This blog wanders from topic to topic like an ant on the search for something sweet, from the highs of love to hiking at high altitude, from the journey towards becoming fit to how to fit 50,000 bulbs in a small corner lot - with each blog mixing humor, joy, and hopefully, something useful to take away.

​

I've come to realize lately that the path to becoming healthy is one with many components, and for each person, they are likely rich beyond measure in some of those parts, with much less bounty of other parts. My goal is to explore all fifteen of the components listed on the main page of this blog, and you can, if you like, vicariously follow along with me as I walk down the path towards a balanced, sustainable, and fun approach to health. Hopefully, there will be something of value for all of us!

 

I'm going to work on five building blocks / types of health, each of which has three components.

For each of these, I'm asking myself "what can strengthen this - and what roadblocks are in the way?"

 

Strengthening Mental Health

• self awareness: what motivates me, what are my values, what am I unaware of?

• knowledge: what do I need to learn (or relearn..), what skills am I lacking?

• cognition: as my 'little grey cells" slowly deteriorate, how can I stay sharp?

Making a blog website for the first time, at age sixty eight, just might work for all three steps!

 

Strengthening Social Health

• intimacy: how can I listen, love, and connect better with those I love?

• friendship: how can I strengthen my existing friendships and build new ones?

• exploration: where can I go to learn new cultures/lifestyles that may be more healthy?

I think every one of the other building blocks is enhanced when relationships are strong.

 

Strengthening Physical Health

• food: overeating is one of my greatest challenges - how can I address it?

• exercise: what can I do in retirement to become more physically active?

• rest: is there a way that I can get a full night's sleep?

I have renewed hope for the path to health, now that these are buttressed by the other twelve health components - it doesn't have to boil down to just working on food, rest, and exercise.

 

Strengthening Spiritual Health

• service: how can I help others?

• contemplation: am I spending time in living into and deepening my spiritual/religious beliefs?

• hiking: as a very easily distracted guy (ooo... squirrel), hiking allows me to clear my mind and find clarity in a distraction-free immersion into nature. What a joy to live near the Rockies!

I truly believe there is a link between faith (in any form) and one's physical health.

 

Strengthening Creative Health

• art projects: I have always wanted to try my hand at writing, painting, sculpture, etc.

• house projects: anyone who owns a house knows the list of projects never has an end.

• gardening: time spent in the garden is almost zen-like in its ability to put me in a good place.

All of these mix creativity and problem solving, providing balance in using all of our brain.

​

Oh, and as for that weird name, it's all explained in the very first blog, which is the very last of the blogs on the home page.