Definitions: (1) possessing well-being and vigor of body, mind, or spirit; salutary; (2) being in a sound state; enjoying fitness; hale; robust; (3) conducive to life; wholesome; salubrious; (4) prosperous; flourishing
Sayings:
• My body is a temple.
• A votre sante (French): “To your health” [used as a toast].
Affirmation: I give thanks for ever-increasing health, vitality, and beauty on all levels of my being. — Catherine Ponder (1927 -) The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity (paraphrase)
Reflections:
• There is an understandable tendency to make attempts to limit the amount of pain you experience. On the surface, this seems reasonable. But consider all of the reasons you need or would prefer to choose pain.
◦ If pain is a part of an adventure
◦ If the fun of the game outweighs the pain involved
◦ If you cannot reach your goal, your ideal, without it
◦ If by suffering you will give life to another – child birth
◦ If you believe your sacrifice will protect someone you love
◦ If by feeling pain you know you will get a reward – exercise
◦ If by experiencing a smaller amount of pain you hope to avoid a greater amount – surgery
◦ If by experiencing discomfort you will receive the wage you need to sustain your livelihood; it is your job, your duty.
◦ You may wish to allow your current, and therefore known, pain rather than choose a change that may or may not produce a new pain.
• If you know your pain and confront it with courage, you won’t have to resort to avoiding it. The fearful use different ways to restrict their pain. One way is to be anesthetized with drugs or alcohol. Or by making choices that reduce the need to confront the difficulty, that is, find a comfortable niche and allow a minimal amount of change to occur. The logic is that change equals pain. Although, there is also pain involved in just keeping your mouth shut and trying to limit your boundaries.
Another way the psychologically imbalanced and the emotionally immature manifest their need to reduce their own pain is by creating it in others. There’s an extreme example in criminals, of course, but even a normal individual will lash out at a stranger, a friend, or family when he or she is frustrated, fearful, or in pain. It is difficult to experience gentleness and patience when you’re also experiencing pain or anger, but it is possible; and they mitigate both.
Colors: green, pink, red
Symbol: the number five