To Be Fully Alive

I am not much of a TV watcher and so it is unusual for me to spend as many hours as I have this past week in front of the TV screen--but I simply cannot get enough of the Olympics.  Watching the Olympics has become my spiritual practice these days.  Watching the athletes pushing themselves to their limits, striving for excellence, whether individually or as a team, helps my heart and soul to feel just a little bit more alive. In the second century, an early bishop of the Church named Irenaeus, said, “The glory of God is the human person fully alive.”  This is what I see when I watch the Olympic athletes.  I see people who are fully alive in what they are doing.  This is why the athletes compete.  Of course they would all like to win medals, but the reality is that most of the athletes who compete in the Olympics know they have little to no chance of winning a medal, but they continue to practice and compete anyway.  So why do they do it?  Because pursuing excellence in their sport is what makes them feel fully alive.  This is the true essence of the Olympic spirit.

Another wonderful quote about being fully alive is from Howard Thurman, an influential American author, philosopher, theologian, educator, and civil rights leader who in the in the mid-twentieth century said, "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."  As we see in the Olympics, some people come alive when they swim.  Others comes alive when they are fencing, or rowing, or riding a horse, some when throwing a shot put, or performing on the balance beam.  And here is something that at first may appear to be a paradox.  Even when we see an athlete experiencing a heart-breaking disappointment, we are still witnessing a person who is being fully alive.  That's because being fully alive is not about winning.   Being fully alive is about being fully present, being "all in" with your whole heart, soul, strength, and mind.

When do you feel most fully alive?  In what endeavors in your life do you pursue excellence?  What is it in your life that is so important to you that you pursue it with passion, excellence, and determination?  Most likely your  endeavors will not qualify you as an Olympic athlete, but that is not what is important. What may make you feel most fully alive may be being a parent, or loving your partner, or being a great friend. It may be tending a garden, or spending time in nature, or giving back to the community.  It's different for each of us because there are indeed a variety of gifts amongst us all.

For most of us, there are neither Olympic sports nor bronze, silver or gold medals in the pursuits that make us feel most alive. But when we are actively pursuing what makes our hearts and souls most alive, medals or recognition from others is not necessary nor are they the greatest reward.  The joy of being a “human person fully alive” is reward enough. So to all the Olympic athletes I say, “Go for the gold!”  To the rest of us, I say, “Let's go for what makes us feel fully alive,” as the world needs more people who are fully alive.

Living Water

I awoke last night to the sound of rain.  My reaction was similar to what I would have experienced had a close friend, I had not heard from for a long time, called me in the middle of the night and woken me up.  At first I felt a bit annoyed at being awakened, but that feeling soon gave way to the joy of hearing from an old friend.  It felt good to reconnect.  Here in Wisconsin, just as in many other parts of our country, it's been a long time without rain.  The heat and drought of 2012 has been devastating to farmers and to so many others who either work outside, do not have air conditioning, or are adversely affected by heat. There is much to be learned from this summer's drought regarding wholeness and wellness, believe it or not.  The first lesson is the importance of balance.  In northern climates, we wait all winter for the warmth and sunshine of summer.  We long for hot, sunny summer days.  And yet, now that all that we have are hot, sunny days, we now find ourselves longing for cool, rainy ones.  Anything in excess--even something as wonderful as warmth and sun--will eventually compromise our wellness. Working in excess will eventually compromise our wellness.  Excessive busyness will, too.  Even exercise--a very good thing in and of itself--if taken to extremes will break down our wellness.  Excessive religiosity can also do the same.  Nature needs the balance of sun and rain, and we need a balanced focus of heart, soul, strength, and mind in our own lives.

The fact that there will always be seasons in our lives when things that are happening to us are beyond our control is the basis for a second lesson.  Droughts come in many forms--in body, mind, and spirit.  The loss of a loved one.  A scary diagnosis.  A dark night of the soul.  A relationship growing cold.  A job loss.  Bad things happen to farmers and other good people as well.  Droughts are humble reminders that we do not control as much in our lives as we would like to think we do.

We do, however, have control over how we respond to the droughts in our lives and in the lives of others.   Proud farmers everywhere are having to ask for help this summer.  Some farmers who have been blessed with more rain are inviting farmers from hundreds of miles away to move their livestock to their farms for better grazing.  Some states are opening public lands from which farmers can temporarily harvest hay for their cattle.

Asking for help, doing things we would never have dreamed of before to get along, and coming together as a community serves everyone well, whatever type of drought we are experiencing.  And if we are blessed to be experiencing greener conditions in our own lives, we can reach out to someone we know who is experiencing a dry season in his or her life right now.  We can provide the living water they desperately need.

To everything there is a season.

A time for sun and a time for rain.

A time to ask for help and a time to offer help.

A time for abundance and a time for scarcity.

A time to for green pastures and a time for patience.

A time to sleep soundly and a time to be gloriously awaked by a rain storm.

The Community of a Peloton

Last week I spent eight days at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church.   The General Convention is a gathering of Episcopal leaders from every state in the United States, plus Haiti, Ecuador, Europe, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and several other countries.    It is held every three years and it is equal parts budget setting, policy and practice setting, and a giant “family” reunion.  This year 6,000 people gathered in Indianapolis and our Living Compass team was there the entire time to introduce people to the wide range of faith and wellness resources we have to offer. Being at General Convention was one of the most uplifting and energizing experiences I have had in a long time.  During the eight days I was there I spoke with close to a thousand people from a wide variety of settings.  I talked with people from the country of Haiti, a small fishing village in Alaska, France, New York City, Bean Blossom, Indiana, the Diocese of Navajoland and many others.  Each of these people were coming to find out about Living Compass, but before I would share any information with them I always asked them to tell me about their local congregation or ministry context, and to tell me about what they do there. You see, I love to listen to people's stories.  And so, one by one, I heard first hand stories of people making a difference by bringing hope and healing to people who need it in their part of the world. During my time at General Convention, my only regret, was that I was not able to enjoy one of my favorite summer time passions: cycling.  Not only was I not able to ride my bike for eight days, but I was so busy that I was unable to watch the biggest annual event in cycling, the Tour de France.  As I write this column though, all is well again.  I am back in Wisconsin, again getting long rides in on my bike, and watching nightly highlights of the Tour de France. If you have never watched the Tour, I encourage you to do so before it ends this coming Sunday, July 22nd.  If you watch, even for just a few minutes, you will witness a fascinating strategic phenomenon in bike racing known as the peloton.  The peloton (from French, meaning “little ball” or “platoon”) is the large pack of riders who ride together to save energy by riding extremely close, usually behind, each other.  Riders take turns “pulling” in the front of the peloton to reduce the efforts for others.  The reduction in drag experienced by the racers, and therefore the effort needed is dramatic; in a large group it can be as much as 40%.  Another way of saying this is that riding a bike solo, away from a pack of other riders, can require 30%-50% more effort. As I reflect on both biking and my uplifting time at General Convention last week, I  realize that while I was unable to ride my bike while there, I was indeed riding in a peloton.   Each of us took turns drafting off each other's stories of where and how the Spirit is making a difference in our lives.  It was a powerful reminder that while there are times when we need to ride solo in life, our wholeness and wellness is most clearly nurtured, sustained, and inspired in community. Think about the most important pelotons in your life right now.  Are you faithful in your commitment to keep those pelotons strong?  Do you take your turn “pulling” at the front of the group?   Are you comfortable acknowledging your need to ride in a peloton, or do you do too much solo riding in your life?   Pelotons come in many forms and they are all important:  families, partners, friends, faith communities, book groups, work teams, sports teams, retirement communities, schools, neighborhoods, and yes, even national church conventions of 6,000 people. I'm already looking forward to 2015 in Salt Lake City when the General Convention/Episcopal Peloton rides again!  In the meantime, may we all be uplifted by the smaller, local pelotons we are blessed to ride in every day.

It's All About The Application

Living Compass is excited to announce that we have just released a new “app” for smartphones and tablets.  The app, or application, is called “Living Well With Living Compass” and it is available for free in the app store for your mobile device (iPhone, iPad, and Android).  Our app includes a variety of wellness resources, our Living Compass Self-Assessment, and a tool to help users create and track wellness action steps.  In addition to a public cheering section, a place within the app where users can share intentions, successes, and cheer each other on, there is also the opportunity to create your own personal “cheering section” where you can invite and connect with friends and family who are also working on their wellness steps.  We invite you to download it and try it out.  We will update the app regularly as we to work to make it a powerful tool for those seeking to create an abundant life, and would appreciate your feedback which you can give us through the app. Like everything with Living Compass, this is a team effort.  

Releasing our application has given me an opportunity to reflect upon the word application.  It is a fascinating word that has great relevance to wellness and wholeness.

  It seems to me the essence of living well involves both having the knowledge of what choices create wellness and wholeness, and then applying that wisdom on a daily basis.  I know that when I find myself stressed and out of balance, it is not because I don't know how to handle or avoid stress better, but because I am not currently applying what I already know.

  An analogy might be helpful.  Imagine you go to the beach on a sunny day.  You know it is wise to protect your exposed skin by using sunscreen and so you buy a bottle and plan to put in on as soon as you arrive at the beach.  Once you get there though, you get caught up in the excitement and forget to apply the sunscreen.  You have a great day at the beach, but arrive home sunburned and concerned about the harm you have done to your skin.  The problem was not that you didn't know what to do; the problem is that you literally forgot to apply what you knew was good for you.

  Applying this knowledge to my own life,  I know that taking time each day to nurture both my spiritual well-being and my physical well-being helps me to be centered and balanced throughout the day.  Fifteen minutes of prayer and/or spiritual reading and forty-five minutes of exercise makes a world of difference in the way I feel. Just as importantly, it makes such a difference in the kind of energy I bring to my interactions with others throughout the day.  When I forget to “apply” the wisdom of caring for my spiritual and physical well-being, my wellness suffers and this, in turn, affects the wellness of others around me, too.

  Leonardo da Vinci was right when he said, “Knowing is not enough, we must apply.”  Most of us already know what practices and daily choices will enhance our spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical wellness.  Just like taking that bottle of sunscreen to the beach, we have to remember to apply the wisdom we already possess.  It does us no good to carry that wisdom around in our backpack, forgetting to apply it to our lives.

  So in honor of the release of our new app, it's good to remember that when it comes to wellness and wholeness, it really is all about the application!  Download our free app, “Living Well with Living Compass”, today --it won't protect your skin from the sun, but it is a tool that will help you apply what you already know to other important areas of wellness in you life.

Growing Wellness

Have you ever had the experience where you discovered something wonderful that is brand new to you, but you soon find out that the rest of the world has known about this for a very long time?  I am currently having that experience right now as I have discovered one of the greatest of summer activities that has been enjoyed by people around the world for generations.  Yes, my friends, I have discovered the utter joy and delight of planting and growing a vegetable garden. Who knew that planting a vegetable garden could be so much fun?  Well, apparently just about everyone with whom I have been sharing my enthusiasm for my new found hobby.  Most people, I'm finding, are either growing a vegetable garden right now and many having done so  for years, or at some point in their lives enjoyed having a garden.  I may be late to the party, but I'm glad I found it and I'm glad I'm here!

I hope you will forgive me if in my new found passion for gardening I write more than just one column about the many connections between wellness and gardening.  I just never new how many lessons there are to be gained from gardening.  I guess it should not be surprising that this is the case.  After all, many of the sacred texts of the world's great religions contain numerous agricultural, nature-based images and stories to illustrate  spiritual truths.

My wife and I planted our first vegetable garden five weeks ago, with the help of our daughter and future son-in-law.  Okay, truth be told, they planted it and we helped.  They are both experts in the area of farming and gardening and so, knowing that we were interested in having a garden but were unsure of where to start, they gave us the wonderful present of a raised vegetable garden.  They figured out the perfect balance of nutrients for the soil and also purchased all the right seeds and plants.   And in five weeks we are already eating the freshest arugula and red leaf lettuce I have ever tasted.  Pictured above is a photo taken of the arugula we had for dinner last night.

The first connection between wellness and gardening that I would like to share is something very simple; wellness and gardening are similar in that they both have to be created.  You can not purchase a garden, nor can you purchase wellness.  Neither comes ready-made. Each of them must be created over time with planning, patience, and perseverance.

In creating our new garden we had do all kinds of planning; planning where the garden would go, figuring what size garden we wanted, figuring how much lumber, dirt and nutrients were needed, determining what kinds of plants to plant and then when would be the best time to do the planting. Then came the patience.  After all the hard work of building and planting the garden we had to wait for things to come up and now we continue to wait for the plants to mature and ripen. As for perseverance, we continue to water, thin seedlings, and pull out weeds on a regular basis--all so our garden has the best chance of being successful.

This same kind of work is necessary for both personal wellness and family wellness.    Our personal wellness is largely determined by the sum total of the day to day choices we make.  Wellness between a couple, wellness between a parent and a child, and wellness between any two family members has to be planted and grown over time.  Wellness in relationships does not appear all at once, but rather it appears and blooms over time with planning, patience, and perseverance.  Like a garden, we plant and grow our relationships one day at a time.  Then we must also water, thin and weed on a regular basis so that our relationships have the best chance of being healthy and life giving. All of the intentionality, patience and perseverance will pay off in our families much like the bounty of fall shows gardeners that their hard work over the summer was worth it!

I would love to hear what you are growing in your garden this summer--whether its your vegetable garden, or the garden of your own personal or family life.   Whatever you are growing, I wish you plenty of sunshine, good nutrients, and a fruitful harvest.