“Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep, really sleep.

Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell.  

And when you get angry, get good and angry.  Try to be alive. You will be gone soon enough.”

-Ernest Hemingway

I love the definitions of vitality.  The first one being that vitality is the state of being strong and active. The second one being the capacity to live, grow, or develop. I have often found myself stating over and over again that I can handle anything that life may decide to throw at me, as long as I am mentally in the right place.  If my mental state is strong and immovable, then nothing can get the best of me, and that goes for you too.  Having said that, it is quite the challenge to keep mentally strong at all times.  When I lose my metal toughness, I notice that I start feeling tired, less motivated, I may get sick more, I’m afraid more, I don’t have the drive that I normally would.  I “What If” think, and I over think.  I  get angry easier, and I just start to notice that I am not in a place that I want to be.  If you find yourself in moods like this frequently, and you think you are lacking vitality, then you need to take a step back and try to figure out what is causing your drop in vitality.

So, what do you do when your vitality sags?  First of all, if you are suffering from any of the following, then there is no doubt it is interfering with your vitality; fear, anxiety, guilt, worry, resentment, jealousy, anger, low self esteem, depression, or sadness to name a few.  If you are overcome with any of these, and can’t seem to get a grip on them, or you are overly consumed by them, then you may need the help of a professional.  Therapy or counseling is an amazing tool, and there is no shame in it.  Many of our issues can be traced back to areas in our life that we need to re-address and work through, so that we can find that peace we all desperately seek.  If you just struggle occasionally, then you can probably work through these issues on your own.  Lay out on paper everything in your life that is causing you tension or stress.  Make a list of each issue, and then try to come up with a solution that will help better that situation.  Have an open and honest conversation with yourself about how you are handling the stresses in your life.  Do you turn to unhealthy habits to mask your issues? The key is to look  at them straight in the eye, and not run from them, or use unhealthy things as crutches. Remember what you resist persists.  You have got to learn to face and not run away.  Again, if you need guidance to do this, then seek out people that you think can help you.  

Once you have got a hold of what’s bringing you down, then you can start to get some of your vitality back.  To keep it going strong, meditate daily, weed out the negative people or situations in your life as best as you can, learn to trust yourself and your abilities, exercise daily, eat healthier, laugh more, get enough sleep, learn to think more positive, live in the moment, and live a more grateful life.  You will see great changes in your life when you get yourself and your life in better order.  Work to keep your vitality strong and vivacious.  Ask for help when you need it.  Truly there is nothing that can stop you when you are mentally strong and sound.  The days you are given here on this Earth are precious ones.  Don’t let them go to waste.  Fight the evils that would beset your mind, and let peace, strength, and vitality win.

Hope On. Journey On.

Jenna