Wellness Program

I was on the road recently (as usual) and heard an interesting interview with a writer named Debbie Ford. One of the points she mentioned really stole my attention and has me pondering it ever since. It involves a simple exercise:

Write down the words ILLNESS and WELLNESS. Now, circle the part of each word that is different from the other word. Instantly, you can see (I)llness and (WE)llness.

Think about it. We really NEED other people in our lives…not just to prevent a room from being empty, but also to enhance and improve our own well being. When we feel that we are a part of a healthy, vital group of family and/or friends, we can’t help being energized by the same energy that abounds around us….if we allow it to happen.

The very day I heard this broadcast, I reflected on how many elderly ladies I know who seem to be thirty years younger than they really are. I think it’s their Wellness groups. They are actively involved with other people.

If I try to face things alone, without venting or sharing with others, then I begin to whither and become ill….maybe not physically, but mentally for sure. I went through about seven or eight years of that kind of people-isolation in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, resulting in cancer that was at Stage 4 in 1995. They said I had only 5-7 years to live. It was a wake up call.

I have been so blessed in the last 10+ years by my adopted family, my bowling family, and most assuredly, my golfing family. My physical wellness is perhaps a bit shaky, although lots better than many, many others, but my mental wellness is strong and tremendously happy because of many of you that will be reading this.

Please forgive me for preaching, but I needed to share this concept with you and I wanted to thank you for being part of my “WEllness” program. Kathleen