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The greatest wealth is wellness. I will say that again. Health is wealth. You cannot put a price tag on it. Often, this message slips to the back of our minds and activated full steam in crisis mode. Traditionally, wealth is associated with finances, antiques, jewels and their equivalent. The actual stars are in fact a sound and alert mind, a glowing body with vitality, a contented heart, emotional stability, strength of character and an enlightened spirit. These are what make you sparkle and stand out. Invest in your wellness and enjoy the returns.  Reflect on the thoughts below and craft a plan that suits you best.

Maintenance is quintessential

A well-oiled engine keeps the car running longer, has better mileage for every dollar spent on fuel and offers an enjoyable driving experience. Similarly, a well-nourished mind, body and soul takes you the extra distance in comfort and harmony. Straining the engine and pushing it to its limits is dangerous. It may suddenly break down, triggering major repair cost and in certain instances no assistance at hand. Maintenance is key and there should be no compromises on this. Feed the mind with empowering thoughts, new vocabulary, skills and learnings. Serenade the soul with music, acts of kindness and service. Infuse the body with soulful food and fill the heart with joy and contentment.

Sustainability is not just for the external ecosystem but the internal system too. Small steps, actionable on a daily basis takes you further as it effortlessly incorporates into a lifestyle. Yo-yoing will be a thing of the past. When in doubt, think marathons instead of sprints. Humour yourself with the gimmicks and marketing commercials. Perhaps learn a thing or two on self-promotion. I tried meal replacement shakes, tummy wraps and crash diets as part of quick weight loss solutions. The discipline was short term, mostly focused on a date or event. This was not fruitful because once the date or event passed, I slackened. I sunk really bad, dipping to a new low and had to do it all over again. I kept running a circuitous route, doing and redoing what I had done for years. Now, I acknowledge that carbs and sweets are my calorie busters. I have not cut them out completely as it would feed into feelings of denial and deprivation. Instead, I have them once a week where I truly enjoy every spoonful of it and incorporate lower calorie substitutes on other days. For instance, cauliflower rice and quinoa in place of rice, dried fruit such as raisins and longan instead of sugar for baking. Save yourself years of sweat and tears. Constant and consistent action is the way forward. No shortcuts.

Make wellness a natural part of your day

Like brushing and bathing, train your muscles to record wellness activities to becomes a part of your daily playlist. For example, drinking eight to ten glasses of water and walking 10,000 steps a day is the recommended daily intake. However, counting this from the time you wake up is tedious effort. Use apps to help you out. Make it fun and something you look forward to. In the Plant Nanny App, watch your virtual plant grow with each glass of water. Apps like Map My Walk add contour to walks with pictoral displays of the routes, distance and pace. You can participate in challenges promoted by the app itself or have friendly contests with friends and family. My husband is so motivated with this that he has set a second challenge for us to complete from now till September. Aside from checking scores, our walks have become an activity we enjoy together, strengthening relationship goals and is our date with nature.

Another approach is to fit new practices between other daily habits. For instance, have some water or fruit before you prepare a morning coffee. Do the same each time you reach for a snack. Water is a zero-calorie tonic that does wonders for you. Aside from the well known benefits, the little walk to and from a glass of H20 is an excellent pulse checker on thoughts and emotions. This was revolutionary to me. The few steps gave me space to process thoughts and clear the head. A much needed pause to reflect before I act.

Decide what is important

You choose who, when, what and how much time to spend on something. News or gossip? Well-wishers or people who think ill of you? Pursuing your dreams or pleasing the crowd? The best version of you or the average version? You decide, discern the good from bad and own your time. Be authentic and true to yourself. You deserve the best.

Understand the learning

Be a student of life and learn from everything you do. Do not be embarrassed to learn. One of papa’s favourite sayings is ‘eating and studying, do not feel shy.‘ Be curious, learn. Also, do not be intimidated by the skills of others. Everybody has some form of advantage. Know what is yours and learn from others. I panicked at the thought of baking and the precision involved with each measurement. The thought of it put me off and I striked it as one of the things I would not be able to do. Then, I realised it was a limiting belief. On my own accord, I was stunting my personal growth. One day, I took up the challenge and decided to confront this head on. I read up different recipes, watched videos and infused a sense of play, which is an element of my personality. I mixed around different recipes, playing with textures and flavours and enjoyed it. These past months, a patisserie section has bloomed in my home kitchen. I had a similar experience with cooking Indian food and my friend reminded me to get acquainted with the flavours. I also enjoy reading up, so knowing a little more on the herbs and spices enabled me to use them mindfully in preparation of dishes and re-create the dish in several ways, offering variety and excitement.

At work, absorb things from ground level up. Do not dismiss routine administrative tasks as something trivial that is not worth your time. Filing documents teaches you to be organized and methodical. To do lists guide you to prioritize your day, the tasks at hand, both personal and professional. It also mentors you in deciding what is important, urgent or both. The idea is to approach a job or errand with a sense of interest instead of stress. Alleviate mental tension and replace it with learning. Look at house chores as home crafts. A lot of time is spent agonising over things we rather not do. Shifting perspective and providing it with another label allows us to see things differently and frankly, be less tensed.

Detox and flush your social circle

Every once in a while, take a look at your phone book, list of friends and acquaintances and see who do you like to keep in your circle, who to add and who to perhaps disconnect with. It is pointless inundating your contact list with a thousand numbers when you are unable to recollect three quarters of them. Keep your connections real. Make time to see, speak and listen to people whom you care about.

Most importantly my dear, smile. This is the most beautiful curve you have. Use it abundantly, without discrimination. Filter and admire the beauty within and outside of you. Focus your thoughts on the good and do what you can everyday to be a better person than you were yesterday. Be well, stay well, do well!

Love and hugs,

Moi