Heart and Sole

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Heart and Sole
Summer- Fall 1999

Reflexology . . . .

A Relaxation Break and More

For this newsletter, my goal has been to present ideas and/or reminders to encourage us to take some time for relaxation and slow the pace of life down. Today people of all ages or sex -- are seeking ways to reduce stress and to become more relaxed. Reflexology is a powerful antidote for stress.

The feet literally are the foundations of the body. We often take them for granted and pay little attention to their needs. The average American takes 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day, logging about 115,000 miles in a lifetime. Although we use our feet mostly for walking, they also support or carry our body when we are standing, running, climbing, descending or jumping.

If you or someone you know needs a relaxation break, or to be nice to a part of the body that does so much for them, why not consider Reflexology? It is a wonderful way to give yourself a relaxation break and more.

Solitude

Still, tranquil solitude is an increasingly rare commodity these days, invaded by cell phones, beepers, CNN and other modern conveniences. Many times we think solitude is something achieved only in some remote wilderness.

Solitude can be found just by putting ourselves in situations where we need not worry about social interactions or expectations. By being alone, we're freed from being accountable to anyone or concerned about how we're perceived.

Many books, web sites and magazines are devoted to telling how to get life back to the
basics and to live simply. In order to have a more simple life, most
advise to take more time for solitude or contemplation.

Why is Solitude Important?

1. It allows us time to reflect, contemplate important questions, sort things out and enjoy a more open-minded perspective. Have you ever been deep in thought when suddenly the answer to a challenging situation will suddenly just come into view?

2. It gives us time to daydream, and give free rein to our imagination and aspirations. “You begin to know yourself, how you feel, and what you think about where you are in life”, says Jeffery Kottler, Ph D, professor of counseling at Texas Tech University.

3. “Solitude gives us the chance to restore coping resources, to rest and to replenish energy,” explains University of British Columbia psychologist Peter Suefeld, Ph.D.

5. It allows time for natural creativity in all of us--the sudden and slow insights, bursts, and gentle bubbles of imagination is found as a result of alonetime.

Solitude allows us to emerge with new discoveries, to unearth original answers. It is like fertilizer to the seeds of our imagination. Let’s make time for solitude and watch as the
blossom in our life transforms into a radiant, beautiful flower. It will be a flower we will enjoy and others in our life will enjoy too.

Heart Thoughts

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, or even toughed. They are felt with the heart.

There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart, Pursue those.

Balance the
Scale

Busy or Idle

Have you noticed how many times a day you say or hear the word busy? A radio commentator said busy is probably one of the most heard words today. After hearing this broadcast, I became aware of the number of times I use or hear the word used, and his statement has merit.
His comment began a thought process and to the dictionary I went. One of the meanings in Webster’s Dictionary of busy is: full of activity, characterized by much action and motion. After reading articles and doing a little research, I would like to share with you some of my thoughts about the word busy.

Everyone is busy today. Many jobs demand time that is taken away from family or other areas of life that we want or need to give our attention. We can become too busy when we are overcommitted in an area of our life.

When the scale is off-balance, it usually creates chaos and clutter and the end result is the inability to focus on the important things in our life. At a certain point becoming too busy will effect us both physically and psychologically in a negative manner. Stress.

Busy can be productive or nonproductive. Have you heard someone say, “I’m just spinning my wheels”? As individuals we all have separate indicators of when and if we have too many irons in the fire. We can become like the battery that just keeps going, going, and going, but even the battery that lasts, lasts, and lasts has to be recharged. Once we realize it is time to recharge, we can take steps to balance the scale.

The opposite of busy is idle, lazy, and indolent. Let’s consider idle time as a time of recharging, and balancing the scale. Slow the pace of life down and take time to “smell the roses”.

A few of the things we can do to slow the pace of life are:

Read a book or several books. Reading can be both educational and entertaining.

Call and make an appointment for a pampering or nurturing session. Choose something you really enjoy and will find pleasurable.

Dim the lights or light a candle and take a soothing bath. Create an aromatic bath by adding a few drops of the essential oils of lavender or ylang, ylang.

Go outside and appreciate the beauty nature provides, the trees, the blue sky, butterflies, or humming birds. Listen to the
birds as they chirp and sing lovely songs. Let our eyes and ears be filled with the beauty God has created for us to enjoy.

Balancing the scale in this area of our life has a profound effect on our well-being. The good news is this balance is achievable and the result will allow us to feel better, look better, and live a longer, healthier life.

(I received this poem through an on-line newsgroup and I hope you will enjoy and find it thought provoking.)

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids
on a merry-go-round,
Or listened to the rain
slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic
flight, or gazed at the sun into the
fading night?

You better slow down
Don’t dance so fast
Time is short
The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day
on the fly, When you ask
“How are you?”
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done,
do you lie in your bed
with the next hundred chores
running through your head?

You’d better slow down,
Don’t dance so fast,
Time is short
The music won’t last.

Ever told your child,
We’ll go it tomorrow
And in your haste,
not see his/her sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die,
Cause you never had time
to call and say “Hi”?

You’d better slow down
Don’t dance so fast,
Time is short,
The music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get
somewhere, You miss half the fun
of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through
your day, It is like an unopened
gift....Thrown away...

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

And the answer is . . . .

Yes? or No?

Have you ever thought about how much more difficult it is to say the word “No” instead of the word “Yes”? Saying “No” to someone important in our life (husband, wife, child, or good friend) is more difficult for most of us because we care about them.

Learning to say no can help us to avoid getting caught up in a frenzy life style. We can end up becoming a jack of all trades, master of none. Everything we do ends up being a rush job.

The beauty of life is that we are given choices. When we know what our priorities are, we can we can build our time around those things which are important to us.

Choose the answer yes when:

We give careful consideration to what will be involved. Decide how the choice will affect us short term and also the long term ramifications. We make the decision it is something which is right for us.

We have the time and it is something we would like to do.

Answer no when:

It is an activity we had rather avoid. We can say no thank you or I’d rather not.

Our appointment book or calendar is full.

One of my husband’s all time favorite books is the #1 seller When I say no, I feel Guilty by Manual J. Smith, PhD. For him this book was a reminder and affirmation of his inherited right to say no and to avoid guilt feelings associated with that decision. One of the reasons this was a #1 seller is because it is a word we all deal with at some point in our life.

Saying no is one way of telling someone we need a break, and that is okay. It can also help us avoid becoming too busy or overcommitted

Recommended reading:

Life Strategies, Doing what works---Doing what matters, by: Phillip C. McGraw, Ph. D.

Pulling Your Own Strings, by:
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

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