We may look fairly similar to each other on the outside of our bodies and, to a degree, we look fairly similar on the inside of our bodies. However, how we experience this world and how we function in it, can vary greatly from individual to individual. Our temperament, past experiences, tolerance to stress, energy levels, beliefs and spirit are entirely unique to us.
Individual tolerance
What we need to maintain or achieve health is not the same from person to person. Some people can handle higher levels of intensity in their lives, others less. Some people need time alone to recharge, others recharge in the company of others. Some people are sensitive to addictions, others not so much. Our experience of what ‘bliss’ is, is simply different from person to person. All of these things are qualitative aspects of the human experience that must be taken into consideration if we are to build good health.
Good health does not come bottled and ready to ingest, or can be studied like a book. You cannot purely follow external guidelines about health, because you would always be missing the X factor that determines whether a solution is right for you. The X factor is you. Finding out how you work and what makes you tick is key to understanding how you need to maintain your health.
The X factor is you
Internal or external advice
Getting to know yourself is probably one of the most important jobs you can do for your health. However much too often, we wait until other methods have failed, before we embark on this central task. We may have tried methods like taking medication that only relieved symptoms, exercising in ways that did not suit us, dieting on/off , and various other therapies and inputs. Each time something we have chosen to do does not work out, the feeling is easily one of personal failure, which only magnifies the more things we throw ourselves into. Common to all of these methods is that they originate from outside of ourselves. They are not directed by our own being, so to speak.
Each time something we have chosen to do does not work out, the feeling is easily one of personal failure
For the vast majority of us, acting in accordance with ‘our own being’ is an unfamiliar, and often uncomfortable task. In a way, choosing methods external to ourselves is considered ‘safer’, as we are investing less of ourselves. However, exactly for that reason do we often fall flat on our faces because we end up missing the mark on what it is that we need on our unique journey, when we put more trust in someone else’s ideas. This can unknowingly erode our self confidence, as we repeatedly place higher value on what comes from outside of us.
My experience is that in order to restore health, trust in our own inner compass, in our own ability to make decisions for ourselves, is key to reestablish.
Ways to get back in touch with yourself
Try asking yourself these questions to help you gain access to your own inner wisdom on your health needs:
- What does bliss look like for me (describe it vividly)?
- What do I need more of, and what do I need less of, in order to regain balance?
- What is health for me (describe it vividly)?
- What am I afraid of/what is holding me back?
- What steps may I take to slowly bring me back on track towards nourishing my health?
What does bliss look like for me?
Look upon the answers you write for yourself with compassion and non-judgment. Simply see them for what they are without attaching too much emotion to them. Then, devise a plan as to how you can slowly begin to act on those of your answers that you feel are available for you right now. If you are currently really shaky in your self-confidence, start with very small goals that have very little risk involved. Slowly build up until your confidence in yourself grows.
Happy health!
Kirsten Louise