Bloom

by Lori Burns

I’m looking out my front window at the debris, displaced power lines, wood shavings and tree branches that have been washed away from two days of non-stop rain and flooding. Our backyard ditch rose so high that it threatened to pour onto our patio. Middle Tennessee is known for this kind of weather, but this is crazy. Eight inches of rain in 2 days brings destruction and chaos. It’s almost overwhelming to see nature out of balance in such a way. Yet today the sun is shining brightly on all the chaos, and as I look closer, not everything has been washed away. I see a splash of color peeping through the debris. Small buds, waiting to burst into a bouquet of brilliant color, have somehow survived. Many of the cherry tree blooms have survived. There is beauty all around me. Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Secret Garden, 1911) once said, “Is the spring coming?” “What is it like?”[...] “It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine…”

March 20th is a glorious day in our house. Spring. This word alone makes most people smile with the anticipation. Coincidently, it is also the International Day of Happiness. What a wonderful coincidence to have a meaningful organization recognize and promote positive emotion as being VITAL for mankind on the first day of Spring. This is a perfect season for personal growth and transformation. After a long winter, nothing beats basking in the spring sunlight. This is self-care at its best. As I think about the idea of Spring and all the implications that it has for me personally and professionally, I remember my mother always had a “spring cleaning” time at our house. I usually dreaded this time, as it meant cleaning down to the baseboards. As an adult, I have adapted the “springcleaning” idea into more practical as well as attractive alternatives than just physical labor around the house. I realized that it was time sweep out the cobwebs and dust that had gathered from my winter respite. My life needed a spring cleaning, and while I had a few buds showing, it was time to clear away the debris, so I could bloom. Below are a few ideas to jumpstart your own personal mind/body bloom:

• Declutter your wardrobe; and go through your clothes. Wash and store your cold weather clothes if you’re unlikely to use them now (although it depends which part of the world you’re living in!). Choose your Spring wardrobe, thinking about colors, your go-to signature style, your lifestyle and what type of clothes you need most of. Sort through the items you can donate to charity or those than can be recycled. I find this to be incredibly satisfying and rewarding!

• Re-visit your beauty routine; is it time to change colors, find a new product you like or simplify your make-up routine? Maybe you don’t wear makeup. No worries. Just updating your current routine feels good and makes your inner “self” feel good.

• Take 10 minutes for yourself; it may not be a long time but just having some quiet time to do what YOU want, instead of what others want you to do, can help you recharge your batteries. I personally take 30 minutes every day, and I encourage my clients to do the same. This is a game changer. Deep breathing, spiritual connections, and meditation are all very important ways to de-clutter our mind. • Take up gardening; anything from mowing that grass and full-scale landscaping to planting a few seeds in flowerpots to keep on your windowsill. In full disclosure, this one is hard for me personally, but I know MANY people that love this.

And spring is the time that allows the gardener in everyone to come alive. If you don’t like to dig in the dirt, I suggest an alternative: cut or buy fresh flowers for the house.

• Take the plunge; lastly, write one thing on a piece of paper that you’ve been procrastinating in doing. It can be anything. For me it was doing our taxes. Make a goal of doing the one thing. Make it specific, have someone in your life hold you accountable to it, give yourself a timeframe, and make sure that your one thing is relevant to your values and beliefs. You’ll be surprised at how empowered you will feel.

My final advice is you cannot pour from an empty cup—if you don’t give yourself the love and attention you need, you won’t be able to fulfill or be fulfilled in your other relationships. There are hundreds of self-care tips. These tips and small actions, carried out over a period of time, can help you cultivate that sense of self-respect, worth, and love, and as a result, make you feel whole and will enriching all other relationships around you.

Spring is a time of renewal—of new adventures, of new possibilities. How will you bloom this year?

ALCOHOL & FATS

It’s a relief to know the truth from conflicting medical studies! The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. The French eat a lot of fat and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British of Amricans. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you!