One of the fun things about going back through old writing is seeing whether one’s thoughts have changed with time, or whether they still hold true. What follows are my core values and high-level beliefs about health & wellness, which I originally wrote in July of 2014. In case you’re wondering—yes, they still hold true for me—yand I’d say I have a deeper understanding of them as well.

What I Value

• Safety (physical, mental, and emotional)
• Authenticity
• Honesty
• Taking responsibility
• Personal space and freedom of choice
• Connection
• Contributing to the world in a positive way
• Being challenged
• Variety
• Active listening
• Compassion

What I Believe

• Health isn’t just about fitness or exercise; it’s about movement and embodiment, being fully alive here and now, regardless of whether things are going the way you want them to or not. (When you deal with chronic pain or illness, this can be quite a challenge.)

• Health is about feeling and accepting your emotions, letting them run their course, and being your authentic self through whatever curves come up in your life journey.

• Health is about receiving nourishment and pleasure from your food. Balancing your intake of foods that are good for you with foods that you love even if they’re not.

• Health is about finding windows of relaxation, even in the midst of busy days and nights. It’s about taking time for self-care, to unwind, to slow down, rest, and recharge.

• Health isn’t about stress “management”–it’s about learning to flow freely with life and to build stress resilience. To accept, embrace, let go, surrender.

• Health is learning how to navigate through symbolic doorways that present themselves to you. To stretch even when it’s difficult and you feel growing pains. To look fear in the eye with real courage and say, “I got this.”

• Health is about treating yourself as you would your best friend. Supporting yourself through kind words, actions, reassurance, and love. Forgiving yourself when you make a mistake. Knowing you’re never broken, and never need to be “fixed”.

• Health is figuring out who you truly are, instead of living as other people want you to be.

• Health is about asking for help instead of trying to do it all on your own. It’s about accepting as much support and encouragement as you provide (i.e. “balance”).

• Health is about prioritizing your sleep so you wake feeling refreshed each morning and can be your best self for the people you connect with each day.

Now It’s Your Turn

Do you want to craft, work toward, and live by your own set of values and beliefs when it comes to your health? How will you get started?

What do you HONESTLY believe when it comes to your health & wellness?

Are you describing what YOU truly believe, deep down, or are you describing what you want yourself to believe instead? (Trust that what you actually value can be useful and helpful on your journey; there are no “wrong” answers here!)

And lastly, once you’ve identified your own values, what’s your plan to live by them? How will they affect the choices you make around self-care, sleep, health, and well-being?

How will you remind yourself about them and revisit them?