healthmedicinet

Which
of these words resonates with you? My guess is
some will at different times, but they’re all good words to live by. 

1. Presence: To
be fully engaged in what you are doing right now. And right now. And right now. Mindfulness of the
present moment is something we never fully attain 100% of the time, but it
shouldn’t stop us from trying. Whatever
tools you use to cultivate presence, make time to hone them. That is why we practice (not perfect) yoga
and meditation.

2. Vulnerability: The willingness to be let others see you as you are. Vulnerability is to admit, “I am human. I am not perfect. I struggle, just like you.” No one has described vulnerability more
effectively than Brene Brown. She teaches us that vulnerability is NOT
weakness; in fact, being vulnerable is the most courageous thing we can be.
Only when we are vulnerable can we truly connect and be open to intimacy.

3. Clarity: Transparency and lucidity of vision and thought. Not just an uber popular, kinda creepy song
by Zedd. Clarity is that aha moment
when everything is crystal clear and it all just makes sense. I find it comes to me when I’m not trying to
achieve it, but allowing my mind to relax and focus. It’s one of those things that the harder you
try to achieve it, the further away it may feel. 

4. Equanimity: The
evenness of mind to stand steady in the face of stress or challenge. I didn’t really “get” equanimity until last
weekend, when a very wise friend told me it could best be explained by the
phrase, “It’s all good.” The next day, I
was meditating on this phrase at the beginning of a particularly challenging
beach yoga session. (I know, boo-hoo, poor
me.) Still, it was hot, with no wind,
black flies biting. The teacher began by saying, “I was reading something this morning about equanimity…” Aha. 

5. Gratitude: An
intentional appreciation of what and who you have. An acceptance and explicit acknowledgment of
what life brings you. Not taking
anything for granted. As psychologist Robert
Emmons notes, “Gratitude allows us to celebrate the present.” 

6. Creativity: The use of your imagination to produce something—a thought, an object, really
anything. Creativity implies a childlike
playfulness, having the courage to make mistakes and keep pushing on. We desperately need more creativity in
education and in the workplace. Never
forget: you were once a child and some part of you always should be.

7. Authenticity: Walking the walk. The real you. The most honest “way of being.” To be authentic is to accept your self as is and offer that self to the world. The challenge is to learn to be OK with who
you are and then… just be. 

8. Passion: An
incredibly intense and compelling desire for something (or someone) that is
barely containable. And I think that’s
the key. Your passion should be so
palpable that it’s going to burst out of your eyeballs… but it just quite
doesn’t. That’s what separates a crime
of passion from the kind that makes you invest your whole being in the pursuit
of your dreams and inspires others to follow you.

9. Compassion: Love and acceptance for another as if they were you. To treat them as you would want to be
treated. To walk a mile in their
shoes.  To see through their eyes as if
they are your own. Compassion for yourself is the first step in
having compassion for others. 

10. Love: Do I really have to explain this one? OK, just one quote: “We accept the love we think we deserve.” – Stephen Chbosky,
The Perks of Being a Wallflower