The Good and the Bad

What a divine few weeks it has been. All rest and play. My brain feels like jelly and custard. I'm not quite sure I can put a string of intelligible sentences together, which makes me wonder if it's a good thing to have holidays. It always feels like so much hard work to get the brain and the body back into action again.

I climbed onto my exercise bike this morning to make my first attempt at awakening my muscles and they felt rather resistant to having to do work.

I know that our bodies thrive on stress, and you're probably frowning at this page right now, but they do. We need gravity to act on our bodies to prevent bone density loss. Astronauts are a very good example of this fact. If we don't constantly challenge our muscles with hard labour or weight lifting, our muscles atrophy and shrivel up with disuse. If we don't use it, we lose it!

So, I ask again: "Are holidays good for us?"

What's the point of relaxing to the point of virtual no return and then having to stress the body and mind into a massive overload the first day back at work?

It would be really easy to slip into couch potato land for eternity. No problems, no stress, no work, no commitments. OOPS! I forgot. No work - no money, stress, worry, no fun, no holidays.

It's a vicious cycle. So maybe we do need the stress after all and we certainly do need the play, because life just would be dull without a break from the monotony.

Don't we all feel this way at the start of the year. Aargh!

Anyhow, whilst I was holidaying in Bali, one of our party asked our guide why the Balinese always hold their hands in prayer position when they greet one another. The answer we were given is that it symbolises the greeters wish for the good and the bad to be balanced in our hearts.

I loved this and it is a small treasure I have brought home with me. How beautifully put. We should all embrace the good and the bad in our lives, ourselves and in others. These two opposing forces should be balanced, like the two sides of a coin or the two sides of a fully inflated beach ball or the amount of time we spend at work and at play.

So as we struggle to coax our bodies and minds into peak fitness and functionality once again, let's remember that we're not alone and let's welcome the good and the bad and see the beauty in that.

Well, that's the total of my brain gym for today. I intend to ease myself back into the groove graciously and my wish is for you to be gentle on yourself too.

Make this an awesome start to your year by capturing your thoughts and setting your intentions for greatness. And let's remember to accept the good with the bad.

Have a beautiful day

love
Nicolette