The Delicious Life

The delicious, delectable life. It’s what we’re after, but for most of us, life is busy. We find ourselves focused on a specific project, specific roles, all the “have to’s.” And, now there’s more pressure than ever for each of us to take an even greater level of responsibility for our individual health and well-being. There’s a lot of balancing going on here, and in some cases, it results in frustration, stress and avoidance. For many of us, it also results in overeating, sleep deprivation, and a sedentary lifestyle.

While we’re doing all this balancing, most of us are looking for ways to address the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual demands in our lives—in other words, those dimensions that make us a whole person. Here’s where it’s a good idea to take a step back and take in the “helicopter view,”  otherwise known as “the big picture.” It’s this view or picture that can actually help us identify those areas that really need our attention, and those that really don’t.

From an overall wellness perspective, this means recognizing what we can change and what we can’t. Can we (or would we) change the roles we play in life—husband / wife,  father / mother, community leader, friend, employer / employee, team member / coach? Can we change what’s important to us—career, family, friends, financial freedom, education, physical challenge, attitude? Can we  (will we) change how active we are, what we choose to eat, or how much we choose to eat? And, can we change how we combine these roles and choices to achieve a more ideal life and wellness balance? This is where a wellness perspective comes in. 

For most of us there are areas in our lives that probably aren’t getting the right amount of attention, and others where we make more of an effort than needed. It’s up to each of us to adjust, to decide what we don’t have to do, and what we should do more of. 

We usually talk about wellness in terms of making positive lifestyle choices, modest yet meaningful changes, finding opportunities to put our bodies in motion. That’s all true. But here’s a thought . . . What if we also think about wellness as finding all those ways to make life—and our personal wellness, delicious, in the greatest sense of the word?