In an earlier post, I talked about the Health Puzzle and what each of its pieces looks like. That post stressed that in order to live a truly healthy life, it is critical that we address each area! One important pieces of this puzzle is “Engaging in Meaningful Activities”. I can’t imagine what life would look and feel like if the only activity I enjoyed was watching the boob tube. Don’t get me wrong, I have my favorite shows but there is nothing that I watch that I would seriously miss if my television mysteriously blew up!
The activities that are meaningful for me are unique to me and the activities that are meaningful to you are unique to you. What I find meaningful, you may find frivolous or unimaginative. What is meaningful for you, I might not value or see as silly. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, it matters what you think. What activities bring you joy? What activities make you feel alive. What tasks do you find fully engaging?
It is normal and perfectly cool if what you find meaningful changes over time. Just because I loved being at the lake as a kid doesn’t mean I have to prioritize it as an adult. Oh wait – I still love the lake and spend as much time there as I can. I liked to skateboard as a kid but that holds no interest now that I am in my 50’s (gasp)!
Mother Fran is 91 years young and still engages in activities that are meaningful to her every day. You can read about what she loves to do in this post -Be Like Mother Fran. I firmly believe that engaging in the activities she enjoys is what gets her out of bed in the morning and keeps her participating in life at the ripe ole age of 91! I meet people her age and much younger at the nursing home where I work who have no meaningful activities and they don’t see much reason to get out of bed in the morning.
It is fun to take an area of interest and decide to learn more about it. That can lead you to dig deep into it or it may lead you to a curve in the road where a new interest lies. Over the last few years, I have become very interested in nutrition and eating a healthy diet with the goal of aging gracefully. This led me to read lots of books and listen to podcasts on this topic. I was drawn to the Whole30, than a Paleo type of diet.
I am now fascinated by reading and listening about the impact of gluten on our health. I recently read a book titled “The Auto Immune Fix” by Dr. Tom O’Bryan which led me to a series of interviews by experts called “The Gluten Summit – a Grain of Truth”. You may find this boring, odd, nerdy but it has caught my attention and caused me to skip a few evenings of Netflix in favor of not missing an interview. It has also caused me to pause and consider if some foods that I love are negatively impacting my health.
Other activities that I enjoy are kayaking, gardening, biking, playing games and writing on this blog. I like spending time at the lake as well as taking mini-vacations with my honey. I love to hike and get outdoors with my dog and my siblings. Engaging in the activities I find meaningful help me to improve my happiness, my mental health and my overall health. Number 9 likes to hike and camp with his hammock in the woods. His honey likes to create beautiful greeting cards and do all sorts of crafts. Child #1 loves to play bridge, Child #2 goes on missions to Haiti and her husband enjoys taking photographs. My honey loves tennis, golf, biking and my cooking!
What are your interests? What do you love to do? What catches your attention? How often do you in participate in these activities? Are they engaging enough to you get you of bed? Will they get you out of bed when you are 91?
Is it time to dig deep into an area of interest and see where it takes you? Is it time to explore the curve in the road and see where you end up? Health is not just about eating well and exercising! Choose Health!
Lake Girl
