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Chapter 10

Conclusion – It’s all up to you!

Health is when your body functions as it is supposed to. Wellness is having BALANCE in your life. You need nutrition and exercise to maintain your health. Your body defends itself against illness and disease, but you must use caution to avoid injury and poisonous substances. If you are healthy, you will heal quicker.

Each day you make many decisions that affect your happiness, wholeness & wellness. For example, you may decide to use a 73

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seat belt, to drink milk instead of soda, or go to sports practice.

While each of these decisions may seem small, taken together, day after day and year after year, they have a big effect on your life. They influence your daily energy level and self-confidence, as well as your future health & wellness.

It is not always easy to take the action necessary to create change. However, without taking some action, you cannot make changes in your life that may be necessary to help you feel better. Every time you take a positive step in creating change in your life, give yourself a pat on the back or reward yourself by doing something nice for yourself like taking a warm bath by candlelight, going for a walk, or spending some time with a friend. You also may want to keep a written record of the changes you are creating in your life in a notebook or journal.

Making changes takes time and may be difficult. You may have to overcome many obstacles. Take small steps. Don’t give up.

Be persistent. Keep working toward whatever it is that will help you to feel better and enjoy your life more. Making changes is being able to see beyond you to seeing what the solution might be.

Creating change is something you need to do for yourself. No one else can do it for you. Others can help you and support you as you create change but it is up to you to do what needs to be done. You will be the one that benefits from successful change.

When thinking about health and fitness, focus on the three Cs: centered, committed, and consistent.

1. You need to get CENTERED.

Gather yourself, your thoughts, and think about what you want out of life.

2. You have to make a true COMMITMENT.

You can accomplish anything that you set your mind to. Take a stand for yourself and commit to making those changes you want to see in yourself.

3. Understand it takes CONSISTENCY, and make it happen.

You’ll hit bumps along the road. When this happens, get right back to it. Consistency doesn’t mean perfection. It means staying true to the cause, and never giving up.

If you need help accomplishing any of your wellness goals, I suggest you do what I did. I found a coach to help me focus my 75

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life, support me in my own personal journey and hold me accountable. A coach helps me be accountable for the goals I set, the commitments I make and most importantly they help me direct my life and reclaim my power which allows me to live a life of authenticity and greatness. And yes I am a coach and coaches need coaches too. Visit http://bit.ly/bewelltoday if you decide that you want to consider working with me.

Today is the beginning of the best days of your life, embrace it, love it and live it fully. Take control of your choices and choose to LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE, FROM THE INSIDE OUT!

Suggestions for Improving Your Life

Suggestions for better mental health:

Don’t give away your power

Learn to relax, relate and release

Meditate

Suggestions for better emotional health: Learn how to manage your emotions

Choose your battles

Learn how to cope with life’s changes

Share your feelings

Suggestions for better educational health: Enroll in school

Take a training course in any area of interest to you Read, read and read some more

Engage in meaningful conversations

Become a self –learner

Suggestions for better social health:

Join civic or community groups

Be approachable

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Go to networking events

Practice developing social skills

Interact with people from other cultures Suggestions for better relational health:

Get counseling (if you are in desperate need) Learn how to communicate effectively

Take a seminar

Listen more, talk less

Agree to disagree

Date your companion

Be spontaneous

Treat others as you wish to be treated

Love genuinely and completely

Suggestions for better financial health: Get a financial advisor

Stop spending more than you have

Save more money sooner rather than later Check your credit report and correct any problems 78

Begin to invest your money

Start your own business (network marketing or traditional)

Create a budget and stick to it

Spend cash instead of credit

Track your spending with free tools like Mint Get your free credit score from Credit Karma Suggestions for better physical health:

Hip Hop Abs

Tae Bo

Walk Away the Pounds

Turbo Jam

Fluidity

Yoga, Booty, Ballet

The Firm

30 minute power walking 3x’s per week

Any activity that will get you moving and motivated to continue to change your life.

Proper Nutrition

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Proper sleep schedule

Take a multivitamin

Cleanse your system of toxins

Drink plenty of water

Detox the body on a quarterly basis

Suggestions for better environmental health: Buy healthier products that are environmentally safe Visit

http://www.radiantlyyou.com/ahealthieru

Recycle and reuse

Be active in community environmental programs Turn your home into a “Green” home

Teach your children about environmental health Suggestions for better spiritual health:

Go to church, synagogue, temple, mosque etc.

Pray and /or meditate yourself

Pray with your family and/or others

Read the Bible or any other book that will strengthen your spirit.

Bibliography Books

Grille, Robin. “Parenting for a Peaceful World”.

Kyosaki, Robert. Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

Patchell-Evans, David, “No Sweat Fitness For The Rest of

US.”2005

Websites

Anisman-Reiner, Victoria. How can what you think and feel affect your health and the way you’re living.

(www.Natural medicine.suite101.com, June 10, 2006).

Davis, Sylvia. Boost Your Emotional Health WebMD Weight Loss Clinic. (www.medicinenet.com, 2007).

Kurtus, Ron. What is Physical Health?

www.school-for-champions.com/health/whatis (Revised-22

September 2002).

www.self-renewal.com 2006.

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Lerche Davis, Jeanie. Stressed Out? Chill Out, to Avoid Stroke, WebMD Medical News Aug. 2, 2001

(www.webmd.com).

Related Articles

Article 1

Complete article referenced in Chapter 2 Emotional Wellness –Boost Your Emotional Health Experts offer 12 steps to emotional wellness.

By Sylvia Davis - WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

* Collect Friends

* Enjoy Solitude

* Get Fit

* Seek Pleasure

* Find a Passion

* Plan for Problems

* Seek Constructive Criticism

* Take Healthy Risks

* Manage Success Well

* Don’t Go It Alone

* Write It Down

* Protect Yourself from ‘Energy Vampires’

You know you need to take care of your physical health, but have you been doing enough to maintain a healthy emotional balance?

Here are 12 tips from the experts for reducing stress, managing negative emotions, and improving your emotional wellness.

1. Collect Friends

You need people, lots of them.

“If you look at all the theories of psychotherapy, people who have a lot of social support are happier,” says Rebecca Curtis, PhD, a professor of psychology at Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y., and director of research at the W.A. White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and psychoanalysis in New York City.

The opposite is true, also. “We all need to be checking out our thoughts with other people, and people get weirder and weirder the more they stay alone,” Curtis says. If the friends-of-friendsof-friends chain reaction that had kept your life stocked with new relationships has fizzled out -- for example, if you have moved to a new place where you don’t know anyone -- try taking a more active role. But instead of trying to chat up folks at the local watering hole, sign up for a class that involves a lot of social interaction.

“It’s easier to meet people if there’s some kind of a structured discussion about a certain subject,” says Muriel James, PhD, psychologist and author of Its Never Too Late to Be Happy.

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2. Enjoy Solitude

This step may seem to contradict the first one, but actually it complements it. Some isolation can be quite healthy.

“The isolation that comes when people have given up on other people is the problem,” Curtis says. Avoid this extreme, but don’t be such a social butterfly that you lose yourself completely. Take time to “sit with your feelings,” Curtis says, without distractions.

Some call this meditation, but it doesn’t have to be done in the lotus position. For example, if you spend an hour alone in the car every day, keep the radio off, and listen to your thoughts instead.

Haven’t got an hour alone? Try a three-minute meditation: close your door, turn off the phone, and then close your eyes. Take deep breaths, focusing on your breath as it goes in and out. If thoughts come to you, just bring yourself back to your breathing. Then think about a beautiful image, a flower, a child’s face; look at every detail. Then, gradually, breathe faster and open your eyes.

3. Get Fit

We’re not saying, “Look fabulous in time for swimsuit season.”

Just get your body moving. Study after study has shown that exercise lifts mood and generally enhances quality of life. I use the phrase go play instead of exercise because, it makes me feel less restricted if I think of exercise as something fun to do instead of cumbersome.

Break any vicious cycles you see happening, which get in the way of adding positive things like exercise to your daily routine.

Booze, cigarettes, overeating, junk food, or all these combined 84

are an impediment to physical activity, and overindulging leads to more of the same.

It’s important for emotional health to maintain your physical health in all the ways you can. So get enough sleep; eat regular, balanced meals; and take time for relaxation as well.

4. Seek Pleasure

This may also seem like a contradiction, but moderation in all things is the message here. Everyone knows that “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Overly rigorous devotion to work drives you batty.

Still, it’s easy to become consumed by your responsibilities and to neglect your own enjoyment of life.

In his book, Your Own Worst Enemy: Breaking the Habit of Adult Underachievement, psychologist Kenneth Christian, PhD, directs readers to add something positive and pleasurable to their life, do it every day, and make it permanent.

5. Find a Passion

If you don’t know what your purpose in life is, start smaller.

“Make a list of things you want to do before you die,” Christian says. Don’t be shy about writing down wild schemes. If your first list is uninspiring, make another one. Keep making lists and look for any recurring themes.

Identifying an interest and pursuing it can develop into a rich and exciting life that you’d never imagined you’d have. “Not all that helps us reach goals is linear,” Christian says. Ask yourself, “What cooks for me?” he says. Once you identify your passion, then you 85

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can put a plan of action in place to live out your passion every day of your life.

6. Plan for Problems

Instead of expecting everything in your life to go smoothly --

some things will, and some definitely won’t -- or worrying about what will happen to you if things go wrong, plan for potential problems.

Some problems blindside us, but others are more predictable.

Muriel James gives an example: If you think you may have to get up in the middle of the night, will you fret about possibly tripping over things in the dark, or will you turn on a night light?

7. Seek Constructive Criticisms

“Often people are doing things to mess themselves up, but they really don’t have a clue of what is going wrong,” Rebecca Curtis says. For example, “They really may not be aware of how they’re acting with people.”

You probably are very charming -- but maybe you are rubbing people the wrong way. Too much self-consciousness can paralyze you socially, but don’t be oblivious to how others perceive you.

The same goes for your work. Don’t be afraid to ask, “Am I doing a good job?”

8. Take Healthy Risks

People need to approach what they feel anxious about,” Curtis says. This doesn’t mean you should force yourself into terrifying situations needlessly. But if you never leave your comfort zone, your life will be all the poorer for it.

9. Manage Success Well

“If at First You Do Succeed, Try Thinking like a Woman,” is the title of a chapter in Reclaiming the Fire: How Successful People Overcome Burnout, by Steven Berglas, PhD.

“Women hold on to relationships with competitors. Men litter the battlefield with corpses,” says Berglas, a psychologist at the John E. Anderson School of Management at UCLA.

Spreading your success around, rather than jealously guarding it, promotes better emotional health by continuing to build your sense of self-worth. “If success ends your ability to build selfesteem, or if you’re not building self-esteem, you’re just resting on it, then you start committing crazy acts,” Berglas says.

People who get bored with their success, he says, “start looking for ways to dare the devil and beat him.” Eventually they lose.

10. Don’t Go It Alone

Psychologists would urge just about everyone to get into therapy.

None of us make it to adulthood emotionally unscathed, and there are mental health experts waiting to help you.

“It’s the 21st century,” Curtis says. “Don’t be a dinosaur and insist on doing it all by yourself.”

11. Write It Down

Identify negative thoughts and don’t let them ambush you, says Judith Orloff, MD, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at UCLA. “Don’t beat yourself up for being stressed, but bring your fears into the open on paper. Make a list of your seven worst fears.”

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Then, she says, make a second list of the things you are grateful for.

Irwin says he did much the same with a family member who was getting down and negative. Parents need to teach children to make a list of positives, too.

Writing the negatives bleeds them of power. They become words on paper.

12. Protect Yourself from ‘Energy Vampires’

The Drama Queen, the Sob Sister, the Constant Talker, and the Blamer – do you know any of these people? Chances are you do. And any of them can wear you out

You need to learn to set boundaries,” Orloff says. “Listen for awhile, and then break off the interchange. People are so afraid to do this. They don’t want to seem impolite. You need to be firm, though kind.”

The same goes for technology, which can be an overwhelming stressor. “People go into despair when their computer breaks (or they forget their cell phone for a day).

“Don’t let your computer hypnotize you. Get outside, at least look outside!”

SOURCES: WebMD Feature: “10 Steps to Emotional Health in 2005.” WebMD Feature: “Spring Break Makeover for the Mind.”

Article 2 - A Workout That Actually Works Your 30-Minute, Tried-and-True Workout

You arrange your schedule and actually get to the gym, only to find yourself overwhelmed by the workout options there. Is it best to do cardio or strength? Machines or mats? You know the basic exercises, but you don’t know how to fit it all together into a routine that works. Of course, a personal trainer could inspire and guide you, but at an average of $50 to $75 an hour, that’s just not something everyone can afford.

What you need is a general workout that can help you stay toned and fit and is adaptable to even the tightest schedules—and we’ve got a great one for you right here! Here’s an example of a 30-minute, all-around workout that combines cardio and strength.

The Cardio (15 minutes)

For this part of the workout, you’re going to be focusing on the RPE or Rate of Perceived Exertion—this just means how intensely you feel you are exercising. Think of 1 as a slow walk in the park, when you’re barely exerting any energy, and think of 10 as so much exertion it feels like you’re going to pass out.

For the cardio exercises, you can pick any activity of your choice, like walking, jogging, biking, or using a treadmill or an elliptical machine.

•

3 minutes: RPE 4

•

2 minutes: RPE 6

•

1 minute: RPE 8

•

2 minutes: RPE 6

•

1 minute: RPE 8

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•

2 minutes: RPE 6

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1 minute: RPE 8

•

3 minutes: RPE 4

The Strength Training (15 minutes)

Complete two sets of 15 repetitions of the following 6 exercises:

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Bicep Curls

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Triceps Extensions

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Push-ups

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Shoulder Presses

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Lunges

•

Squats

All in Your Time

This is great for those times when you’ve got a half hour, but the best thing about this workout routine is its adaptability. You can adjust it for those leisurely days when you want to extend your workout to an hour or for those days when you’re so pressed for time that all you can afford is 15 minutes.

To adjust these exercises for more or less time, just increase or decrease the amount of time on each interval of cardio exercises, as well as the repetitions of strength exercises.

No matter who you are or what your level of fitness is, this is a general workout routine for you—one that can keep you energized and feeling your best.

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Article 3

First Steps to Spiritual Growth: How to have meaningful time with God by Rick Warren

(Condensed from his book, Dynamic Bible Study Methods) Once you go about having one? You may be motivated to do it but may not know how. You need to consider four essentials elements of a good quiet time:

Start with the proper attitudes.

Select a specific time.

Choose a special place.

Follow a simple plan.

START WITH THE PROPER ATTITUDES

In God’s eyes, why you do something is far more important than what you do. On one occasion God told Samuel, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7, NIV*) It is quite possible to do the right thing but with the wrong attitude. This was Amaziah’s problem, for he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord but not wholeheartedly. (2

Chronicles 25:2) When you come to meet with God in the quiet time, you should have these proper attitudes: 1.

Expectancy - Come before God with anticipation and eagerness. Expect to have a good time of fellowship with Him and receive a blessing from your time together. That 92

was what David expected: “O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek you.” (Psalm 63:1)

Reverence - Don’t rush into God’s presence, but prepare your heart by being still before Him and letting the quietness clear away the thoughts of the world. Listen to the prophet Habakkuk: “The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.” (Habakkuk 2:20; see also Psalm 89:7) Coming into the presence of the Lord is not like going to a football game or some other form of entertainment.

Alertness - Get wide-awake first. Remember that you are meeting with the Creator, the Maker of heaven and earth, and the Redeemer of men. Be thoroughly rested and alert. The best preparation for a quiet time in the morning begins the night before. Get to bed early so you will be in good shape to meet God in the morning; He deserves your full attention.

Willingness to obey - This attitude is crucial: you don’t come to your quiet time to choose what you will do or not do, but with the purpose of doing anything and everything that God wants you to do. Jesus said, “If anyone chooses to do God’s will he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” (John 7:17) So come to meet the Lord having already chosen to do His will no matter what.

SELECT A SPECIFIC TIME

The specific time has to do with when you should have your quiet time and how long it should be. The general rule is this: 93

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The best time is when you are at your best! Give God the best part of your day - when you are the freshest and most alert.

Don’t try to serve God with your leftovers (leftover time).

Remember, too, that your best time may be different from someone else’s. For most of us, however, early in the morning seems to be the best time. It was Jesus’ own practice to rise early to pray and meet with the Father: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.” (Mark 1:35) Throughout church history many Christians who were used most by God met with Him early in the morning. Hudson Taylor said,

“You don’t tune up the instruments after the concert is over.

That’s stupid. It’s logical to tune them up before you start.” The great revival among British college students in the late 19th century began those historic words: “Remember the Morning Watch!” So we need to tune ourselves up at the start of each day as we remember the Morning Watch. If Jesus is really in first place in our lives, we ought to give Him the first part of our day.

We are to seek His Kingdom first (see Matthew 6:33). Doctors tell us that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. It often determines our energy levels, alertness, and even moods for the day. Likewise, we need a “spiritual breakfast” to start our day off right.

Finally, in the morning our minds are uncluttered from the day’s activities. Our thoughts are fresh, we’re rested; tensions have not yet come on us, and it’s usually the quietest time. One mother sets her alarm clock for 4 a.m., has her quiet time, goes back to bed, and then rises when everyone else in the household gets up. Her explanation is that with kids around the house all day, early 94

morning is the only time when it is quiet and she can be alone with God. It works for her; you need to select a time that will work for you. You might even consider having two quiet times (morning and night). Dawson Trotman, founder of the Navigators, used to have code letters for his night quiet time: HWLW. Whenever he was with a group of people at night or home with his wife and the conversation seemed to be ending, he would say, “All right, HWLW.” HWLW stood for “His Word the Last Word;” and he practiced that through the years as a way of ending a day with one’s thoughts fixed on the Lord (Betty Lee Skinner, Daws, Zondervan, 1974, p. 103). Stephen Olford, a great Christian and minister in New York for many years, said,

“I want to hear the voice of God before I hear anyone else’s in the morning, and His is the last voice I want to hear at night.”

David and Daniel even met with the Lord three times each day (see Psalm 55:17; Daniel 6:10).

Whatever time you set, be consistent in it. Schedule it on your calendar; make an appointment with God as you would with anyone else. Make a date with Jesus! Then look forward to it and don’t stand Him up. A stood-up date is not a pleasant experience for us, and Jesus does not like to be stood up either. So make a date with Him and keep it at all costs. The question is often asked, “How much time should I spend with the Lord?” If you’ve never had a consistent quiet time before, you may want to start with seven minutes (Robert D. Foster, Seven Minutes with God, NavPress, 1997) and let it grow naturally. You should aim to eventually spend not less than 15 minutes a day with the Lord.

Out of 168 hours we all have during a given week, 1 hour and 45

minutes seems terribly small when you consider that you were 95

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created to have fellowship with God. Here are some additional guidelines:

Don’t try for a two-hour quiet time at first. You’ll only get discouraged. You must grow in this

relationship as you

do in any other. So begin with a consistent seven minutes and let it grow; it’s better to be consistent with a short time than to meet for an hour every other week.

Don’t watch the clock. Clock-watching can ruin your quiet time faster than almost anything else. Decide what

you can do in the Word and prayer during the time you

have selected; then do it. Sometimes it will take longer than you have set aside and sometimes less time. But don’t keep looking at your watch.

Don’t emphasize on quantity, emphasize on quality.

There is nothing super spiritual about have a two-hour quiet

time. It’s what you do during your time - 15 minutes or two hours or anything in between - that’s important. Aim for a quality relationship with the Lord.

CHOOSE A SPECIAL PLACE

The location where you have your quiet time is also important.

The Bible indicates that Abraham had a regular place where he met with God (Genesis 19:27). Jesus had a custom of praying in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed Him.” (Luke 22:39, emphasis added) Your place ought to be a secluded place. This is a place where you can be alone, where it’s 96

quiet, and where you will not be disturbed or interrupted. In today’s noisy Western World, this may take some ingenuity, but it is necessary. It ought to be a place where you can pray aloud without disturbing others; where you have good lighting for reading (a desk, perhaps); where you are comfortable.

(WARNING: Do not have your quiet time in bed. That’s too comfortable!)

.Your place ought to be a special place. Wherever you decide to meet with the Lord, make it a special place for you and Him. As the days go by, that place will come to mean a lot to you because of the wonderful times you have there with Jesus Christ. Your place ought to be a sacred place. This is where you meet with the living God. Where you meet the Lord can be just as holy as the place where Abraham met God. You don’t have to be in a church building. People have had their quiet times in their cars parked in a quiet place, in an empty closet at home, in their backyards, and even in a baseball dugout. Each of these places has become sacred to them.

FOLLOW A SIMPLE PLAN

Someone has said, “If you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it!” To have a meaningful quiet time, you will need a plan or some kind of general outline to follow. The main rule is this: Keep your plan simple. You will need the following three items for your planned quiet times: A Bible - a contemporary translation (not a paraphrase) with good print, preferably without notes.

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A notebook for writing down what the Lord shows you, and for making a prayer list.

A hymnbook - sometimes you may want to sing in your praise time (see Colossians 3:16).

1. Wait on God (Relax). Be still for a minute; don’t come running into God’s presence and start talking immediately.

Follow God’s admonition: “Be still and know that I am God.”

(Psalm 46:10; see also Isaiah 30:15; 40:31) Be quiet for a short while to put yourself into a reverent mood.

2. Pray briefly (Request). This is not your prayer time, but a short opening prayer to ask God to cleanse your heart and guide you into the time together.

Two good passages of Scripture to memorize are:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24; see also 1 John 1:9)

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law

[the Word].” (Psalm 119:18; see also John 16:13) You need to be in tune with the Author before you can understand His Book!

3. Read a section of the Scripture (Read). This is where your conversation with God begins. He speaks to you through His Word, and you speak with Him in prayer.

Read your Bible slowly. Done Repeatedly. Read a passage over and over until you start to picture it in your mind. The reason more people don’t get more out of their Bible reading is that they do not read the Scriptures repeatedly.

Without stopping. Don’t stop in the middle of a sentence to go off on a tangent and do a doctrinal study. Just read that section for the pure joy of it, allowing God to speak to you.

Remember that your goal here is not to gain information, but to feed on the Word and get to know Christ better.

Aloud but quietly. Reading it aloud will improve your concentration, if you have that problem. It will also help you understand what you are reading better because you will be both seeing and hearing what you are reading. Read softly enough, however, so that you won’t disturb anyone.

Systematically. Read through a book at a time in an orderly method. Do not use the “random dip” method - a passage here, a chapter there, what you like here, an interesting portion there. You’ll understand the Bible better if you read it as it was written - a book or letter at a time. To get a sweep of a book. On some occasions you may want to survey a whole book. In that case you will read it quickly to get a sweep of the total revelation.

Then you need not read it slowly or repeatedly.

4. Meditate and memorize (Reflect and Remember). In order to have the Scriptures speak to you meaningfully, you should meditate on what you are reading and memorize verses that particularly speak to you. Meditation is

“seriously contemplating a thought over and over in your mind.” Out of your meditation you might select and memorize a verse that is particularly meaningful to you.

5. Write down what God has shown you (Record). When God speaks to you through His Word, record what you 99

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have discovered. Writing it down will enable you both to remember what God revealed to you and to check up on your biblical discoveries. Recording what God has shown you is the way of applying what you see in the Scripture that pertains to your life.

6. Have your time of prayer (Request). After God has spoken to you through His Word, speak to Him in prayer.

This is your part of the conversation with the Lord.

CONCLUSION

What if you miss a day? Don’t worry about it if it only happens occasionally. Don’t go on a guilt trip. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

(Romans 8:1, NIV) Don’t get legalistic because missing one day does not make it a flop. BUT don’t give up. If you miss a meal, it does not mean that you should give up eating because you’re inconsistent. You simply eat a little more at the next meal and go on from there. This same principle is true with your quiet time. Psychologists tell us that it usually takes three weeks to get familiar with some new task or habit; it takes another three weeks before it becomes a habit. The reason why many people are not successful in their quiet times is because they have never made it past that six-week barrier. For your quiet time to become a habit, you must have had one daily for at least six weeks. William James had a famous formula for developing a habit (Selected Papers on Philosophy, E. P. Dutton & Co., 2000, pp. 60-62): 1. Make a strong resolution (vow). You must always start with a strong initiative. If you begin halfheartedly, you’ll never make it. Make a public declaration by telling others about your decision.

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2. Never allow an exception to occur until the new habit is securely rooted in your life. A habit is like a ball of twine.

Every time you drop it, many strands are unwound. So never allow the “just this once” to occur. The act of yielding weakens the will and strengthens the lack of self-control.

3. Seize every opportunity and inclination to practice your new habit. Whenever you get the slightest urge to practice your new habit, do it right then. Don’t wait, but use every opportunity to reinforce your habit. It does not hurt to overdo a new habit when you are first starting. To these suggestions I would add one more:

4. Rely on the power of God. When it is all said and done, you must realize that you are in a spiritual battle, and you can only succeed by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. So pray that God will strengthen you and depend on Him to help you develop this habit for His glory. __________________ If you have been convinced that this is what you need to do, would you pray the following:

A PRAYER OF COMMITMENT

“Lord I commit myself to spending a definite time with you every day, no matter what the cost. I am depending on your strength to help me to be consistent.” This article was adapted from Dynamic Bible Study Methods (Chariot Victor Books, 1989) by Rick Warren. *All scripture references from the New International Version.

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You may use this study guide for yourself or share it with friends, but please keep the copyright information within the document, and please don’t sell it.

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Daily Affirmations

Say these affirmations every day and you will notice a change in your thinking as well as a change in your life. o I am happy, healthy and whole. o

I will have a gift driven

life. o I am a money magnet, I like money and money likes me.

I am abundant in every good way.

I love and approve of myself exactly as I am.

I am deeply fulfilled by all that I do. o I deserve the best

and I accept the best, now.

I am open and receptive to all the good and abundance in the universe.

I know I am worthwhile. It is safe for me to succeed. Life loves me.

I am peaceful with all of my emotions. I love and approve of myself.

I breathe freely and fully, I am safe, I trust the process of life.

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Money gives me choices and choices give me opportunities. o I will act as if it were impossible to fail.

I will own my own DESTINY.

I will protect my dreams at all cost.

I am whatever I choose and I will put myself in a constant state of joy.

I am competent in every area of my life.

I am creating my own DESTINY.

Quotations

“Begin to free yourself at once by doing all that is possible with the means you have, and as you proceed in this spirit the way will open for you to do more.” Robert Collier It’s how you deal with failure that determines how you achieve success.” David Feherty

“A champion is someone who gets up when

he can’t.” Jack Dempsey

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“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” Epictetus

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams; live the life you’ve imagined” Henry David Thoreau

“The major reason for setting a goal is what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get.” Jim Rohn

Appendix

Physical Wellness Assessment The physical dimension involves encouraging regular activities that produce endurance, flexibility and strength.

Feel free to print this page and take the test.

Read each statement carefully and respond honestly by using the following scoring:

Almost always =

2 points

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Sometimes/occasionally = 1 point

Very seldom =

0 point

_____ 1. I exercise aerobically (vigorous, continuous) for 20 to 30 minutes at least three times per week.

_____ 2. I eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains every day.

_____ 3. I avoid tobacco products.

_____ 4. I wear a seat belt while riding in and driving a car.

_____ 5. I deliberately minimize my intake of cholesterol, dietary fats, and oils.

_____ 6. I avoid drinking alcoholic beverages or I consume no more than one drink per day.

_____ 7. I get an adequate amount of sleep.

_____ 8. I have adequate coping mechanisms for dealing with stress.

_____ 9. I maintain a regular schedule of immunizations, physical and dental checkups (including Pap smears and blood pressure and cholesterol checks), and monthly selfexams of breasts or testicles.

_____ 10. I maintain a reasonable weight, avoiding extremes of overweight and underweight.

_______ Total for Physical Wellness Dimension Score:

15 to 20 Points - Excellent strength in this dimension.

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Score:

9 to 14 Points - There is room for

improvement. Look again at the items in which you scored 1 or 0. What changes can you make to improve your score?

Score: 0 to 8 Points - This dimension needs a lot of work. Look again at this dimension and

challenge yourself to begin making small steps toward growth here. Re member: The goal is balanced wellness.

Spiritual Wellness Assessment

The spiritual dimension of wellness involves seeking meaning and purpose in one’s life.

Feel free to print this page and take the test.

Read each statement carefully and respond honestly by using the following scoring:

Almost always =

2 points

Sometimes/occasionally =

1 point

Very seldom =

0 points

_____ 1. I feel comfortable and at ease with my spiritual life.

_____ 2. There is a direct relationship between my personal values and daily actions.

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_____ 3. When I get depressed or frustrated by problems, my spiritual beliefs and values give me direction.

_____ 4. Prayer, meditation, and/or quiet personal reflection is/are important in my life.

_____ 5. Life is meaningful for me, and I feel a purpose in life.

_____ 6. I am able to speak comfortably about my personal values and beliefs.

_____ 7. I am consistently striving to grow spiritually and I see it as a lifelong process.

_____ 8. I am tolerant of and try to learn about others’ beliefs and values.

_____ 9. I have a strong sense of hope and optimism in my life and use my thoughts and attitudes in life-affirming ways.

_____ 10. I appreciate the natural forces that exist in the universe.

_______ Total for Spiritual Wellness Dimension Score:

15 to 20 Points - Excellent strength in this dimension.

Score:

9 to 14 Points - There is room for

improvement. Look again at the items in which you scored 1 or 0. What changes

can you make to improve your score?

Score:

0 to 8 Points - This dimension needs a lot of work. Look again at this dimension and

challenge yourself to begin making small steps toward growth here. Remember: The

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goal is balanced wellness.

Emotional Wellness Assessment

The emotional dimension involves recognizing, accepting and taking responsibility for your feelings.

Feel free to print this page and take the test.

Read each statement carefully and respond honestly by using the following scoring:

Almost always =

2 points

Sometimes/occasionally = 1 point

Very seldom =

0 point

_____ 1. I am able to develop and maintain close relationships.

_____ 2. I accept the responsibility for my actions.

_____ 3. I see challenges and change as opportunities for growth.

_____ 4. I feel I have considerable control over my life.

_____ 5. I am able to laugh at life and myself.

_____ 6. I feel good about myself.

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_____ 7. I am able to appropriately cope with stress and tension and make time for leisure pursuits.

_____ 8. I am able to recognize my personal shortcomings and learn from my mistakes.

_____ 9. I am able to recognize and express my feelings.

_____ 10. I enjoy life.

_______ Total for Emotional Wellness Dimension Score:

15 to 20 Points - Excellent strength in this dimension.

Score:

9 to 14 Points - There is room for

improvement. Look again at the items in

which you scored 1 or 0. What changes can you make to improve your score?

Score:

0 to 8 Points - This dimension needs a lot of work. Look again at this dimension and

challenge yourself to begin making mall steps toward growth here. Remember: The goal is balanced wellness.

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Environmental Wellness Assessment

The environmental dimension involves accepting the impact we have on our world and doing something about it.

Feel free to print this page and take the test.

Read each statement carefully and respond honestly by using the following scoring:

Almost always =

2 points

Sometimes/occasionally = 1 point

Very seldom =

0 point

_____ 1. I consciously conserve energy (electricity, heat, light, water, etc.) in my place of residence.

_____ 2. I practice recycling (glass, paper, plastic, etc.) _____ 3. I am committed to cleaning up the environment (air, soil, water, etc.)

_____ 4. I consciously carpool; ride a bicycle, walk, etc. in order to conserve fuel energy and to lessen the pollution in the atmosphere.

_____ 5. I limit the use of fertilizers and chemicals when managing my yard/lawn/outdoor living space.

_____ 6. I do not use aerosol sprays.

_____ 7. I do not litter.

_____ 8. I volunteer my time for environmental conservation projects.

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_____ 9. I purchase recycled items when possible, even if they cost more.

_____ 10. I feel very strongly about doing my part to preserve the environment.

_______ Total for Environmental Wellness Dimension Score:

15 to 20 Points - Excellent strength in this dimension.

Score:

9 to 14 Points - There is room for

improvement. Look again at the items in which you scored 1 or 0. What changes

can you make to improve your score?

Score:

0 to 8 Points - This dimension needs a lot of work. Look again at this dimension and challenge yourself to begin making small steps toward growth here. Remember: The goal is balanced wellness.

Intellectual Wellness Assessment

The intellectual dimension involves embracing creativity and mental stimulation.

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Feel free to print this page and take the test.

Read each statement carefully and respond honestly by using the following scoring:

Almost always =

2 points

Sometimes/occasionally = 1 point

Very seldom =

0 points

_____ 1. I am interested in learning new things.

_____ 2. I try to keep abreast of current affairs - locally, nationally, and internationally.

_____ 3. I enjoy attending special lectures, plays, musical performances, museums, galleries, and/or libraries.

_____ 4. I carefully select movies and television programs.

_____ 5. I enjoy creative and stimulating mental activities/ games.

_____ 6. I am happy with the amount and variety that I read.

_____ 7. I make an effort to improve my verbal and written skills.

_____ 8. A continuing education program is/will be important to me in my career.

_____ 9. I am able to analyze, synthesize, and see more than one side of an issue.

_____ 10. I enjoy engaging in intellectual discussions.

_______ Total for Intellectual Wellness Dimension Score:

15 to 20 Points - Excellent strength in this 113

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dimension.

Score:

9 to 14 Points - There is room for

improvement. Look again at the items in which you scored 1 or 0. What changes

can you make to improve your score?

Score:

0 to 8 Points - This dimension needs a lot of work. Look again at this dimension and

challenge yourself to begin making small steps toward growth here.

Remember: The goal is balanced wellness.

Financial Wellness Assessment

If you’re looking to improve your financial fitness this year, it’s important to first understand how you’re already doing. The following will help you understand how you’re doing financially, and where you can improve.

1. What percentage of your income do you save each month a. 10 percent or more

b. Less than 10 percent

c. None

2. How often do you use a monthly budget to track and plan your spending?

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a. Almost always

b. Sometimes

c. Never

3. When you make a purchase using a credit card, how quickly do you usually pay off the entire balance?

a. Immediately or before the end of the month b. Between one and three months

c. I usually carry a balance from month to month d. How many times during the last six months have you paid a bill late?

a. None

b. One to five

c. Six or more

e. Most of your major purchases are…

a …planned in advance, with money set aside to cover them

b …planned even though the funds aren’t always there to pay for them c

…unplanned or spontaneous

f. If you needed to come up with money quickly to pay for a major home repair or an emergency, what source would you use?

a. Funds already on hand

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b. Funds from available credit

c. No funds available without

establishing credit

g. If you lost your job or main source of income, how long could you provide for your basic needs and meet your financial obligations?

a. Three or more months

b. One to two months

c. Less than one month

h. The insurance I have to cover the loss of major assets including real estate, autos and personal property is…

a …enough to cover replacement costs

b …less than enough to cover replacement costs c …unsure or don’t have coverage

i. When was the last time you reviewed and adjusted your retirement plan?

a Within the last year

b In the last five years

c I don’t have any savings for retirement j. When you think about your ability to meet future financial obligations, you feel…

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a …completely at ease

b …moderately concerned

c …very concerned

Give yourself five points for each time you answered “a,”

three points for each “b,” and one point for each “c,” then total your score. If you scored between 40 and 50, you’re in great financial shape. If you scored between 20 and 39, you are off to a good start, but could still address some weaker areas. If you scored below 20, you need to rethink your financial plan, and make some big changes.

Regardless of how you scored, now is a great time to sit down and examine your financial situation. Write down your financial goals, and develop a plan of how to accomplish each one.

The above assessments are provided as a starting point for your wellness journey. Use them to help you define a plan of action as you move toward total wellness and life fulfillment.

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Healthy Tips

Science has shown that having a TV or computer in your bedroom interferes with sleep. Even when they are turned off, they emit a negative sound and disrupt sleep and energy levels. Bedrooms should be a place of peaceful retreat to support quality sleep.

Learn to laugh. Laughter is a powerful medicine that helps us develop better perspectives during stressful situations.

A sound nutrition and exercise plan is among the most important factors in reducing stress levels.

The key to attaining better health is to develop a strategy to incorporate healthy decisions into daily life.

To reduce your current weight by one pound a week, you need to reduce your daily intake of calories by 500 per day 3,500 calories per week). An effective way to do this is to combine a reduction in calories with an increase in physical activity.

Being aware of how you want to feel in any activity makes it more likely that you will perform well and enjoy the activity, make it a positive experience.

Making positive lifestyle changes can add years to your life. One study of Harvard alumni found that 118

those who stopped smoking lowered their mortality rate by 41%. Those who began a moderately vigorous exercise program lowered their mortality rate by 23%.

Science has now proven that people who are happier live longer than people who are not. Happy people also have fewer illnesses and make more money.

If you find it difficult to exercise for 30-minutes or more each day, just do five or ten minutes. Often you’ll find it difficult to quit once you get started.

Listening to music can be a great stress reducer. One study showed that cardiology patients who listened to classical music for 30 minutes produced calming effects equivalent to a 10-mg dose of Valium.

Visualize with feeling everyday about the person you want to become. See yourself as being that person NOW. Your brain will take what you visualize and help you create it.

A power down hour will help ensure a good night’s sleep. One hour before bedtime, prepare your body for rest. Spend 20 minutes doing light chores that must be done so you will sleep better (pack book bags, make lunches, do NOT do heavy cleaning), spend 20 minutes on personal hygiene and 20 minutes reading or meditating.

If you only have 30 minutes, do each of these activities for 10 minutes.

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Good Reasons to Exercise

1. Increases your self-confidence and self- esteem 2. Helps you sleep better

3. Strengthens your immune system

4. Gives you more energy

5. Burns up extra calories

6. Tones and firms your muscles

7. Lifts your spirits

8. Builds strength

9. Improves endurance

10. Improves your appetite for healthy food 11. Increases your metabolic rate

12. Strengthens the heart

13. Helps prevent heart disease

14. Improves blood flow to the body

15. Improves efficiency in breathing

16. Lowers risk of death from cancer

17. Alleviates depression

18. Invigorates the body and mind

19. Reduces illness

20. Helps you live longer

There are so many more reasons to exercise; this is just a starting point. Remember we were created to move, it’s just that SIMPLE!

Resources

Be In Good Health by Cee Cee H. Caldwell - HTML preview

Chapter 10

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