How To Cultivate Your Spiritual Well-Being

In my opinion, family belongs at the top of the list when it comes to cultivating physical health and spiritual well-being. Because it is such a critical component to the development of a well balanced life, I believe that your attitude about family is more important than your DNA and genetic disposition!

There's a story in the book of Matthew that discusses this topic:

While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Matthew 12:46-50, King James Version

This story reflects the fact that your family can be as large as your heart's capacity for adoption! We all need people to share in the simple activities that constitute everyday life, but how do you meet the need for family when kids grow up and move far, far from home?

When you find yourself in an empty nest, grandpa passes on or mom re-marries and moves to the other side of the country, it's important to be able to develop relationships that are "like family."

I know what it's like to live thousands of miles away from my own family, so I understand the deep sense of aloneness that can be overwhelming at times. I've also discovered the joy of friendships that have developed into relationships that meet my needs for mother, father, sisters and brothers... Lunch with friends offers the opportunity to share more than good food. Time spent with someone who loves you is good for your spirit, and what's good for your spirit is good for your heart!

Connie Walcott, It's Official (c) 2009 All Rights Reserved

Good nutrition is essential to a heart smart lifestyle. I have been guilty of drinking too much caffeine and consuming too much junk food, so I know the difference it makes when you choose to begin to make smarter choices about your food consumption.

It's nice to drive up to the window of a fast food restaurant and have someone hand you a quick dinner, but the lack of nutritional value is a costly reality when it comes to cultivating and maintaining your good health.

It requires intentional strategies to take control of your eating habits, but the impact on your health is well worth the effort to take charge of what goes into your mouth! Dinner for one is a challenge at the end of a long work day, so I learned to take advantage of slow cooking. Did you know that you can prepare turkey drumsticks in the crockpot? Yup, you can... and trust me, they are delicious!

Simply add a quick vegetable and some freshly chopped salad... dinner for one is done, and you'll have enough leftovers to pack your lunch the next day. Taking good care of "You" is important, so feeding yourself well is an essential ingredient to developing a healthier lifestyle.

I love every kind of crafting imaginable, as well as creative writing and social networking. I spent many years as a complete work-a-holic, so I had to learn to think of my hobbies in terms of "fun" rather than thinking about how to develop everything into a business!

I still struggle with separating my work from my play, but I am learning! Quilting, drawing, painting and sewing are some of my favorite hobbies, and I enjoy them so much more when I engage in them for pure pleasure, and as a means of expressing my creative nature.

I've tried numerous work at home opportunities that nearly destroyed my love for sewing, but I have finally learned to nurture my spirit through my love for the arts. It's been a completely liberating experience, and I'm thankful for the new understanding!

Putting your thoughts on paper can be one of the best problem solving activities you may ever discover! Journaling offers a safe and private way to process your most chaotic thoughts and emotions. Tongues don't have erasers, so paper can be your best avenue of purging your soul without inflicting injury on innocent bystanders!

Creating your own journals can be another way to help you channel the creative energy that is often buried beneath a mountain of your chaotic thoughts and emotions!

Everyone needs someone that can be trusted when we are in our most vulnerable emotional states. Knowing that someone has your back when you are hurting can be one of the most healing realities you will ever encounter. Complete acceptance in a time of weakness is the sign of a person who loves you as you are... even when you aren't at your very best!

Find the person who celebrates your strenths, forbears your weaknessess, and can be counted on to prevent anyone from kicking you while you are down. Find that person, and never, ever let them go!

The right person will hold you when you need them, but they'll also goad you when you need them. I tend to isolate when I'm stressed, so I'm thankful for the friends who can be counted on to drag me out of my shell and help me get myself back into the land of the living!

You may have noticed that my experiences include a lot of reference to dark emotions and chaotic thinking. Cultivating happiness has been a healing journey for me, but emotional pain has also been my best teacher when it comes to learning how to lighten up and enjoy my life.

The tables of my life have turned, and I am now celebrating the fact that I've always been the biggest chicken in the neighborhood. Clara is the mascot for my website, but you may not be fully aware of the significance of this great big chicken.

Clara is made from a pair of sweatpants I was given while I was "living" in a homeless shelter a few years ago. I've learned a lot about healing arts, and Clara has become the face of my new way ot thinking. She's cute, and sassy and fun... and I love her! I intend to utilize the story of her creation as the vehicle for the story books, curriculum and artwork that have been born through my experiences with homelessness, domestic violence and mental illness.

As you can see, I really did need to learn to lighten up, but I'm delighted to tell you that I'm well on the road to a complete recovery!

I highly recommend dancing, singing, movies and photography. I love to sing, and my favorite recreational activities are always accompanied by music! I can't begin to emphasize the importance of recreation when you are working on culitivating happiness.

All work and no play will cause you to become grumpy, angry, lonely and tired. Recreation is critical for recovering workaholics. I had to learn this lesson the hard way, but at least I finally did learn! I finally discovered the value of play time, so my task now is to be sure that I make time for play time!

Bowling, movies, trips to the library and visiting the zoo are some of my favorite recreational activities. I also love to take pictures, so I spend a lot of time shooting pictures that I can add to my lenses at Squidoo! As you can see, social networking has become one of my favorite recreational activities.

I spent many years recovering from the whirlwind of bi-polar disorder. My discoveries about rest, recreation and proper nutrition are all based in my episodes of rapid cycling mania and depression. There were times that I wouldn't be able to sleep for 10 days at a time... followed by the inevitable 10 days of not being able to get out of bed!

Balance is critical when it comes to nurturing a healthy spirit and developing a properly functioning metabolism.

After many years of turmoil, I have finally come to a place of balance that is helping to bring stability and productivity to my life! Can you begin to understand how exciting that is for me? I am experiencing a deep sense of personal accomplishment and immeasurable gratitude for the grace that has led me to this place of spiritual peace!

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jeremiah 29:11, King James Version)

Vacation provides a renewal that can only be birthed through the lens of a geographically fresh perspective. My visit to The Holy Land Experience in Florida filled me with a new sense of purpose and destiny that I could not have experienced otherwise.

Time away from your usual routine is priceless when you need a fresh dose of inspiration and optomism. I highly recommend that you visit The Holy Land Experience. The park is filled with fun things to do and see... even if you aren't particulary spiritual!

Work consumes a large portion of one's time, so it's important to engage in a work that nurtures your spirit... as well as meeting the needs of your family budget. After many years of unsuccessful attempts to overcome my health challenges, I'm delighted to tell you that order and stability has finally been restored to my life, and I am serving as a Board Member at Home On The Way Ministries in Phoenix, Arizona.

I love my role as chief sifter, sorter and color coder for a group of people who love others, love Jesus... and they love me and Clara! We've been officially adopted and we couldn't be happier!

I invite you to visit their lens to learn more about how we help the homeless in Phoenix, Arizona. So you see, my life has now come full circle... my heart is still fixed on Jesus, and my spirit is soaring like the eagle. Not to mention the fact that I get to tell you the story in direct response to the most recent challenge at Squidoo!

I love it when a plan comes together, don't you?

Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. (Isaiah 3:10, King James Version)