The Best Time is Now

Holistic.

When you read that word, what comes to mind? Perhaps crunchy, granola, out-dated, hippie, or backwards are immediately what you think. I know when I first started looking into "Holistic Living" those were some of my thoughts.  But in my search I have found that the idea of holism is treating our bodies as a whole. We aren't only intellectual, spiritual, or physical beings, but a combination of those things.  It is important to not focus on developing one area alone, but to find our personal balance, and it is different for everyone! Why do you think there are sooo many self-help books out there? Because even though we all function in basically the same way, we are all individuals who have our own quirks, tendencies, and histories that shape who we are.  

A little bit about me.  I am a 26-year-old wife and mother.  My husband and I went to high school together, but didn't date until about 5 years later! We have now been married four years and have two beautiful sons. I've always struggled with weight. With obesity running on both sides of my family I was a bit doomed from the start, but it is not a life sentence! Before getting pregnant with my first son I was in pretty good shape. Don't get me wrong, I'll never be Miss Stringbean, but I was at a decent weight and felt very confident in my skin.  Then during pregnancy everything was going fine...until it wasn't. I delivered at 30 weeks-talk about scary! I didn't realize at the time just how terribly ill I was and am still discovering the effects 3 years later. Our bodies are amazing things.  Sooo many things can go wrong, but given the proper tools it can heal itself from many things. What we fuel our bodies with (food and exercise) makes a world of difference. 

Along with health, I feel like developing our talents is very important for our personal wellbeing.  Keeping our minds actively engaged is just as important as what we eat or how we exercise the rest of our body.  The mind is a muscle too and needs to be exercised daily.  Reading, playing, and learning new skills are great ways to do this! Moving forward, I hope by sharing the things I am trying you will inspired to try new things, too. 

As I begin my journey to improve my health and develop existing and new talents, I am reminded of a message by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). He said:

"An old proverb says, 'The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago.  The second-best time is now.' There is something wonderful and hopeful about the word now. There is something empowering about the fact that if we choose to decide now, we can move forward at this very moment. Now is the best time to start becoming the person we eventually want to be." 

I absolutely agree! Should I have been working on this for a while now? Yes.  Should I already be engaging in healthy habits? Definitely! Does this mean all is lost? NO! I don't know everything, and most likely never will, but that's what's great about being human.  We can change, progress, and develop! I chose "Sprouting the SEED" because of a scripture passage I love that compares faith to a seed. In describing what a "good seed" will do, the words also spell SEED! (Makes it easier to remember, right?!)

A "good seed" will: Swell, Enlighten, Enlarge, and be Delicious!

What this means to me: As I put new, healthy, and good practices to the test, the desire I have will grow, I will discover new truths, and they will become something I LOVE, not just something I think would be great sometime down the road. While I am not necessarily "crunchy" or "granola", I do believe that by going back to the basics and becoming more balanced I can only improve my wellbeing, and thus my family's wellbeing. Carpe Diem-Seize the Day! Let's put it to the test, together.