Harvard Club Message

Yesterday, as we flew down the Hudson, and NYC began to build I could feel my excitement grow.  Today I will wave the MD Anderson, National Wellness, and worksite wellness flags at the Harvard Club in the heart of midtown Manhattan at an event for CEOs.  My message will be simple; worksite wellness is a business sustainability strategy that works!  Companies all over the world are at a tipping point where their employees are more stressed out, older, sicker, fatter, and costing more.  But wellness offers a solution that goes beyond ROI.  Wellness is about individuals being more responsible, accountable, and committed to healthier lives, which translates into being more productive at work and having the energy to have a life after work. 

https://www.hcny.com/

More Alive

Yesterday, John from the nurse counseling center and I shared a table at the nurse recruitment fair. What I remember most was the student nurse from the Ukraine. She briefly talked about her concerns for the safety of her family. She shared her feelings in a way that you knew she was scared, but had faith. You could see it in her eyes, and feel it in her words. How many times have I agonized over life pain, but stayed away from the feelings that linger like wounds and never heal. I walked to my bicycle awed by the experience that had opened me up to feelings around possibilities unfolding, and rode home in the cold wind feeling so much more alive. Today, be more alive through your feelings.

Rhythm of Your Soul

This weekend we had a list of errands to complete, and Sunday with half the list complete we headed out with 4 stops and the GPS voice as our guide.  Mid-afternoon we were in the green store New Living; MaryBeth was picking out paint, and I was trying out organic mattresses.  When we left the store both of us had trouble remembering what was next.  We’d rushed through our list all weekend getting lots done as we hurried on to each next moment, but getting more out of flow with each new step.  Melody Beattie in her book, Journey to the Heart, reminds us that hurry never catches up with itself; it only adds strain and stress to moments we race blindly past never getting to enjoy.  This week, step to the rhythm of your soul.      

Ignite a New You

Wednesday, I served on the faculty of the Cultural Competency course held at MD Anderson and spoke about whole person living; living a life of happiness, engagement, and a life of meaning.  I told my story about breaking my back and lying in the hospital for 6 months, watching the man across the hall lose his legs, and making a promise to myself that if I ever walked again, somehow I’d give back.  That decision drove me to graduate school, and many of the choices I’ve made in my wellness career.  Not everyone has an igniting experience that drives them through their lives, but we all need to feel like we make a difference, and our life has meaning.  Consider how you make a difference in the lives of others this weekend, and ignite a new you!

Life Takes Time to Live

She looked up as we passed and said, “It’s cold again!”  We had just parked; she was a nurse and was headed for the hospital several streets over.  Her greeting got me thinking of how life is made up of places we’ve been, and the unknown.  For some the unknown becomes a small grain of doubt or fear, which grows into an anxiety that takes over their lives.  Mark Nepo in his book, The Exquisite Risk, tells us, “Life takes time to live”, and as a cancer survivor I’ve learned my hardest job is to let the unknown of my journey just unfold.  Patience weaves a peace in my journey that gives my life unexpected joy and wholeness.  Today, find joy in the moment and the way things are. 

Moments of Love

She knew I worked at MD Anderson, so had ask me to visit a friend.  He was dying and his eyes were scared.  For several years he’d been in and out of emergency rooms for what he described as too much food and drink, but this time it was different.  Tears streamed down his face as he finished his story, shut his eyes, and just cried.  When he opened his eyes I could tell he’d known all along, he just didn’t want to believe it was there.  We’ve all been there, knowing the truth, but unwilling or too scared to accept it.  She called me months later; he’d died at home surrounded by friends accepting the moment and their love.  Today, be open to moments of love. 

Soul Work

Yesterday, I had lunch with my grandkids and then we played trucks and fire engines; it’s the kind of soul work that always makes me laugh and smile.  Jon Kabat-Zinn, talks about soul work as the process of drinking at the life stream.  But you can’t drink and be nourished by your life stream if you’re not present.  Our thoughts constantly distract us from life as we live in our protective autopilot modes.  My youngest grandchild is 15 months and starting to pick up words from his big brother.  Eagerly he waits as we play with the big dump truck, and finally says, “My turn”.  Today, when it’s your turn to drink from the life stream be mindfully present for this moment won’t happen again.