"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another."

I felt completely overwhelmed this week and to be honest with you I seriously doubted if I had the mental or emotional capacity to get done what needed to be accomplished. In this state of growth this quote from William James encouraged me, "The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." Sounds pretty simple right? Not so easy to do....What does this really mean? How do we apply this? Most of us feel so powerless against the thoughts that race through our minds. We must recognize the influence our thoughts have over the immediate well-being or distress of our emotions. The intricate part our thoughts play in our overall well-being is immense, therefore our activity towards our mental health must be done with great effort and care.

In the instance of being overwhelmed....let's discuss this. Generally speaking, if we have found ourselves in a state of being utterly mentally exhausted we have been looking to far ahead. Yes it's good to plan, yes it's good to be mindful of our futures, but we must avoid the trap of being so caught up in the future that we rob ourselves of the only certainty we have which is NOW. For some of us that means we are looking at the lengthy months ahead of chemo or radiation. For some of us it means we are worrying about how we will sleep tonight through the pain. For some of us the worry is where our next meal will come from or will we have the money to pay the bills? My encouragement to you is tackle the moment, the one that's right in front of you. And in that moment search for some peace, some happiness and hold onto it. It is a gift to you from life, savor it. That gift could be in the form of a smile, a light breeze, the warmth of the sun or an encouraging word from a loved one. Don't let those gifts pass you by, they are meant to sustain you.

The truth is there will always be future sadness, but there will also be future joy! Let us focus on whatever healthy delight that presents itself to us and in our gratitude let us be lifted up and encouraged. More good will come to us, more health to our minds, more vitality to our bodies, if we CHOOSE to think on prosperous things. Edmund Spenser stated, "It is the mind that maketh good or ill, That maketh wretch or happy, rich or poor." When I hear this quote, the health I want to illuminate here is not necessarily monetary gains. Richness of the mind and body and relational treasures, that is the richness of life. You have everything you need all the experiences you have overcome all the joy and sadness you have experienced has made you who you are and brought you right to this place. Eliminate the bad, live in the good and don't allow being overwhelmed to rob you of your happiness that you could be living in. Come see us at The Wellness Kitchen and find some peace, take a moment for yourself to rejuvenate and choose to think on health, well-being and prosperity. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to eat peacefully...