Is it your Turn to Wear the Ugly Sweater?

We all too often look at our dis-ease or life difficulties like a punishment. We wear them like an ugly sweater. All the time looking for understanding, some compassion, and the solution. However, desperation, depression, self-pity, anxiety, anger, fear can take root, deep in our soul. This is when we are open to listening, willing to change, asking for prayer, become laser focused on ourselves and our health. Pretty much willing to stop the merry-go-round single handed and get off to any destination other than where we find ourself.

I ask...Why wait?

Why wait for the difficulties? Why wait for a disease? Give yourself the permission to get off the merry-go-round right now. If this speaks to your heart, you know the one I am talking about. Or maybe there is more than one. We wait, thinking it will change. But things don't change, people change. We are only in control of ourselves. We need to change. When our body says it's tired, too tired, too stressed out, exhausted, do we listen to it? If we keep saying that we are sick, unhappy, financially broke, spiritually unfulfilled...we set ourselves up for dis-ease and difficulty.

Don't get me wrong, difficulty and disease do have a purpose. We do learn many lessons during those trying times. They are the "gifts" that we have been dealt. We don't understand that at the time of diagnosis or the day something drastic changes everything, but over time if we open our heart and mind, we see that it is all good. It was something we needed to happen. That the change would never have come about and the future could not unfold the way it was meant to. We discover our gifts that are given to us by God above and learn how to use them to help others. Our own experience, our ability to "make it through" our lessons can be used to guide others down the same path. It makes us more empathetic, sympathetic, compassionate to the same in others.

Again I ask...Why wait?

Today, turn your thoughts, your difficulties or diseases that cause you to struggle, back into the gifts that they are. Ask yourself these questions below and then email me with your thoughts about what you have learned. (truenorthholistic@gmail.com)

1. Before my dis-ease/difficult life challenge, how did I feel about someone with this situation?
2. How have my feelings about my situation changed over time?
3. At what stage of acceptance am I at?
4. At what stage of learning am I?
5. How has this situation changed me?
6. How do I feel about others in the same situation as I am now?
7. What lessons have I learned about myself?
8. What lessons can I share with someone else going through this?
9. How has this situation been of benefit (even in a small way)
10. Have I grown in some way from this?
11. Am I open to change?
12. Can I see this as a gift yet?

Holistic Nurse consultations are available at www.cornerstonetohealing.com

Summer is Naturally Healthy

Who can imagine what life would look like without what we are accustomed to?

Take for instance, what every season brings us. It's probably different depending on where you are located in the world, but we all get used to looking forward to certain things with each passing season.

Summer in New York means sunshine! Weather that allows us to plant our food gardens and our flowers. It's naturally healthy if you realize what it gives you the opportunity to do.

Summer brings people outside after the winter. We see our neighbors again. We venture to the stores, on vacations, the parks, the concerts, the plays, the celebrations that make life so special.

It's just naturally more healthy for us. Besides the tax rate, this is why many of us up north, go south for the winter. It keeps us moving and active instead of needing to hibernate. I know some of us have winter sports that keep us going. I just see the difference in people's attitudes when summer finally rolls around.

4 Keys to Safely Unlock the Power of Summer

1. Reminder-The risk for falling in highest- Don't even think, not me, because I said that until I fell. Consider that your hip muscles may have weakened over the winter months. We have been sitting down more and shuffling our feet, Pick up your feet. Spring is a time that we tend to fall because we forget that when we are outside we need to pick up our feet. 
2. Sunshine is great but you may get too much - If you are taking vitamin D in the winter, you may want to cut back if you go in the sun often. (ask the MD) We make our own when the sun hits our bare skin. Are you anxious to get started on that tan? While it doesn't seem too hot, it's alot of direct rays between 11am and 1pm. Only stay out 15 minutes at a time. Use coconut oil to tan or sunscreen to prevent overexposure. If you are golfing or doing other sports, keep hydrated by packing water (nothing else is equal to water)
3. Everything in Moderation-you may be tempted to overdo- All those "Better Weather" chores have been piling up from the winter, or maybe even last fall. Going great guns may be too much depending on your winter activity level. Ramp up slower if your winter was full of TV shows, puzzles and bowling. Get back into the gym and outside walking before you go breakneck speed on those projects. There is also no sin in paying someone else to do the things that you can't do or can't manage to do. Getting that "to do" list down to minimum relieves stress.
4. Eat some dirt- Either plant a few herbs, a little garden or visit your local farmers market. We lack good dirt in our diets. Ask if they are using any pesticides or if they are organic/non-GMO. Educate yourself on eating healthier for your blood type, how to eat to better control your medical conditions, what your symptoms are telling you are lacking in your diet, go to a local meetup group that supports healthy eating, serve fresh foods, not processed at this year's celebratory event at your house.  

Summer is here, see what you should be doing by visiting my website: Click Here to go to my website