Tough love can often be tougher on the lover than the beloved. I think is it our duty as humans who are connected, affected, and effected by what we say, think, and do to share lessons learned. This is part of my journey to the throne as I learn and grow. Lately, I have been compelled to share what I have learned about attaining good health with those I care about. Sometimes this means being a watchdog. The result, however, has been that I have caused others to feel badly about themselves or their poor choices. That is not my intention, and I apologize. I can't say that I will cease, because I care about you, but I will expand on what I have learned.
I have spoken about the mind, body, spirit connection before, and I meditate on it often. Of the three, the body is the weakest. That is why it has a finite amount of time on earth. The mind is stronger than the body as it controls the body, thus the phrase "mind over matter." And lastly, but by no means least, the spirit is the strongest and lives on long after the body is gone. The connection is deep, as each of these are affected and effected by one another. For this reason, each part must receive equal attention.
The Body
The body is temporal, it has an expiration date. Even when mind, body, and spirit are all perfectly and healthily cared for, the body cannot live forever. It is most easily effected by environment, force, circumstance and time. Because it is the weakest, we tend to give it the most attention. We nourish it, clean it, exercise it, and groom it. It also becomes our biggest focus as it is the one link in the chain that can be readily seen by others. With all of the attention we give the body, it is often not the best kind of attention and the mind and spirit tend to suffer neglect. The body is a machine, the most efficient and well made machine ever created. Like lesser machines, it needs the proper, optimal, fuel, lubrication,tune ups and down time. Just like you wouldn't put regular unleaded gas into a Mercedes and then race it, eating processed or other unhealthy foods and doing vigorous exercise is not the best either. We are often more concerned with how the body looks than with how it is working. But what good is a beautiful fully loaded Mercedes sitting in your driveway, inoperable? The weakest link in the mind, body, spirit chain, the body is actually controlled by the mind. People often blame their bodies for food, alcohol or drug cravings or other "fleshly desires," but it is actually the mind sending messages to the body.
The Mind
The mind/brain controls the body. It tells the heart to beat, the lungs to breathe, the stomach to be hungry. The mind is quite powerful. It often has a life of its own, convincing us that we want or need things that we do not, blocking out trauma to protect us, acquiring or producing facts, skills, ideas, and feelings. The mind also needs proper nutrition, exercise, and rest. Food is not the only fuel the mind needs for optimal performance. We must feed it knowledge if we want it to continue to expand. Though the body is temporal, the mind has the ability to create things that live on after the body is gone. The mind can create ideas which if imparted to others will remain when the body leaves. When people speak of Bob Marley's legacy, they are not only speaking of his children, but of his music, words, and deeds he created while his body was still here. This is why we must be "mindful" of our thoughts as they become actions (the body) and our actions become habit, and our habits become our character (the spirit)
The Spirit
The spirit is the strongest of the connection because it is eternal. It is the most difficult for me to define for you because everyone has his/her own definition of the spirit, which is the spirit itself at work. The spirit has been described as energy, the soul, character, connection to a higher power, one's mood, one's personality. How ever one defines it, it is what lives on long after the body and mind are gone. When we lose loved ones, we can often still feel them with us as they have left indelible marks on our own spirits. When we allow our thoughts to take a negative turn, our spirit often reflects that negativity. The spirit is weightless and airy. Laughter is often said to be good for the spirit as are all other light and uplifting activities and thoughts. Heavy thoughts, food, and activity can weigh the spirit down. It is the spirit that lives on in others, that moves us, that moves others. Love lives in the spirit, of course, so can hate. For this reason, the spirit must be treated like a valuable heirloom, because it is. Our spirit begins before we are zygotes because our ancestors pass a foundation down to us and we then build on it. Thoughts and actions effect the spirit positively or negatively, and that energy can either uplift or weigh down the spirit. We must tend to the spirit.
I'm no expert in any of these topics, these are just my thoughts and experiences. I don't know if I adequately relayed my thoughts. It is my intention to uplift and give love with these words. I am by no means perfect, and so I do not always succeed in caring for my mind, body, and spirit. I do, however, continue to strive to do better and live better in the short time my body has on this earth. I don't judge, as I do not want to be judged, but I will elbow you when I know you can do better at taking care of yourselves. We all have something valuable to give, and the longer we are around, the more we can give, and the stronger our connection to each other becomes.
I have spoken about the mind, body, spirit connection before, and I meditate on it often. Of the three, the body is the weakest. That is why it has a finite amount of time on earth. The mind is stronger than the body as it controls the body, thus the phrase "mind over matter." And lastly, but by no means least, the spirit is the strongest and lives on long after the body is gone. The connection is deep, as each of these are affected and effected by one another. For this reason, each part must receive equal attention.
The Body
The body is temporal, it has an expiration date. Even when mind, body, and spirit are all perfectly and healthily cared for, the body cannot live forever. It is most easily effected by environment, force, circumstance and time. Because it is the weakest, we tend to give it the most attention. We nourish it, clean it, exercise it, and groom it. It also becomes our biggest focus as it is the one link in the chain that can be readily seen by others. With all of the attention we give the body, it is often not the best kind of attention and the mind and spirit tend to suffer neglect. The body is a machine, the most efficient and well made machine ever created. Like lesser machines, it needs the proper, optimal, fuel, lubrication,tune ups and down time. Just like you wouldn't put regular unleaded gas into a Mercedes and then race it, eating processed or other unhealthy foods and doing vigorous exercise is not the best either. We are often more concerned with how the body looks than with how it is working. But what good is a beautiful fully loaded Mercedes sitting in your driveway, inoperable? The weakest link in the mind, body, spirit chain, the body is actually controlled by the mind. People often blame their bodies for food, alcohol or drug cravings or other "fleshly desires," but it is actually the mind sending messages to the body.
The Mind
The mind/brain controls the body. It tells the heart to beat, the lungs to breathe, the stomach to be hungry. The mind is quite powerful. It often has a life of its own, convincing us that we want or need things that we do not, blocking out trauma to protect us, acquiring or producing facts, skills, ideas, and feelings. The mind also needs proper nutrition, exercise, and rest. Food is not the only fuel the mind needs for optimal performance. We must feed it knowledge if we want it to continue to expand. Though the body is temporal, the mind has the ability to create things that live on after the body is gone. The mind can create ideas which if imparted to others will remain when the body leaves. When people speak of Bob Marley's legacy, they are not only speaking of his children, but of his music, words, and deeds he created while his body was still here. This is why we must be "mindful" of our thoughts as they become actions (the body) and our actions become habit, and our habits become our character (the spirit)
The Spirit
The spirit is the strongest of the connection because it is eternal. It is the most difficult for me to define for you because everyone has his/her own definition of the spirit, which is the spirit itself at work. The spirit has been described as energy, the soul, character, connection to a higher power, one's mood, one's personality. How ever one defines it, it is what lives on long after the body and mind are gone. When we lose loved ones, we can often still feel them with us as they have left indelible marks on our own spirits. When we allow our thoughts to take a negative turn, our spirit often reflects that negativity. The spirit is weightless and airy. Laughter is often said to be good for the spirit as are all other light and uplifting activities and thoughts. Heavy thoughts, food, and activity can weigh the spirit down. It is the spirit that lives on in others, that moves us, that moves others. Love lives in the spirit, of course, so can hate. For this reason, the spirit must be treated like a valuable heirloom, because it is. Our spirit begins before we are zygotes because our ancestors pass a foundation down to us and we then build on it. Thoughts and actions effect the spirit positively or negatively, and that energy can either uplift or weigh down the spirit. We must tend to the spirit.
I'm no expert in any of these topics, these are just my thoughts and experiences. I don't know if I adequately relayed my thoughts. It is my intention to uplift and give love with these words. I am by no means perfect, and so I do not always succeed in caring for my mind, body, and spirit. I do, however, continue to strive to do better and live better in the short time my body has on this earth. I don't judge, as I do not want to be judged, but I will elbow you when I know you can do better at taking care of yourselves. We all have something valuable to give, and the longer we are around, the more we can give, and the stronger our connection to each other becomes.
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