Don’t Let Life Defeat You!

Don’t Let Life Defeat You!

Here was my average day for the past fourteen years while working as a Special Education Instructor.    My alarm sounds at 4:00 a.m. and I get up immediately  rushing through my shower, hair, and make-up before I go wake up my son. Now it is time to prepare breakfast, help him get ready for school (he is disabled), feed the animals and get my mail ready (e.g. pay the bills). Hopefully I have time to put in a load of laundry and wash the breakfast dishes before its time to drive my son to daycare, and go to work.

I then fight through 45 minutes of ridiculous traffic before I finally arrive at my work site and struggle to find a parking spot. Now it’s  rush, rush, rush to get to my classroom “in box” in the office to check the day’s announcements, get to my classroom to unlock the room,  review my lesson plan,  and write the schedule on the classroom board, before its time to walk out to get the kids off the bus.

As you look at this schedule of events, do you see something that is missing?  Do you see a moment of simple, relaxed, pleasurable enjoyment that I am experiencing in just being me (hard to understand)? Do you see a time slot in these first five hours of my day where I gave myself a moment to connect with who I am instead of what I had to do? 

No, there was simply no time for that in the busy chaotic schedule of my daily life full of follow through responsibilities. At work I did get moments of pleasurable enjoyment for who I am. For instance, I had been able to help one of my students break through a difficult learning barrier and the sparkle in their eyes as they really “Get It” has always made me FEEL WONDERFUL ABOUT MYSELF.  But I began to think, “If I am only feeling good about the accomplishments I may bring about or see in others, then when and where do I feel good about being me?

Did you know that the way living things feel about themselves can actually change their physical health?  We have all heard about how stress affects us with things like insomnia, irritability, depression, and illness. All of these conditions are directly related to our sense of well being which is directly related to our physical being, or our physical health.  
I know you have heard about how plants respond to attention being given to them and we all know animals thrive when they are attended to and given love. I read about a physics study where three clear glasses were filled with water and prior to the experiment each of the three water samples were viewed under a microscope to see their crystalline form, if any. In the beginning, for the most part, each of the three water structures were identical in form. Then the researcher wrote a word on each glass and came back to the water samples at the end of three days to see if there was any change to the water structure itself,  when viewed under a microscope again.
The purpose of the experiment was to see if the impact of the word written on the glass (which was emotional based) could actually change the form of the water itself. The results were simply amazing. The glass with the word ‘PEACE’ written on it displayed soft symmetrical cuneiform shapes which gently connected to each other and reached out. The glass with the word ‘LOVE’ written on it was the most beautiful while looking like perfect diamonds upon diamonds having and believe it or not, there was almost the shape of a perfect heart in the center. The prisms of light coming from these diamond crystals displayed all of the colors of the rainbow.  
However, the glass with the word ‘HATE’ written on it had no crystalline shapes and instead the forms viewed under the microscope were globular in form and these globular water forms actually had an ugly grayish, yellowish color to them.

Today it almost seems that our routine responsibilities give us no time to enjoy the beauty that is who we are in life. All of these responsibilities and the burden we feel to accommodate them actually harm us and make us sad, tired, and in some cases ill. 
Just as the three glasses of water changed at a molecular level due to the negative or positive words written on them, we also change according to how we respond to the responsibilities and stress placed on our lives, as well as the things we are exposed to in our environments.

So, what can we do to feel good about ourselves in the hectic world we find ourselves in?

Take the time out each day to sit, relax and think about five great attributes that you have. Think about how those attributes add beauty to your life and quality to those around you. Give yourself some love each and every day and you will start to fell greater appreciation for who you are and what you can do. This is the emotional component. The other is physical.  

Did you know that when you exercise, there is an increase in oxygenated blood flow through your body, and this increase causes endorphins to be released in your brain?   Endorphins are your bodies natural euphoric stimulant or in some cases tranquilizer.   They make you feel good, elated, almost a sense of being high. So try to exercise at least 15 minutes each day. Even something as simple as walking around the block, riding a bike, borrowing your child’s scooter, or even playing a short game of hoops gets those euphoric endorphins filling your body with complete happiness .  Not only will you feel better through increased oxygenation of the blood, but your weight will probably decrease and you will become more attractive and physically fit. Who does not feel good about that?

So get out there, be active, be happy and live life the fullest. I mean after all, the purpose of life is to be happy.

Thank you,
            THE UNDEFEATED LIFE