Sounds like "hope"...

The ancient Romans had a saying—“mens sana in corpore sano” which is Latin for “in a sound body rests a sound mind”. My past and present personal experience supports this ancient assertion. During periods when I am giving my body the nutrients it needs—free of man made synthetics masquerading as food—(processed substances laced with sugar, fat, salt, and other unidentifiable multi-syllable additives) my mind and spirit focus on positive outcomes filled with self confidence and hope. Conversely when I starve my body of nutrients while filling it with chemicals, anxiety, pessimism, cynicism, and despair seem to haunt my waking hours. Am I really what I eat? It certainly appears to be so. Could the ancient Romans have been right? Sound body; sound mind. And I might add; sound spirit too.

...the way a toy feels when it's battery runs dry...

One cannot underestimate the power of sound sleep in promoting sound mind and body. After a long red eye flight from Mumbai to London I am feeling the symptoms of a cold coming on—stuffed head, runny nose, watery eyes and general malaise. As I sit in the London Heathrow airport sneezing I am aware of the suspicious looks from fellow travelers who after a number of my sneezes have got up and moved on to another sitting locale. Can’t say as I blame them particularly with the global hysteria over swine flu and all. What does confuse me though is the paranoid travelers wearing masks into the smoking lounge to get their nicotine fix. Funny how we humans tend to – what is that saying—strain at gnats while swallowing camels! I can quite accurately predict that smoking will kill more people in a year than swine flu ever will and yet typical human nature isn’t it—to panic over things we have little control over and yet continue bad habits that we do have control over. This does not bode well for our health mental or physical. Taking responsibility then taking action to minimize harm to our bodies will add not only years to one’s life but also life to one’s years. From London Heathrow and punctuated with a sneeze I sign off as my laptop battery wears down before my mind does.

Gratitude attitude

Being in India has reminded me of the virtue of gratitude. And a quote my mother used to say when I whined too much as a child: ‘I complained because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.’ This seems rather fitting for India after a day of navigating through the street markets, dodging filth, grime, thieves, and beggars. Gratitude is a powerful source for happiness and success. Just for today I am grateful to be Canadian—to have a clean, quiet, home to return to when this journey has ended. Simple things like water to drink clean air to breathe, and toilet paper cannot be overrated in their contribution to a happy life. Add to that a strong and large volume bladder which allows me to go the day out in India without needing to go to any of the nauseatingly filthy public washrooms. Life is good in North America and there seems to be no reason for anyone who lives there to be anything but ecstatically grateful and happy just to live where they live. Gratitude seems to be an essential component of those who are mentally healthy. For those who are miserable and ungrateful in North America—they need to live in India for awhile!
-R

universal truths

From Pune India, I am pondering how grateful I am that I did not pack a pile of unnecessary baggage around the world. Of course what is necessary to me may look like unnecessary baggage to others. Viva la difference. I packed my tiny lap top and it fit well into my front pack. Its essential status is right up there with my passport, scriptures, workout wear, and dental floss. Beyond gratitude for light baggage I also pondered how little I know about India. Mother Teresa and Gandhi come to mind. So sitting in my hotel room waiting for the free breakfast to start I have searched for some fitting Gandhi and mother Teresa quotes.

From Gandhi: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony”. No matter where I go and no matter who I am with I keep in mind that happiness comes from living well—from living consistent with my values and beliefs. My locale may change; my food choices may minimize; my weight may fluctuate, but my commitment to wellness and decency does not.

And from mother Teresa these words seem to suit a situation where language barriers are particularly succinct: “every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing”. I am smiling a whole lot!