Unit 9 Final- My Plan to Flourish in Life

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. .