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Article by Christina Kunkle
30
Summer 2012
You deserve your attention For “mission-driven women” like us, who tend to burn the candle at both ends, the No. 1 factor in creating and sustaining balanced success is taking full responsibility for the care and maintenance of our irreplaceable bodies. While a healthy mind, strong body and loving spirit are essential to success, it is only through nourishing our bodies inside and out that we are able to claim the vitality necessary to reach our full potential. I believe — more than mind-set, knowledge or skills or any other resource (even money) — that it is exceptional self-care, or the lack of, that will determine whether or not we are happy, healthy and fulfilled. Ironically enough, self-care is the area that I, and many of my clients, have struggled with the most: The culprit? Jampacked schedules, and the habit of putting others’ needs before our own. Not to mention the lack of self-worth that results from years of telling ourselves we’re not “good enough.” If we wait for the perfect time, when things finally slow down, when everyone has what they need, when we’ve lost that extra 10 pounds or can invest in a wardrobe that reflects the hottest trends, we’ll be wasting precious time that we’ll never get back. Life is short and we don’t have the luxury of knowing, with any degree of certainty, that we’ll be here tomorrow. Truth is, even though there are areas we’re still focused on improving, we must learn to love and accept our imperfect selves. photos.com
t’s been a time of deep sadness and quiet reflection since receiving word that cancer had taken my once vibrant, upbeat and always smiling friend from this world. My heart goes out to her husband and children for how painful it must be to go on without her. I find myself thinking, “It could have been me” as I mark two years since the day I nearly lost my own life after complications following a routine hysterectomy. The difficulty led to renal failure and pulmonary edema, resulting in cardiac arrest and an emergency surgery. After the initial procedure, and throughout the night, I complained of unrelenting discomfort. By dawn, I was restless and confused. Chilled to the bone, and shaking uncontrollably, each inhale brought excruciating chest pain; the doctor urged me to breathe deeply, but I couldn’t. This must have been when I stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest because, suddenly, the most brilliantyellow sun I had ever seen appeared before me. As it neared, I opened my arms to soak in its unbelievably loving warmth. Feeling as if I were wrapped tightly in a blanket straight from the dryer I was finally able to take a deep breath without pain. No more had I uttered a grateful “Ahh” than I noticed the sun getting closer and realized I was speeding towards its center and away from life as I knew it. I can still feel my head shaking “No!” and hear my voice, in a terrifying moment of recognition, saying “Oh, hell no! I still have stuff to do!” As Mother Teresa said, “Life is life. Fight for it.” And fight I did.
Needless to say, I haven’t been the same since. As I made my way back, there were promises made that I am still busy living up to. In addition to showing as much love as I can to family and friends, and empowering women to thrive in work and life, I’m more deeply committed than ever to becoming C.E.O. of my own health and encouraging others to do the same.