BE Inspired

Letter #9 in a series...

Lessons: Keep your bowls full AND Listen to your body.

Dear Future Grandchildren,

Today I’m going to share something really important with you - the secret to a happy and health life! Actually, there are THREE secrets, but they are interrelated and once you understand them, I promise that you will have the very best life you are destined to have. “Nana, why haven’t you told us these secrets sooner?” you may say. Well, to be honest, it took me all of my now fifty-six years to figure them out! So, aren't you lucky to be amongst the first few to learn them?!

Secret #1 is pretty simple - to lead a happy and healthy life you have to make sure your bowls are full. Now, I’m not talking about cereal bowls 🥣 or ice cream bowls 🍨, but it’s always good to keep them full! The bowls I’m referring to represent the most important aspects of life- Health; Connections; and Purpose. The Health Bowl gets filled every time you do anything that improves your physical or mental health. So, when you exercise or eat your veggies- it fills up. When you write in a gratitude journal or get your teeth cleaned- it fills up. The Connections Bowl gets filled every time you connect with any living thing. So, when you visit your Nana or have a playdate with a friend- it fills up. When you work in the garden or swim in an ocean- it fills up. The Purpose Bowl is a little more complicated, but basically it gets filled up any time you do something that makes you feel useful or helpful. So, when you teach your little sister how to ride a bike or when you volunteer in town- it fills up. When you write a song on your guitar or when you find a job you love- it fills up. You get the idea.

You might be thinking,“Filling my bowls sounds easy enough!”, but one thing you have to consider is the size of your bowls. Yes, that’s right…these bowls are different sizes for each person. 😳 For example, the Health Bowl might be on the smaller side if you are born with great genes, a happy disposition, and into circumstances that easily afford you all of life’s necessities. Or your Health Bowl could be bigger if you are born with a disability or perhaps, born to a poor family living in unsafe circumstances. Similarly, your Connection Bowl might be small if you are an introvert because you may only ‘need’ a few close friends- whereas an extrovert might have a big bowl that needs to be filled with lots of friendships and human interaction. And, finally there's the complicated Purpose Bowl. This bowl is the one that may change sizes the most and be the most elusive to figure out and fill. {Read that sentence again...YES the bowls may change sizes as you age! Don't worry though...you've got this!} When you're young your Purpose Bowl might be on the smaller side, but as you grow up it may grow too. It might be a small bowl if you are intrinsically fulfilled by being a great parent. Or you might have a big Purpose Bowl because constant achievement and gratification makes you tick. So, as you grow up and explore life you’ll get to understand the size of YOUR personal bowls which will help you know how to keep them full.

Secret #2 is that the bowls aren’t actually bowls…they’re COLANDERS! That’s right, that bowl with holes in it that Mom and Dad wash fruits and vegetables in and drain pasta in. Think about what that means for a minute. 🤔 You're going to have to fill your bowls at a rate that exceeds the rate at which they drain. Yikes! To further complicate things, the size of the colander holes (just like the size of the bowls themselves) differ from person to person AND vary in size at different times in your life. Wow, you may be thinking, this is gonna be hard work!

Well, I can’t lie…it is hard work, but luckily that's where secret #3 comes in: your mind and body will always tell you when you need to fill your bowls. Humans were created with the ability to be happy and healthy, but they must listen to the clues given to them by their own mind and bodies. And, the good news is that you already do a great job listening! When you feel tired, what do you do? You rest! When you're thirsty, what do you do? You drink! See? Those are examples of your Health Bowl telling you what it needs and you listening. YAY! Now, the Connection and Purpose Bowls sometime don’t ‘speak’ as loudly to you, in fact...most of the time they just whisper. But, as you get older you'll learn to be more attentive to these whispers and that is key. For example, sometimes you might feel sad- that could be your Connection Bowl telling you that you need to set up a playdate, join a club, or pet your dog. Or maybe you're feeling tired and bored- that could be your Purpose Bowl telling you that you need to find a job, try a new hobby, or set some life goals. Whether it's a shout or a whisper, your mind and body will always alert you when a bowl is running low. Taking the action and time to fill them up is crucial if you want to lead a happy and healthy life.

Keeping your bowls filled throughout your life is tricky. At certain times it can be harder to do so than it sounds, but understanding them and discovering their sizes; recognizing that they are actually colanders; and cultivating the skills needed to truly listen to your body and mind will enable you to keep them full to the best of your ability and that my Grandchildren- is all you can do! I wish you luck on your bowl filling adventures and don’t forget that Nana is always here to help by going on a walk with you, giving you a big hug, or chatting with you about your future goals.

Love,

Nana XOXO