Words to Live By

We all know the power of words. Connecting with words that resonate with your health and wellness beliefs and attitudes can have a tremendous influence over the choices you make in your life each day. What are the words that shape your life and well-being?

Guest Post
Meg Root

"We all know the power of words......"

Whether you consciously know it or not, your life is shaped by words and concepts. Healthy people perceive themselves as healthy, even when they are sick or recovering from an illness or injury.

Maybe you chose the words that define you; maybe so many other people applied them to you that you eventually incorporated them into your sense of self. Once you bring those meaningful words to light, you can move forward with positive choices that are in alignment with your wellness values.

Here’s a fun exercise--and you don’t even need to change into your fitness clothes! Just take out a pen and a piece of paper.

Take a moment to consider what the word “wellness” means to you.

Now, spend two minutes writing down a list of “wellness words” that come to mind. Keep your pen moving, and if you get stuck, just write any word until another one comes to mind.

What did you come up with?

I have been doing this exercise in a workshop I offer called “Write Your Own Wellness Story,” and have been amazed and encouraged by the words participants choose to describe their thoughts and feelings about personal wellness. A few of the words participants have chosen:

joyful
involved
committed
whole
alive
engaged
vibrant
fearless
unencumbered (Wow! Now that’s a powerful word!)

Do you notice anything missing from the list? I do.

skinny
pretty
thin
diet
younger
buffed
hot! (Thank goodness!)

When we take the time to really think about what we value about our health and wellness, we often discover our aspirations go deeper than thinner thighs or a magic number on a scale. When this happens, it’s like the light goes on and someone is finally home. We can see and feel, maybe for the first time in a long time, that we just might have a chance to take a healthier path.

Energy and joy, feeling alive, vibrant and unencumbered (there’s that fabulous word again), are all qualities that are available to you when you make positive lifestyle choices. Think about it. Every choice you make today--the way you eat, the way you move, the way you breathe and connect with the people around you--either takes you closer to those wellness words or further away from them. What’s it going to be? With practice and commitment, you can embody each and every one of those words on your list.

In my workshop, I write these words on a white board for everyone to see. I say you can steal other people’s words and make them your own. I did that with “unencumbered.” After the words are written, the question is then quite simple - “Can we live them?” Without a doubt I say, “Yes, we can!”

Do the writing prompt above, then take a moment to reflect on what words came to your mind most easily. What ways to you plan to eat, breathe, move and connect with those wellness words today? We’d love to hear what you came up with in the comments below, and where you’ll put your list now that you’re done writing it.

Bio: Meg Root is an ACE certified Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist and wellness writer. She has worked at premier spas across the country including, Rancho La Puerta, The Spa at Sea Island, Georgia, and Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa. She contributes regularly to the Glen Ivy wellness blog, and offers workshops which focus on learning to write your own wellness story, complete with a happy ending! You can find her on Facebook at Write Your Own Wellness Story.

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