I’m very fortunate that over the past few years since I returned to school I have met some incredible people. These individuals are not only smart (a given), but they are kind, growth oriented, and grounded in their place in the world. I’m friends with many of them on Facebook and fortunate that they pass along their sage advice or things that caught their eye on the news, at conferences, or just in their daily interactions with others.
One of these wise folks posted on Facebook something a doctor had said about increasing your health and wellness. The doctor recommended that one of the ways to increase peace in your life is to finish what you start. It seems like such a simple thing, but too many of us are like cats; we follow and chase shiny things. What does that mean in our everyday lives? How does that impact us if we’ve been diagnosed with a chronic or life-altering illness?
If you’re feeling desperate or feeling limited in your options you may jump from one thing to another to try to get results. Often, we don’t give things a chance because we’re caught up in a society that rewards and encourages immediate gratification. How long does it take to get results? That’s what many who go one diets ask themselves. What about finding inner peace or calm, how long does that take?
I don’t know about you, but to some degree I believe I’ll always be in search of deepened enlightenment or self-actualization (Abraham Maslow doesn’t belive many if any of us will make it, but I have hope). What does that mean? It means that I have to continue a spiritual practice that gives my body, mind, and spirit the space to expand. It means I have to provide myself with a space for compassion and connection. I don’t jump from one thing to another; I stick with one thing that I believe in my heart brings me peace and the space for an open heart. In my case it’s a creative endeavor. I find that I can achieve these inner places by knitting or creating art.
I’ve been in Nashville now for a few months and I have completed to knitted shawls and I’m working on number three. I get up a little early in the morning to knit before work and I knit when I come home from work. It grounds me and gives me inner clarity. If I were home I’d be in my studio working on a piece of art because that place of creativity allows my body, mind, and spirit to be creative in its own right…it allows the body, mind, and spirit to regenerate itself and come up with new opportunities for health and healing.
The 12-step programs speak about “progress not perfection”. This is one of the reasons that I don’t hop from one self-help mode to another. I may not get it perfect, but I’m always making progress. Working on completing projects is a good feeling. It’s about endings and that allows for new beginnings. I learn something every time I begin something new.
What do you need to complete? How do you think making a point of completing things would increase your health and healing?
Pilgrim Pathway/Surviving Strong 
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