The Way of Wellness

I closed our share last month with the following tenet: The way of wellness should begin with leading one’s self well, one’s true, whole self. In doing so, we seek balance. Sounds good, right? But how do we find that self when we do not know & understand ourselves? Let’s agree that the miracle of our beings is vast, intricate, & beautiful. The care of our beings comes naturally. We eat, we drink, we move (or at least we try to), & we sleep. Wait, sleep? Do we sleep well? Could an imbalance exist in the realm of our sleep that impedes the way of wellness in our lives?

Years ago, as a mature mother of our first baby girl, I experienced an emotional and life-altering reality check. I stated I was mature because I was around the age of 31. New to

the area we lived in, with new jobs, & no family available, my husband (Bill) & I decided to be our baby’s total caregivers. In other words, no daycare, no sitters, & I would soon find out, no sleep! To do this, I accepted a position as a registered nurse at a local & hospital on the 11 pm-7 am shift & Bill worked days at a nearby fiber-optic facility.

Talk about teamwork. As I was coming in from work, Bill was leaving for work, and our baby was lovingly handed off between us. During the day, I completed my chores & errands, read to, fed my baby & changed diapers (lots of diapers). And I napped some during the day. Following dinner each evening around 5 pm, my “real” sleep time was to begin. Bill took care of our baby for the evening & I headed to bed.

That’s when things got interesting. I would lie in bed, often exhausted physically but my mind was racing! How many patients would I be assigned to tonight? Did Bill remember to warm the baby’s bottle? Why is it so quiet out there? What should I fix for dinner tomorrow? This went on for some time. I was sleepless in Hickory! Finally, one evening, Bill opened the bedroom door (with our baby in his arms) after my third time up and asked, “What is the problem?” I went into pity party mode & spewed out a litany of

excuses about why I hadn’t fallen asleep.

Have you ever experienced a moment when someone says or does something right for you & does it in such a way that “removes all whining & excuses?” Bill delivered such a moment. As he was closing the bedroom door, he said, “Stop it. Turn over & go to sleep!” I did. And I have been sleeping well ever since.

You may be an ardent sleeper or one that drifts off to the sound of tranquil music, nature sounds, or affirmations. Yet, if you toss & turn while watching the clock tick the hours away, your way of wellness needs a jolt. Consider preparing yourself for a night of rejuvenating sleep by setting the atmosphere for such. Turn the TV off early, silence your phone, sip on soothing herbal tea, or simply pray. The power in all of this lies in consistency. Limitless Leaders, you have much to do & be about “each” next day so “turn over & go to sleep!”

The baby referred to in this story is the one & only Dr. Mary!