Nourishment on the Inside AND out...

     Have you ever thought about the way relationships make you feel? Why is it that relationships have the power to influence and change our emotions and actions? Relationships are essential to us as humans. We were made to have relationships. These relationships help us develop and fill our need for love, companionship and friendships. It is apart of being accepted and valued as individuals. 

     Think back to the many childhood experiences that you had with your family. Now, think about a negative experience you had with a family member. Ponder how that experience made you feel. How did your body feel? Did you feel stressed, angry, mad, frustrated or resentful? How did those emotions make you feel internally?  Did that experience change the way you act or feel towards life today?  Think about the relationships you have today that are negative. Ask yourself how that makes your body feel? 

     Focus on a positive childhood experience that you had with a family member. How did that experience make you feel? How did your body feel? Were you elated, happy and joyful? Didn't your body feel great! You felt light like a feather and energetic, right? How did that positive experience shape your beliefs and actions? They almost certainly made an impact on you. If you think about more positive experiences you will undoubtedly think about the highlights and successes of your life. How do the positive relationships in your life feel to you and your body now? 

     Relationships nourish our souls. They are necessary, just as food is necessary for our bodies. Relationships nurture us and are building blocks to our overall health. We can not be totally healthy with unhealthy relationships. It affects us internally by the release of enzymes and hormones that negatively affect our bodies. These processes make us susceptible to chronic illness and disease. 

     Focus today on this one aspect of health. Relationships. Think about the painful relationships in your life. Can you repair them? Can you eliminate them? What was your part in the relationships demise?You have to determine their impact on your health. Are they nourishing you or are they draining you? Does the relationship provide a positive influence in the quality of your life or does it serve as a means to destroy what you value? Take this one step to evaluate the relationships in your life. Make an effort to repair or restore the relationships that can be saved. Take ownership of your failures and the negative role you have played in the relationship, if needed. Love yourself enough to make the other person responsible for their actions as well. Determine if you need to continue this relationship or eliminate it from your life. Remember your health is wealth and it will show.