My Plan to Flourish in
Life 1
Amy Summey
Unit 9 Final
My Plan to Flourish in
Life
Professor Fouhy
HW420-01
My Plan to Flourish in
Life 2
Introduction
Health and wellness professionals need to be flourishing role models for
their patients. Someone who leads by example is much more likely to connect
with their patients. In order to become a flourishing teacher, you must be
psychologically, spiritually, and physically healthy. It was my experience with
my nutritionist that made me make the decision to go into the health and
wellness field. I had been on countless medical appointments where doctors
would always treat my symptoms with pills and then run some tests. When I met
my nutritionist, she looked over my whole medical history. She sat down and
talked with me about my concerns and she really listened. That hour we spent reviewing
my diet and going over my symptoms was a life changing experience for me. I
left that office feeling inspired and amazed that a doctor spent so much one on
one time with me.
It was at that moment that I knew, I wanted to learn about health and
inspire others the way she inspired me. I want to be able to understand and
really connect with my patients. In order to do that, I have completed an Integral
Assessment to show me the areas I need improving and what areas I am doing
well.
Assessment
“We use this opportunity to envision our most far reaching possibilities and
assess the obstacles to attaining them. The integral assessment is the tool we
need to choose to transform our health and life from conventional to integral,
from ordinary to precious (Dacher 2006).”
My Plan to Flourish in
Life 3
As part of the assessment, I rated my spiritual, psychological, and
physical wellness on a scale from 1-10 (1 being the worst, 10 the best). I
rated myself with a 9 in spiritual wellness, a 6 in psychological wellness, and
a 6 in physical wellness. I am on the path to integral healing but I
still have some areas that need work. I still need to develop psychologically. I
need to develop a positive mindset with my focus on my future. I have a great
relationship with God and prayer and worship are very important to me. I
have a lot of health issues; celiac disease, food/outdoor allergies, joint pain
and scoliosis. My psychological health problems are depression, anxiety, and
insomnia. I still give myself a “6” because I feel that I am able to be
psychological and physically stable. I am learning to not become a victim of my
ailments but rather a survivor and someone who does not let their illnesses
stop them from being a healthy, happy individual.
Goal development
My
physical goal is to keep a food diary, sleep journal, and “wellness” score each
day. I also want to do one physical
activity for at least 20 minutes. For example, today I feel tired and my
sinuses are acting up. I ate oatmeal for breakfast, macaroni for lunch and
chicken nuggets with a baked potato and peas for dinner. I got about 6 hours of
sleep last night. After dinner, I went for a quiet walk. I think that by
keeping a journal of how I am eating, sleeping, and exercising, I can see when
I am healthy and when I am struggling.
My Plan to Flourish in
Life 4
My
Spiritual goal is to keep a daily prayer journal and to take notes at church. I
often feel inspired and alive after a really great sermon but later in the week
I can’t remember what it was about. My psychological goal is develop a witnessing
mind. I am trying to learn how to sit still and be an observer, noticing my
surroundings but not letting them hinder my concentration from my inner
thoughts. If I can notice my surroundings
without them impairing my focus, then I can learn to act with intention. I want to learn how to be a person of peace,
even in the most stressful situations.
“If
we witness rather than grasp at random mental activity, it will naturally
dissolve into the background from which it came. The mental activity that hides
our deeper mind disappears. Our clear and still mind is revealed (Dasher
2006).”
Practices for personal health:
Through
different exercises of mental training, I am going to become a more balanced
individual. Mental training is important for us to use in our own lives and it
is also a great tool to use for our patients to help with the healing process.
We need to prepare our minds and calm our thoughts in order to flourish.
Through transforming our way of thinking, we can live healthy happy lives. We
can then spread that calm and teach that positive attitude to others.
“Research
studies and personal reports have also demonstrated that mental training can
transform the mind by reducing disturbing emotions that cause, anger, hatred,
fear, worry, confusion, and doubt while enhancing positive emotions such as
patience, loving-kindness, openness, acceptance, and happiness (Dacher 2006).”
My Plan to Flourish in
Life 5
It
is important to spend a period of time in silence, reflecting on life. I will
set aside time to be still and listen to my thoughts.
“The
most meaningful aim of contemplative practice is not rest and relaxation but
rather the progressive development of an expanded consciousness and its healing
capacities (Dacher, 2006)”
Some
of the other things I’m going to do are: begin each day with an inspirational
verse, and fill my walls with pictures of friends and uplifting words. I am also
going to practice the visualization exercise. I am a very visual person and I
feel that exercise to be the most beneficial. I want to also spend more time
with nature.
“Nature
mirrors the wholeness, harmony, and peace that reside within each of us. It
helps us remember our essence. It has a special way of stilling the mind,
allowing us a glimpse of the ever-present simplicity and beauty of life (Dacher, 2006)”.
My
physical strategies will be to start stretching and going for walks. I use to
be a gymnast but I have become very, tense and inflexible. Stretching will help
my muscles and my mind feel more relaxed. I will also walk three times a week.
Sometimes it’s cold out but on days when the weather is unpleasant, I can walk
around the house or run in place. One way I can make myself do this is by
putting on fast music. I love to watch movies and I could use that as a reward.
For example, I won’t allow myself to watch a movie until I have done my
physical activity.
My
Spiritual strategies will be to listen to worship music and to start a prayer
group. I will listen to worship music for at least 20 minutes every day. It is
uplifting and helps me focus on
My Plan to Flourish in Life 6
what’s really important
in life. I will not just listen but also sing along to the songs. I also want
to start a prayer group or bible study. It might just be a blog…but something
for Christians to share their feelings and prayers. Having a positive group of
people I can count on is important for spiritual growth and support.
Commitment
I
am going to use this paper as a reference for my starting point. Every week I
will journal about what I am doing well with and what areas I need to improve
on. I’m going to use a calendar and stickers! Days that are good, happy and
healthy will get a positive sticker; smiley face, flower or heart. Days that I
struggle and feel tired, anxious, or depressed will get a negative sticker;
storm clouds, sad face, tornado. That will be a great visual aid for me to see
my progress. Hopefully, as I progress, there will be a lot of positive stickers
and fewer negative stickers.
I
am going to blog about my journey. Blogging is a great way to express
accomplishments and hurdles that we come across. It will help me stay focused
when life gets crazy and it will help me gain insight from others (and maybe
some inspiration). I like writing about everything and it’s easier to be open
and honest with strangers. For example, friends and family can be judgmental or
try to “fix” things but strangers (or classmates) can give a fresh “outsider’s”
perspective. Hopefully I will make some new friends and find some people
that struggle with the same things I do. Having a good support system is
essential to becoming whole and healthy.
Finally
I want to develop a clear vision of myself in the future. This will serve as a
tangible picture to work toward. I see myself working as a nutritionist. I am
married to Cirrell.
My Plan to Flourish in
Life 7
We have a very
committed and strong marriage. We have an apartment and someday a house of our
own. I am confident. I don’t let myself become distracted by life but rather
take in each breath like the amazing gift that it is. When we are settled and
have a little money set aside, I see
myself becoming a
mother. I am only engaged right now but it’s important to look to the future to
know the direction I want for my life.
“It
is a life that is fully aware, expansive, connected, open, loving, and quite
simple (Dacher, 2006)”.
I believe that I am going to become a
flourishing individual that helps others flourish in their lives. I want to be
a light in the darkness; a beacon of hope for people that feel overwhelmed by
life. I look towards the future knowing that this transformation will be
positive and permanent.
“Like
a ripening fruit, you will not be able to reverse course. You will harvest the
fruits of a well-lived life. (Dacher, 2006)”.
Works Cited
Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral Health: The Path to
Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach: Basic Health
Publications, Inc. .
