(Hermosa Beach Contributed By Joe Dicochea)

2/9/15

“He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything.” – Thomas Carlyle

I can state with a great deal of confidence through experience and common sense that feeling well is the basic ingredient to living well!  We should strive for overall physical, mental, and emotional harmony because there is no greater continuity between our soul and the outside world than when the three are perfectly synchronized in timing and effect.  It’s difficult to find all three at any one time in exquisite rhythm and concord, and maybe it’s unreasonable to be consumed in the quest for that degree of perfection since what’s “perfect” may be entirely different than our initial complicated and complex expectations.  Still I think we know when we’re there, or at least close enough to give us clarity to see that what’s troubling us may not be important enough to give us so much trouble.

Before my injury, there was such a depletion of my physical well-being that the state of my emotional and mental soon was enveloped by its destructive influence and all three elements were continually struggling with each other:  First for survival, then for domination, and finally for what seemed like destruction.  Trust me I’m not painting this picture for dramatic effect – I’m just being honest because it really felt that way and Deb can attest to the devolution.  It’s not worth going into greater detail though because she lived it with me, those days are far enough behind us to keep are eyes in front of us, and still just close enough to keep me grounded.

So here I am telling you guys something I’ve said so many times about the dilemmas that we’ll inevitably have to confront.  PROCRASTINATION LEADS TO PREOCCUPATION, DISTRACTION, DISRUPTION, FRUSTRATION, and DESTRUCTION if not promptly addressed. We need to really stay on top of OUR games at almost all times because without the synergy of those exquisite, elementary, and essential principles that give us a sense of our overall stability, we become open to unpredictable and erratic changes to outside influences.  At almost any age, we know those times when things just don’t feel right for reasons we understand and maybe those we haven’t accepted out of denial or procrastination.

So my advice if you care. Identify those things, deal with them promptly and efficiently, get over them, and move forward for God’s sake because in doing so, you just might have a better understanding of how to live a more resilient and resourceful life, rather than a tenuous and precipitous one.  I say this after outlasting all the dark places I’ve visited, all the storms that left me adrift and off course, all the missteps I’ve made to bring me to my knees, and the last stumbles that almost took my life.  Again this is not for dramatic effect; it’s just to emphasize that this is not a theoretical exercise on my part but an illustration of the level of my particular crucibles that give credence to these recommendations.

I have this theory about the physical, mental, and emotional scars left behind:  they’re meant to only remind us of where we’ve been and what we’ve endured, but never to restrict or undermine our future journeys on this planet.  I just figure if hope exists in any form, it would be foolish not to exercise it regardless of what we’ve had to withstand to keep it alive, or so it seems that way to me because my figurative “resurrection” and “revitalization” depended on it and every single day is now fueled by it!

Still, the essential “trinity” of our physical, mental, and emotional well-being needs to be continually nurtured and protected to avoid any potential discord that may be introduced to our healthy routine.  Do what needs to be done to maintain it but please don’t leave it to God’s will when there’s so much that can be done by exercising our own free will to preserve all three.  He gave us life but it’s in our hands on how it’s to be lived!

Meditation, yoga, exercise, spirituality, etc, – whatever it takes to keep the peace within our souls to better address what is beyond the horizon that will eventually reach our shores.  The rebuilding process for me took effort, desire, and fortitude to address the perplexities of my initial limitations and the boundaries they created.  I think I was lucky because the foundation of my personal “trinity” was so exposed, it was easier to reestablish a connection with the core infrastructure where I used to draw my strength.  I mean I had the time so what was I going to do, feel sorry for myself when I could have walked from, or never even left, the hospital in worse shape?  Thank you Mom and Dad (and many others) because this recovery and redirection is a product of the intangible gifts you provided to me growing up!

Last thing I want to share.  I had a lot of time to gather myself to reach this state of physical, mental, and emotional balance (for the most part) and I honestly needed all of the time that I used wisely to get here.  I had to be somewhat selfish and self-absorbed to become selfless again.  I also had to remember to be kinder to myself to be kinder to others.  And with the improvement of my health, I not only was able to raise myself but in the end, help raise others again because I feel so much better now about so much more.

Still as I sit here with thoughts of perfecting parts of my residual infirmities, my days are fairly “perfect” all things considered, even though I by no means see myself as “perfect”.  I guess things just feel right because I feel so much better.

Here’s one last quote and for all those whose “trinity” is somewhat nebulous, I pray that you find your way to this point if your perspectives lack clarity.  “What is called genius is the abundance of life and health.” — Henry David Thoreau