Have you thought much about our true nature and what is compatible with our design? Could we better equip ourselves by understanding it and practicing the things that make us well? Maybe viewing our whole being in practical common-sense ways would be the beginning to other positive life experiences. We are remarkably and wonderfully made with the capacity to thrive if given the proper attention.

But not just any attention will do, it needs to align with our design. We are organic beings with organic needs and the artificial goes against our grain. You can’t artificially manufacture the foundations of whole health or encapsulate it in a pill. This awareness will help us accurately identify our needs and discern better choices for ourselves, which in turn, bring about more desired results for our mind, body and spirit.

How many times do we just “feel off” and do nothing to help ourselves in pro-active ways? I’ve been guilty of this on too many occasions. But if we know better, we can do better. This is where paying attention to how we’re designed comes in and recognizing what our basic needs are.

We are simple yet complex and that’s what makes us so exquisite. But if we can master some foundational practices that all human beings on this earth need, we could greatly reduce the manufactured things we turn to because our bodies are literally a complex chemical factory. The key is understanding what prompts the body to make and distribute the “goods” that we NEED to function at our highest potential.

We all love FREE things, right? Well, fresh air in our lungs is one of them as well as maximizing our breathing and sunlight in our eyes (This is a very interesting one to look up). Another is proper water hydration as well as nutrient rich foods (whole foods with little to no processing). If we can’t read and understand a food label, we probably shouldn’t be eating it. A commonly overlooked one is sufficient rest for regeneration. Both our body and mind need the restorative power of sleep. Rest is a critical factor for many functions in our body and depriving ourselves of it is very problematic. Give yourself the proper loving self-care of sleep.

Movement is another important aspect for our vitality. We’ve been made to move……stretch and use our muscles. Just think, our muscular system supports our skeletal system, they work hand in hand and a healthy weight is easier on our joints. Since today’s world leans towards a more sedentary lifestyle with all the modern conveniences, it takes intentionality to get the movement our body needs. Looking at our body with common sense will help us see where we might make adjustments in order to create a lifestyle better suited for our overall wellness.

We hear a lot about mental health these days and rightly so. Many are living in a malnourished state. We’ve become enslaved and addicted to a fast-paced, device driven environment, while tossing aside the common sense, yet simple ideals of yesteryear. Some of the practical solutions to a foggy, anxious, distracted and overstimulated mind are prayer, meditation, gratitude, awareness, stillness, intentional breathing, creativity and authentic connection.

All of these maintain and maximize our state of being. We’re able to recalibrate ourselves, come to our senses and choose positive truth over unhealthy repetitive thought patterns which may be contributing to an undesirable state of mind.

Our connection with ourselves through creativity is overlooked but I feel it’s also underestimated. We have so much energy flowing through us. If we could learn to direct it in some manner, we may be able to calm the nervous energy (anxiousness) in us, while feeding our souls and finding satisfaction with the gift of life itself. We’ve been made in the image of our Creator. This being said, why wouldn’t we also have fulfillment in creativity ourselves? Being creative has many different faces, it’s not limited to the arts as we sometimes wrongly assume. It can look like organizing, imagining, learning, moving, nurturing, connecting, building, designing, planting, envisioning of all sorts, etc…….it is creating a world in which we desire to live in, each and every day. We’re all created to function and grow in unique ways through different seasons of our lives. It’s never ending, and we shouldn’t limit ourselves by staying the same but creatively express our ingenuity as we find satisfaction in our transformative evolution.

I believe we’ve overcomplicated being human and it would serve us well to get back to the basics. Progress has its perks but sometimes progress and modern life has wandered away from the staples and manufactured something we’re not meant for. But this is for us to navigate through and choose the way ahead.

So….the next time you feel disheveled, ask yourself? Am I hungry, thirsty, anxious, angry, lonely or tired???? Maybe your body is trying to tell you something and we need to take the time to look at ourselves with common sense while assessing where we may align with our design.

Until next time……….