decided to try it for myself. 📌 So far, it’s been quite the strangest and unexpected experience. I’m not quite sure what to think or feel with this thing, but I’m going to keep learning and continue using it to track any changes.
Standing Desk – working from home puts a toll on my tush and hips. I’ve decided to invest in an adjustable standing desk to help me stay mobile while working better for longer. I’m not sure about you but I struggle to be productive and feel good when I’m sitting down. 🤸 🤸 🤸