In keeping with this year’s blog theme of “Live Your Best Life” I wanted to share this poem by Pablo Neruda, a Chilean poet, diplomat, and politician who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. He died in 1973 at age 69. I took a somewhat deep dive into the poem in an effort to better understand it. The resource list below the post contains a link to a YouTube video of a woman reading the poem. Check it out, it’s very moving. You start dying slowly: While travel has not been a priority for the past couple of years, it is now becoming more accessible. Travel as much as you can while you can. Read more and listen more to life as it occurs around you. Appreciate yourself and who you are. You start dying slowly: “The mind is an activity and not a thing. It’s the language of your thought processes that is revealed through your action. To create a change in your self-image is through repetition of words, focus, and discipline. These mind activating ingredients apply to weight loss, a healthy lifestyle, love and financial success.” (Pullman D. A., How to Reprogram Your Mind to Build Low Self-Esteem, 2019) You start dying slowly: “A magnetic personality is a person or thing that has a powerful attraction. Your attitude is more powerful than your gifts and talents. You see, attitude is the powerful force that attracts others toward you or moves them away from you. Many gifted and talented people never taste the rewards of their skills because their attitude makes them undesirable to be near.” (Pullman D. A., Your Attitude Determines Your Success, 2019) You start dying slowly: “When you settle for just ok, over time, you end up being irritable, frustrated, resentful… and, like a snowball rolling down a freshly blanketed hill of snow, the negativity in your life grows bigger and bigger (and bigger), until, soon enough, you’re no longer recognizable. You find yourself complaining more than smiling, you’re snapping at people constantly, and your health goes to hell in a hand basket.” (Austin, 2016) You start dying slowly: In conclusion, Pablo Neruda was spot-on when he wrote this poem about living your best life. Don't let yourself die slowly Do not forget to be happy! ~ Pablo Neruda (Neruda, 2021 References
Austin, A. (2016, January 20). The Consequences of Not Living Your Passion. Retrieved from Get Wellified: https://getwellified.com/living-your-passion/ Neruda, P. (2021, August 22). You Start Dying Slowly. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMuOemOsYfw Pullman, D. A. (2019). How to Reprogram Your Mind to Build Low Self-Esteem. In D. A. Pullman, Your Unique Style of Fit (p. 13). Annadale, Virginia: Independently Published. Pullman, D. A. (2019). Your Attitude Determines Your Success. In D. A. Pullman, Your Unique Style of FIt (p. 22). Annadale, Virginia: Independently Published.
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We’ve gone through a very trying, and confining period over the past few years. The pandemic has isolated us, given us an unprecedented amount of free time, but with few people to share it with. Some people chose to learn new skills or revive old pastimes, including gardening. Apart from just being a way to occupy time and decorate homes, people tended to their plants as a way to bring purpose, fulfillment, and joy to their lives in a time dominated by fear and worry. (Dai, 2021) There is increasing evidence that exposure to plants and green space, and particularly to gardening, is beneficial to mental and physical health. (Thompson, 2018) People tend to use their senses to process emotions like grief, loneliness, even happiness and joy. Kinesthetic individuals experience in a bodily way, and index information by sensation and feeling. (Pullman D. A., The Power of Story - Kinesthetic, 2018) Thinking of the ways a Kinesthetic minded person could use his or her senses with gardening brings to mind the feel of the damp earth, the velvet touch of a hibiscus petal, the feel of rose petals against the nose as one breathes in the essence of the flower. These are the kinds of sensations that can transport someone to a state of peace and calm. Whether your garden is comprised of acres of land, filled with rows of flowers and/or vegetables, a grove of trees bearing fruit, or a few simple pots on a balcony, you can experience multiple benefits from gardening. Here is a list of 10 benefits compiled by Dr. Seth J. Gillihan at Psychology Today: 1. Practicing Acceptance Most of our suffering comes from trying to control things that we can't. The more we can accept the limits of our control and the unpredictability of life, the more peace of mind we can find—and gardening is a great way to practice. 2. Moving Beyond Perfectionism Given the lack of control we have, gardening can be a good antidote for perfectionism. No matter how carefully you plan and execute your garden, there are countless factors you can't predict—invasions by bugs, inclement weather, hungry rodents. 3. Developing a Growth Mindset Few things boost our well-being like good relationships, and gardening offers ample opportunities to connect with others. 4. Connecting with Others Few things boost our well-being like good relationships, and gardening offers ample opportunities to connect with others. 5. Connecting to Your World Gardening provides a connection not just to other people but to our world. Many people feel that connection in a visceral way when they eat food they've just harvested 6. Bathing in Green The Japanese expression "shinrin-yoku" can be translated as "forest bathing," which nicely captures the experience of being immersed in green. A growing body of research has found all kinds of benefits from being in natural landscapes. 7. Being Present Mindful presence is tied to a long list of positive outcomes, like relationship satisfaction and less emotional reactivity. The garden can be a protected place where we practice being where we are and actually doing what we're doing. 8. Physical Exercise Moving your body regularly is an effective way to boost mood and lower anxiety, and gardening offers a multitude of opportunities for physical activity. 9. Reducing Stress Not surprisingly, time in your garden can be a great way to release stress. There's something about feeling the life all around you, the warmth of the sun, the soil in your hands. 10. Eating Healthfully Last but not least, a garden can yield the freshest and healthiest foods available—the types of food that can have a significant impact on our mental health. (Gillihan, 2019) So, if you haven’t already started your garden this Spring, now is the time! References
Dai, E. (2021, April 29). Post Pandemic Gardening. Retrieved from GivingGrove: https://www.givinggrove.org/blog=reference/post-pandemic-gardening Gillihan, S. J. (2019, June 19). 10 Mental Health Benefits of Gardening. Retrieved from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/201906/10-mental-health-benefits-gardening Pullman, D. A. (2018). The Power of Story - Kinesthetic. In D. A. Pullman, The Uniqueness of You (p. 41). Annadale: Independently Published. Thompson, R. (2018, June 18). Gardening for Health: A Regular Dose of Gardening. Retrieved from PubMedCentral: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334070/ |
AuthorI am a Performance Enhancement Specialist with a background in Emergency Psychiatric Medicine and Community Addiction. Archives
December 2023
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