I think we need to break Chinese medicine’s wisdom down into bite-sized,
practical pieces. Though I think they are rather cliché and simplistic, the popular magazine style, “5 Tips to Make Your Life Perfect in 5 Minutes Without Lifting a Finger!” piques the curiosity, and gets in our heads. If we can pick up one useful thing, we’ve learned and can live better. On the other hand, it does no good to overwhelm people with something they can’t digest or use Benefits of Using.
Nine Ways to Nurture Your Emotional Well Being
This list is based on Chinese medicine advice for the emotions through the centuries. The how-to’s and benefits are mostly my ideas. The daily blueprint comes from the book, “The Power of Focus”. You can find other self-examination and spiritual tools in a wide range of books.
Be Grateful: Recognize what you’ve achieved, and enjoy it. Once you’ve reached a goal, celebrate. Otherwise you get stuck in the ‘never enough’ trap. How: Make a weekly list of the things in your life for which you are grateful. Review both new and perpetual reasons for gratitude. Benefit: You can’t be grateful and hateful at the same time, so the more grateful you are, the happier you’ll be.
How: List people, institutions, and ideas you resent or fear. Admit your selfishness, dishonesty, and fear, at least to yourself! Find Someone bigger than yourself to trust in. Pray and meditate. Read spiritual books and write about how they relate to your life.
Think outside of the box. “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” Do the thing you are afraid of. Reach out to people no one wants. Be grateful and accept life as it is.
Benefit: Openheartedness is freedom and real love. Open-mindedness is freedom and the quickest way to truth. Contentedness is what everyone truly seeks.
Form Social Bonds to Sustain You in Times of Trouble. If you give a baby physical nourishment but not physical affection, it can die! Human beings are meant to live in communities. We need one another. Don’t spend all your time absorbed in your problems and plans.
How: Meet people in networking groups, support groups, adult education classes, Toastmasters, Rot-ary clubs, church, etc.
Benefit: Other people strengthen and support us, listen to our problems, make helpful suggestions, point us in the right direction, and help us get where we need to go. The right people are your best allies and advocates for a positive and stable future, and thus are an essential part of getting and staying well. Plus, a good social life provides opportunities for the next suggestion…
Help Other People! Invest yourself in the lives of others.
How: List specific people you can help in your plans and goals, and in your daily blueprint. Think about what these people need, and how you can help them get it. It may seem counterintuitive and perhaps impossible when faced with real worries and problems, but if you help someone else, you’ll find it’s worth it. Remember, sometimes helping means saying no. Agape (perfect love) gives people what they need regardless of what they want.