Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The Bridge


The island of Bermuda boasts the smallest working drawbridge in the world.  A thick wood panel spans a seventeen-inch gap in the bridge that connects Somerset island in Sandy's Parish with the main island of Bermuda.*

 Whenever a yacht or sailboat wishes to pass through, someone must manually draw the bridge so the mast fits through. Although the original stone base of the bridge was built in 1620, much of the original, including the wooden part, was renovated in the twentieth century to the bridge you see in these photos.



Something so small can serve a practical, functional purpose. It does not have to be the biggest or the best to display its unique place in the community and the world.
So, too, with us. We serve our own unique purpose where we are and make a remarkable significant mark, perhaps as a bridge or passage for others.
As Marianne Williamson explains, we must be our "brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous" selves. Our playing small may not serve the world but being small just may be the best way we serve ourselves and the world. ** 
 
In other words, just being you is a remarkable, significant contribution to the world.
 
 


* Despite conflicting internet reports, the sign on the actual bridge states its width as 17 inches.
** Although it is often  attributed only  to Nelson Mandela's inaugural speech in 1994, the famous quote attributes to Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles", Harper Collins, 1992. From Chapter 7, Section 3]).
Photos by Nicole D. Mignone

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Tending Your Garden of Health

Tending the Garden of Your Health

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.-- Anais Nin

This past spring, after months of a lifeless winter hibernation, I longed to have a garden. This desire had its obstacles, however, because I live in an apartment without space for a garden or even a balcony. Desire inspires creativity, and in a few days, I transplanted my seedlings to the window box you see here, complete with its own rigging. Obviously, I am not supplying the bountiful Saturday morning local farmers’ market.  In fact, my little plants most likely will not even bear vegetables [although my peas now have flowers!!]. Nevertheless, the daily ritual of tending my little garden reaps much reward and resembles the process of tending to the rituals of a healthy life.

Our health is an asset and our responsibility. People often share their frustration with setting and keeping health and fitness goals. For many years, and with constant refinement, I have committed to developing a healthy lifestyle, not so much to live a longer life as much as for the quality of life good health can bring now and later in life.

Our bodies may be our temples, but taking care of it compares to the maintenance of a car. Even with modern science and cosmetics, this body remains the only “car” we have in this lifetime. Fortunately, despite years of wear-and-tear, we can always incorporate changes to repair and improve this machine to carry us. Like cultivating a garden, this takes an initial investment of time, but then just daily attention for overall maintenance.

Establishing, implementing, and continuing healthy habits may involve challenges, for which gardening offers some pointers.

A. Preparing the Soil:

This involves taking inventory of your current health and vitality. Do you have enough energy for all you want to do in your life?  Do you feel vibrant and alive, or do you reluctantly attribute ailments to the aging process? What changes would vibrant health allow in your life? What would a perfect ten in your health-and-vitality world look like? Knowing you can make changes for better health and setting the intention to do so is the first step.

B. Planting the Seeds:

Change requires planning as you plant the seeds for change.  Just as it is important to know the type of garden you want and the available resources, it is important to assess what habits you need or lack.

One good exercise for this requires about twenty minutes and a sheet of paper. Fold the paper in half. In the lefthand column write down all of the habits you think you need to relinquish to be healthier. In the righthand column, write down all the habits you think you need to adopt.

Each week plan to focus on one habit, whether you are eliminating one or replacing one. One baby step at a time you will focus on one habit per week. You may need to research, schedule time, or enlist the help of external resources. Regardless, this single focus, in a year’s time, can reward you with fifty-two changed habits!

C. Culling and Weeding

Throughout this process, you will need to take a weekly, or even daily assessment of your current status. A plant informs the gardener of its needs by the color and condition of its leaves, stalks, and flowers. Similarly, a body tells us what it needs if we pay attention. A gardener eradicates weeds and insects if they appear. Likewise, you may need to address certain challenges. Allow yourself more time on a particular habit and understand this is part of the process. Like plants, as we move forward and grow, we may realize we need more room, time, light, nourishment, or support.

D. Patience

As we pay attention, we must also exercise patience with ourselves, our bodies, and our process. You would not plant a seed one day and then awaken the next morning expecting Jack's beanstalk. Also, you would not berate or punish the plant for not growing fast enough. Nature's innate intelligence unfolds in the beauty it reveals on its own schedule. Our physical bodies are no exception. Be a good gardener to yourself.

May you enjoy the rewards of tending the garden of your health.