Give Yourself a “PaRx”!

 

Amid the pandemic, when we were for the most part quarantined, urged to remain indoors as much as possible, I had an overwhelming urge to get out into nature. Living as I do in Southern California, I figured I could go find a beach and stare at the ocean for a bit without breaking any quarantine regulations.

I loaded the dogs into the car, and off we went. I found a nice stretch of deserted beach and walked myself and my pups down as close to the ocean as we could without getting wet. The fact that it was a cold gloomy overcast day didn’t bother me at all. I breathed in the salt air, the enormity of sea and sky until I felt full of nature’s bounty. Packed the dogs back in the car, and drove home feeling relieved and serene.

Little did I know that I’d just given myself a “PaRx” – a nature prescription – as increasing numbers of Canadian physicians have been giving to their anxious and depressed patients. The healing properties of a couple of hours per week in nature are amazing. It benefits young and old, rich and poor, healthy and not-so-healthy. Research shows that spending time in nature is good for pretty much anything that ails you. Parks, beaches, forests – your choice. Nature is healing in all her forms.

But what if you haven’t the time or access to a park/beach/forest? There’s an alternative: indoor plants. Yes indeed, studies show that spending time with houseplants also has many health benefits. Real plants (not plastic, sorry) can reduce stress, sharpen attention, provide cleaner air, boost productivity, and facilitate healing, to name but some of the benefits. What a gift.

So whether you indulge in that glorious weekly two hours outdoors, or simply spend time tending and enjoying your couple of perky houseplants, go for it! You’ve nothing to lose, and lots of benefits to gain.

What Now, Why Me?, Episode 44

Why does it seem like just when life is going along so nicely, something pulls the rug from under you? Like losing your job, relationship, car? Why can’t things just stay steady on course? Like forever? In this podcast, you’ll find out how to deal with some of the ordinary inevitable losses of life so you can open up to the new and better yet to come.

 

 

Check out this latest episode!

Transform Parent into Adult, Episode 43

Check out this latest episode!

“Miracles start to happen when you give as much energy to your dreams as you do to your fears.” - Richard Wilkins

 

A dear friend was lamenting the state of the world these days, and indeed, the wars, shootings, political and legal wrangles are disturbing to those who want peace and prosperity for all. In addition to the natural disasters which seem constant: fires, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes.

And yet, and yet . . . For every negative media blast there is somewhere on the planet a positive situation or event. An Uber driver sacrificing his day’s work (which he dearly needed) to help a stranger who’d been robbed at California’s Coachella music festival find her phone and a way home. That same stranger turning around and creating a GoFundMe to help the driver with his daughter’s cancer treatment bills, to the tune of over a hundred thousand dollars.

A person just passing by saw that a dog had fallen into bone-chilling water in a frozen lake in NY’s Central Park, and that the dog’s owner was having no luck getting the dog out. The good Samaritan gave it a go, tumbled into the water himself, yet managed to get both dog and himself out of the lake safe and sound. In Costa Rica, police stopped traffic to allow a sloth to cross a busy road – sloooowly, at a distinguished sloth pace.

I could go on and on. Good stuff happens every day in our world, in every corner of the world. The bad stuff grabs our attention, but you don’t have to park your attention there and camp out. If you feel called to action, great! You may decide to protest, petition or pray, whatever works for you. The important thing is that you also turn your attention to the good stuff.

That you pay attention to your dreams. Whether those dreams are for yourself, your family, your community, or our world matters not. What matters, as the quote states, is that you give at least as much energy to your dreams as you do to your fears. Because only as we move in the direction of our dreams, both in thought and action, can those dreams come to pass.

And then, yes, miracles can start to happen!