The Living Woman
by Health Minister Jennifer Grassle
Most women would consider themselves to be alive, but would they consider themselves really living? One dictionary defines living as
- alive; having life
- in active operation or use
- of persons alive
- true; lifelike
- of life
But can a book really define living, especially when it comes to an individual?
I believe that every woman has this deep feeling of wanting to live what is in their hearts. There is a passion there that burns for life, but so many of us get caught up in the day to day business of life, that we start to lose focus on those desires which give us the feeling of really living. Some may be tired and overwhelmed, some may be experiencing physical pain or illness, some may be grieving for a loss, and still some may just be feeling like there has got to be more.
Not every woman feels this way, but I believe that the vast majority of women are searching for more in their life (myself included). They are looking to grow into something that will flourish and become very green. Perhaps they want to pass on little pearls of wisdom to other women who they believe will benefit from lessons learned, or maybe they just want to get their head above water. For the former, start sharing all you can, you never know when you’ll run into the one who is reaching for a helping hand out of the depths.
The first thing I believe that gets a person onto the path of truly living is to get to know what your purpose is in life. The first step in that process is to know thyself. Start asking yourself who you are and what you do. What are your priorities in life? Why do you do what you do? Is it what you want to be doing 5 years from now? Ten years from now? Is it what you want to be doing right now? Pause a moment to look deep within yourself to find the answer.
Did you answer honestly? Or was it out of a feeling of obligation that you answered the way that you did? If you truly feel tha tyou are doing what you are supposed to be doing, great! If not, what changes can be made to improve your situation? Running away from your situation is not a good solution. There are always changes that an individual can make within themselves to improve circumstances. It is a simple matter of choosing what your response to a situation (or person) is going to be.
Now that you know why you are doing what you are doing, take a moment to ponder what you could accomplish in your life which will have a positive impact on you and the people around you. Also think about what kind of person you would like to be, what you want to do in your life, and what you want to have in your lifetime. What are your Dreams? What do you crave for most in your life? All of these things will give you insight to your purpose for life.
| Perspective changing activities... |
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A perspective changing activity is to imagine that you have just died and people have gathered for your funeral and are about say something about your life. What would they say?
Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly EffectivePeople, gives another excellent activity which helps brings your life into perspective:
Imagine that it is your eightieth birthday. You’ve lived a fulfilling, rewarding life. Friends and neighbors from your personal and professional life have gathered to celebrate and pay tribute to you. What would you like them to say? How do you want to be remembered? Write the tribute you would like to receive from each person on the lines next to the appropriate name. This activity will help you think about the kind of person you want to become.
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| Name of Person |
Tribute Statement |
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(from my personal life) |
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(from my professional life) |
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
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(from my community life) |
_______________________________
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These are activities which always bring me hope every time I do them. I like to do it once a year as I take a day or two to evaluate how I am living my life. I like to go back to my previous years and see what I wrote down, and then I like to compare that to how I am living now. I ask myself, am I going in the right direction? Usually, I can answer yes, but I have my areas which need more work.
Now that you have answered these questions and done these activities, write down a general idea of what your purpose or mission is in life. There is no need to feel pressure — this is just a rough draft. As time goes on, you’ll find yourself refining it down to something that really resonates with your heart.
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The path of Living will entail many different details for the many different women who are out there. There are so many different aspects of life, and we all have different roles — mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, wives, professionals, homemakers. What we do affects every life we touch, and how we feel about our course in life deeply affects ourselves. Even though there are so many different details meaning different things to different women, I believe there are core subjects that we would all agree upon. These are the matters which comprise a living woman, the things that we need in order to really thrive.
Loving all of those around us, and learning to love yourself, will always bring good things into your life. The giving of love, especially to those who never receive it, or to those who may not seem to deserve it, can bring about a joy to your heart that cannot be taken from you.
We all have a spirit and life within us that needs to be nurtured. Find that activity which fills your heart with promise and your soul with fulfillment, and do it as often as you can.
Knowing that you are not alone can go along way. We as women need the solace of friends when we cannot seem to make it on our own, and often, we need them even though we think we are doing great on our own. A good friend can clue you in to things you may not be aware of, and help you to make changes in your life, or at least hold you accountable.
We all need to feel physically connected to something worthwhile. Achieving that can be a simple touch of a hand on an arm, the embrace from someone who cares, or getting out and exercising. There’s nothing like the satisfaction of knowing that you just moved your body — either in the gym, out in the garden, or dancing the night away. The benefits of getting up and moving are endless, so do it every day and do it with someone if you can.
Adequate nutrition is the means to surviving each day. Without proper nutrition, we find our energy waning, our immune system crashing, our mental state foggy, our hormones out of whack, and our spirits in a slump. The old adage is ever-so-appropriate: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. It is wise to always keep learning about proper nutrition for our bodies. New things are discovered all the time, and you never know which of these discoveries (or rediscoveries) will change your life.
We all need a break now and then. Learn how to say no to the things that are unimportant (even if they seem urgent),and how to utilize that time to relax and rejuvenate yourself. Your life (and those in it) will thank you for it.
Let’s face it, life can be hard. What better way is there to get over ourselves than with a good belly laugh? Joy and laughter are healing forces in our lives and should be experienced as often as possible. They create endorphins which help alleviate depression and make us feel good. So goahead — laugh it up!
What would it feel like to have a peace which surpasses all understanding? I haven’t touched that point in my life, but I have had times in which I wasn’t worried what the day would bring, and it wasn’t always during times of smooth sailing. Learn to let go of worries and live each day as though tomorrow didn’t matter. I don’t mean to not care, but live today to your fullest potential and don’t get bogged down with the details and don’t give in to the things that are unimportant.
It can be easy to look at your life and see that you are lacking in something, so you drop everything and go after that one thing with all your might. The same thing might happen because you have to. If you ignore your nutrition, or your sleep, your body will eventually stop functioning properly and you will be forced to tend to it, having to neglect other aspects of your life. The heavy pursuit of one area (whether forced or by choice) will eventually lead to needing to focus on something else that has been neglected and is in need of emergency assistance. Being aware of your life and all the different things that are essential to living (and what portion you need of those things in a day), will allow you to maintain balance and adjust accordingly when things seems to be falling off the track.
As women who are constantly managing, moving and adapting to the people around us, we need to feel the connection of all these aspects to our lives. When one is off or missing, not only do we suffer, but so do our families, co-workers, and even the strangerwe pass walking down the street. Our life radiates out of us in our speech, our posture,our eyes, and our presence. What kind of life are you showing to others?
Words that can be used to replace lively are energetic, vigorous, sparkling, active, vivacious, animated, dynamic, and full of life. Who wouldn’t want to be described asone of these? I think we all would. I would like to ask you to join me in becoming a LIVING WOMAN.
Jennifer Grassle is a Health Minister and co-host of three of The Hallelujah Food Show Recipes for Life videos: Feeding Our Children, Basics for Great Recipes and Choices, Variety and Convenience.
Jennifer will be appearing at the 2007 Women’s Retreat, Hallelujah Acres International Headquarters.
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