Letter from the Editor

Did you know that September is National Courtesy Month and October is National Emotional Wellness Month? September also happens to be National Blueberry Popsicle Month and October is also National Bat Appreciation Month. But since we are a health and wellness magazine, I figured courtesy and emotional wellness might be more appropriate to talk about than blueberry popsicles and bats. I will say this though: eating blueberry popsicles while watching bats fly around your backyard can be quite relaxing.

So how do courtesy and emotional wellness work together? First, let’s look at what it means to be courteous. To some, being courteous means being helpful. To others, it means being polite and having good manners. Courtesy can be words spoken or actions taken towards someone. Courtesy is about respect. How you choose to show someone courtesy is entirely up to you!

As for understanding your emotional wellness, it often starts with taking stock of your stress level. What may be contributing to your level of stress and which of those things can you control? The control part is actually the “easiest” to understand but the hardest to implement because there is only one thing that you can control: yourself. You have complete control of what you say and do in your response to any given situation.

With that being said, some of the biggest stresses and greatest deterrents to emotional well-being come from other people: friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers (especially those that are going slow in the fast lane or those taking their time in front of you in the grocery check out line when you’re in a hurry). It’s ironic that as human beings, we thrive on social interactions, but it is those same social interactions that can be so taxing to our emotional wellness.

So what’s the solution? You guessed it: you can reduce the stress in your life and enhance your emotional well-being by simply being courteous. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “As we are, so we do; and as we do, so is it done to us; we are the builders of our fortunes.” I guarantee that as you extend courtesy to others, others will reciprocate. You will feel happier for being both the giver and receiver, and your emotional wellness will improve.

So this is my challenge to you: go out of your way to be courteous to others, especially those that are closest to you as they are often the ones whom we most neglect. Be courteous to yourself, too. Quit beating yourself up for every mistake made and allow yourself to be human. Let me know how it goes and what experiences you create. My email is sghw@brendandalley.com.

All the Best,

Brendan Dalley Brendan Dalley Editor Editor