WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
D
By Spencer Blalock, DHA, LCSW, BCD
Guest columnist
o you ever find yourself looking at
other people wondering how they
get to have so much fun in their
lives? They look healthy, intelli-
gent, funny, charming, etc.
Often, these people are painted onto
well-crafted commercials to appeal to your
interests and make you want to be like them
or to have what they have or go where they
go. Usually, the external picture is does not
tell the full truth.
There are plenty of hidden flaws, under-
developed plans, and aspirations that are yet
to be attained. There are journeys they have
looked forward to and haven’t embarked
upon yet. Maybe that’s something you feel
you are missing, a sense of movement on a
journey.
Do you like to travel? Or, as a child, teen,
young adult, and adult, did you plan trips
to places big and small? Did you get to
take some of the planned trips? What about
unplanned turns that landed you in a place
you never expected but turned out to be
what you needed?
In the last few months, the world has
changed substantially. In spite of increased
access to transportation and communication,
we are confronted with global precautions to
avoid illnesses and dangerous settings. And,
maybe our circumstances have changed that
make it more challenging to travel. What do
we do with the need to travel when we don’t
feel that we can?
I recommend the following activities as a
means of traveling.
• Reminisce: Spend 10-15 minutes taking
yourself back in your mind to a journey or
several that have occurred over your lifetime.
Remember the sense of wonder. Remember
the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and feel-
ings. Spend some time in your mind remem-
bering good journeys and the value they
brought to your life.
• Be Mindful: Maybe you’ve heard the
term “mindfulness” in the last few years.
Basically, it’s a very healthy practice of being
aware of what’s really going on around you
and within you. You can practice this by get-
ting comfortable where you are, closing your
eyes to turn off at least one source of stimu-
www.meridianstar.com
lus, and beginning to breathe in slow deep
breaths over three seconds, holding for three
seconds, and exhaling over three seconds. Do
this for at least 1 minute and notice the calm-
ing effect it causes.
Notice how your
body feels as it
focuses on active-
ly breathing. You
may notice other
concerns arise. If
they do, acknowl-
edge they are there
falling into place
where you don’t
have to manage
them (like snow-
flakes falling – you
see them and allow
them to slowly
float away). Allow
Blalock
your mind to be fully
present in the NOW
(not in past difficulty or future worry). Notice
what it feels like to be at peace. Refrain from
allowing your mind to go into judgment
mode. Stay in this peaceful place for a few
minutes each day and see what this does for
you.
• Plan an excursion: Discovering some-
thing new doesn’t require you to go great
distances. Going to a place that is familiar can
take on a new experience if we actively plan
to look at things from a different perspective.
• Read: Allow your mind to go where a
book can take you. Anna Quindlen expresses
it well, “Books are the plane, and the train,
and the road. They are the destination, and
the journey. They are home.”
All of these recommendations are meant to
open up new opportunities for you to be in a
different place. Lao Tzu reminds us, “A good
traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent
on arriving.” Enjoy the journey!
Contact Senior Care at 601-703-4917
for more information or visit www.rush-
healthsystems.org/seniorcare
• Spencer Blalock, DHA, LCSW, BCD, is a
clinical specialist with Senior Care – a service of
Rush Health Systems.
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