Essence of Well-Being

Well-being entails a lot of various aspects. The dictionary defines it as: a contented state of being happy, healthy and prosperous. And though this is a good definition, it is quite vague and lacking substance. It is so much deeper in scope than this definition implies. And even though it's a broad topic, The Essence of Well-Being can be summed up in a nutshell. It is looking good, feeling good, having an abundance of energy, as well as a healthy self esteem and self concept. But it is even a bit more than this. It is loving life, feeling purposeful, being infused with vigor and having a zest for living. It is being well, or healthy and whole in mind, body and spirit and fully understanding the connection of these three integral parts. You really cannot have imbalance in any of these areas and still maintain a thriving sense of well-being.

Wellness is certainly more than looking and feeling good on the outside. Its scope is much wider, encompassing a rich life of wholeness, completeness and inner contentedness. Those who attain this great jewel are indeed wealthy and blessed, for arriving at this station is rare indeed. It is not an easy road and is more or less a way of life. It requires an enormous commitment and discipline to self care and self nurturing. The Essence of Well-Being is synonymous with personal responsibility. You and only you can choose it for yourself. And only you can maintain it on a daily basis as well.

Living close to God/Spirit, Zen, or the Tao is the closest link to wellness and/or well-being. And finding or making time for strengthening your connection will prove to be a work of priceless worth. The blessings you will reap for cultivating health and wellness are substantial and indeed medicine like remedies for life's maladies. The beauty of wholeness is this, when you learn how to fill yourself up, you have more to give away. The bottom line is simple, a healthy life equals wellness, happiness, harmony, peace, balance and tranquility.


Copyright Justin Topik, Peace Passion Positivity 2015,
All rights reserved, except for use in brief quotations and reviews 
which include authors name 

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Running on Empty

We've all done this a time or two-you probably know the scenario... You are driving your car on empty, or very close to empty that is, trying to tempt fate, beat the odds, or just plain get somewhere on time. And sometimes, living on the edge like this can be exciting and kind of a rush. At other times though, it can be downright stressful and even scary. But let's just say you were in a hurry this morning and you did not stop to fill up the gas tank. So instead of driving to work on full, feeling peaceful and content, enjoying the soothing music, the gorgeous scenery and your cup of coffee, you are worried if you will make it there at all! The truth is you are unprepared. You know it, but it's too late to turn back now.

Taking care of your inner self is just the same. When you neglect to fill up or nurture your spiritual, emotional and physical needs, the day just doesn't flow as well period. You don't feel as connected to the source of inspiration and creativity. It's generally more difficult to tap into the flow and harmonize with the magic of life. And oftentimes, when you are in this state you don't feel as positive as usual, or as on target with your life purpose. When you wake up late and neglect the very things which recharge your batteries, whatever that is for you, you are less prepared in every way to begin your day. Sure you can still choose to be positive, happy and to make the most of the day, but the truth is you are running on half full, or Running on Empty as the saying goes.

 

Here's the thing, our level of connection to spirit either brightens or dulls our outlook on life. It can paint a picturesque, stunning canvas full of vivid, dreamy colors, or on the contrary, it can create a palette of browns, grays, and blacks-a canvas that is dreary and bland to the senses. Your attitude and level of spiritual, emotional and physical connectedness makes a dramatic difference on your experience and level of enjoyment in all situations of your daily life.
 
 

There is immense power in the way you begin your day. This includes the level of inner peace and happiness you bring with you and whether your cup is full or empty as you venture out into the world. Believe it or not, these things affect the rest of the day and the cosmic flow of events and interactions that will come into your daily experience. No matter what each day has in store for you though, you can take control by uplifting yourself and boosting your spirits right from the beginning of the morning. Do whatever it takes to begin your day on a positive note. And for goodness sake, quit Running on Empty. Fill up your tank often and keep it full. That way you can spill a bit of your harmonious, cosmic concoction and uplifting vibrational energy onto others. When your cup is full, it can't help but overflow onto everyone around you. This is one way you can uplift everyone that comes across your path, as well as helping yourself. This is the magic of running on full!

Copyright Justin Topik, Peace Passion Positivity 2014,
All rights reserved, except for use in brief quotations and reviews
which include authors name

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The Relationship With Self

The most important relationship any of us will ever have is not a relationship with another, but The Relationship With Self. I know NEWS FLASH right? This goes against a lot of things our media broadcasts to us daily. We are bombarded with many images and ideas which suggest being alone is bad, unacceptable and may even signify depression. Also, in our Western culture, we are taught to sacrifice our needs to please another, sometimes even at our own expense. We are oftentimes even made to feel guilty for making time for self nurture and self renewal. In a lot of ways, it seems we have it backwards. In the highest sense, you have to be happy, content and satisfied with yourself before you can ever be content and satisfied with another. As a society, we look to another to complete us, when a great secret I have found is, the satisfaction we are looking for in another must first be found within. I will go so far here to say that not until you find inner bliss, inner harmony and inner satisfaction in yourself, can it ever be experienced with another. Also with that being said, the more honor, value and respect you give your own self, the more you can honor, respect and appreciate another.

I was married for almost ten years to a lady who treated me with a great deal of disrespect and dishonor. She was ungrateful for me and showed me very little compassion a large portion of the time during our marriage. It did not matter how kind, loving, thoughtful or compassionate I was towards her, she could never appreciate me, but instead, always found things in our relationship to be unhappy about. The intriguing thing is, she was never really content and happy with her own self, which I think was a significant reason she could never be happy with me.

This type of thing is common in many relationships today too. I think part of where the problem stems from is that we live in an instant gratification, throw away society. We are not used to working for much anymore. Relationships with yourself and others require a lot of work, there is no denying that. So naturally, when relationships get tough, people bail. Not too many people it seems are content with themselves or what they have anymore, so they can never be happy or content in relationships as well. Until you are content on the inside, you will always feel like something is missing. You will always want more. The problem here is, when we feel an inadequacy on the inside, we often mistakenly start looking outside, as if there is something out there that can complete us. Unfortunately, like the search for the holy grail to give someone instant eternal life, the search for something outside of ourselves to complete us too is an illusion. If you are always discontent on the inside, nothing will ever satisfy you. And yet, on the other token, if you learn to be truly content on the inside, to stay happy and grounded, you will not need to look outside of yourself for that magic something to complete you. Instead, you will be able to give that magic something away to someone else.

In your time on this world, you will spend more time alone than with anyone else. Sooner or later, you had better learn to like and appreciate the company you keep. This may be accomplished through a multitude of ways including, but not limited to: journaling, soul searching, meditation, tai chi, yoga, prayer, getting massages, being artistic and creative, personal study, taking walks alone in nature, or plain just doing whatever it takes for you to stay in touch with your whole self. Part of establishing a relationship with self too, is learning your likes and dislikes, what you connect to and don't connect to.

Great relationships with others don't start with others. They start with the relationship you have or maintain with yourself in mind, body and spirit. Included in this, is the relationship you keep with your creator or higher power. Within each and everyone of us is a loving, magical, grand and powerful being...the atman or real self. A friendship with this being illuminates and brightens lives and has the power to transform virtually every other relationship in your life. When you nourish yourself emotionally, spiritually, physically, you are undertaking important work. Whatever you do for yourself, you do for another. You can never give away something you do not have. So, in essence, the more peace, harmony, happiness and positive energy (mojo) you are able to cultivate in your life, the more of these things you can share from your cup of treasures with another.

The Relationship With Self is the MOST important relationship you could ever nurture and develop. It is the relationship that will sustain you through all of life's bumpy roads. And with a great relationship with self, when things go awry as they sometimes will, you will be better able to handle the situations life throws at you. The world we live in can oftentimes be a noisy, busy and sometimes confusing place. Making time to stay conscious, to stay in tune with your whole self, and making a space for quiet and reflection time, helps maintain sanity and equilibrium and helps you stay grounded in the truth of your being. True self love is taking time to care for the soul, mind and body. And as you care for yourself in all these areas, you will find the more you have to give away to help a world in need.

Copyright Justin Topik 2010

First Things First or Your Bubble Will Burst

My good friend Sara had this to say to me today, "Dude I am on burn out, don't know why, but it's driving me nuts." So, I replied to her by quoting one of my favorite quotes from the book Conversations With God, "If I do not go within, I go without." I asked her to ponder that for a moment. She then replied, heck no man I am like a robot-no time!" I told her that was the wrong answer. I was joking of course, but serious at the same time. I then read her a quote from Goethe that I live by, "Things which matter the most, must never be at the mercy of things which matter least."

As we continued our conversation, she told me she has been able to handle all her life challenges and stresses for quite a while, until now for some reason. All of a sudden she feels like she is falling apart, totally burning out. She mentioned there must be something wrong with her. In response I told her I didn't think there was anything wrong with her. What I know for certain about Sara though, is she doesn't make a habit of nurturing her inner self much at all, which I encouraged her to make time for, cause the thing is, if you don't take time to nurture yourself, eventually you breakdown, burnout or meltdown, which is never good. That is why you have to make time for self nurturing, self renewal, or returning to the source, the stillness.

Breakdowns happen when we are out of balance. We are 3 part beings (mind, body & soul) and as such, all parts need to be in balance and be nurtured for total, complete health and well being. If not, things go awry, things will definitely malfunction. I think EVERYONE needs some personal alone time. I'm talking about feeding your soul, cultivating positivity in your mind, exercising your body, your passions, doing nurturing things just for you, things that uplift and inspire you such as yoga, exercise, tai chi, journaling, painting, being in nature, writing, gardening and etc.

When you are adhering to a very tight schedule, which includes no "you" time, you will eventually hit a wall of burnout, or have a breakdown of some type. When there is a part of your 3 part being that is neglected, a part that is unfulfilled, this part of you will begin sending signals to your body, soul and mind. If you don't listen, the signals will get louder and louder, until tragedy may strike in one form or another to get your attention, or worse yet, your bubble will burst. Keeping First Things First or Your Bubble Will Burst is definitely a good answer, a good philosophy for taking care of yourself and your needs, so as to be able to help better care for others needs as well. If you neglect your own inner needs, your life will sooner or later fall apart, or you will run into some walls that could have been avoided by returning to balance, harmony, self love and self nurturing. First Things First or Your Bubble Will Burst is more than a nice personal reminder, it is a life strategy that works, I promise you.

Copyright Justin Topik 2009