Timeless May 2020 | Page 27

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. •27