NOURISH
I’m grateful for words…
There’s always something to be grateful for! Even something as simple as words. But I’ve come to realize that words may not always be so simple… they can really be quite profound! Words can be like a knife that cuts, or like wings that help someone take flight. They can fill us with fear, or they can make us feel fearless. They can be surrounded with anger and hate, or they can be full of joy and love. WORDS– pretty powerful!!
As part of the GI Restoration Program I’m doing, we have a weekly call talking about our mindset and giving us tools for relieving stress and using our mind/heart connection to help us heal. Each week we are given a word that relates to the topic we have discussed. I have found a lot of power in pondering on these words. I have chosen to post the word each week on my vision board and place the past ones on the wall around it. This helps me to keep the focus of the word in my mind and try to apply it throughout the week. I have had great experiences surrounding these words, and have come to realize even more how powerful one simple word can be!
NOURISH… this was the first word I was given when I started the program. I love this word!! Nourish the body, heart, mind and soul.
I was pondering on this word throughout that week and how it relates to each of these areas: body, heart, mind and soul. While attending church, I was really concentrating on how my spirit was being nourished. A good friend of mine was giving a talk that day, and I felt very uplifted by her words. I sent her a text to thank her for the message she had given and told her how it had been nourishing for my spirit that day. She wrote back and told me that through many of our conversations over the years that I have nourished her. I came away from the day feeling even more fed, and learned how many ways we can nourish our bodies, hearts, minds and souls, along with helping others to feel that too.
As I was writing this post about the word ‘nourish’, I kept thinking of this picture of the barrel of apples I had seen posted on a friend’s Instagram (Thank you, Alyssa Reidhead). I thought it was interesting that this picture came to my mind for the word ‘nourish’, because I can’t even eat apples. In fact, I haven’t been able to eat any fruits or vegetables for a long time. My body has been in such a highly reactive state that there are only a few foods I can eat. Even though I’m not able to get nutrients from healthy foods like apples, I’m grateful for the things that I can eat that keep me going. This barrel of apples represents the word ‘nourish’ to me in many ways. It reminds me how we need to nourish our bodies with things that are good for them. We also need to nourish our hearts, minds and souls. Picking apples or fruits can be a great way to do this as we are in nature and have time to ponder. We may also be nourished by spending time with family or friends as we are working together to pick the fruit. There is a lot of symbolism tied to this barrel of apples as well. Think about what it takes to get an apple. You have to start out with a good seed planted in good soil. Then it needs to be nourished with water and sunlight in order for the tree to grow and be able to produce apples. It is the same for us. In order for us to have a healthy outcome, we need to nourish all areas: body, heart, mind and soul, in order to get the positive results we seek. If we stop nourishing ourselves in one of these areas, we will become imbalanced and not be able to get the results we seek.
I encourage you to take some time and think about your body, heart, mind and soul. What are some ways you can nourish these areas and make them grow stronger? What are ways that you might be able to nourish someone else? Remember the word NOURISH this week, and look for ways that it can have a meaningful and powerful effect in your life!