In order to live joyously, we must be willing to fully embrace all aspects of life.

As a holistic wellness coach and motivational speaker, I’m always exploring ways to maintain balance and peace. My basic paradigm places spirituality at the center of my life. This is where I plant the seeds in the soil of Spirit, and everything I water and nurture springs up from Life Source.

This includes my everyday choices in food, relaxation, relationships, home environment, physical activity, service and purpose. All of my lifestyle choices are rooted in spiritual awareness, and I infuse these choices with compassion, gratitude, faith, integrity, and ardent action.

I’m currently enrolled in a program to earn my spiritual practitioner’s license. My intention is to show others how to live richer, more fulfilling lives. Over the past few months, I’ve experienced a slight shift in consciousness.

While everything I’ve mentioned above still remains true, my epiphany has been around relationships. When we talk about relationships, we’re usually referring to our connections with family, friends and co-workers.

However, as I was prepping for a major project, it became crystal clear that my entire life – all of my day-to-day dealings – has to do with sacred relationships and the feelings associated with those relationships. This means I must develop loving and mindful relationships with every aspect of my life. Here’s what I mean:

Celebrate Yourself

The most important relationship is the one we create with ourselves! What type of relationship are you nurturing with yourself? Radical self-love is required to live confidently and graciously in this world. For me, what makes this possible is my moment-to-moment communion with Spirit.

It is the substance for self. I am one with It, and It sustains me. So every element of my life must reflect this truth. From this place of profound self-love, I am able to honor other relationships that are critical to enjoying life’s experiences.

Eat Nourishing Foods

My spiritual practice includes nutrition, a key lifestyle component that underscores a conscious commitment to wellness. When I prepare healthy cuisine, I know I’m supporting my Divine temple. The relationship I nurture with food is one that nourishes the cells in my body and promotes vitality and well-being. What type of relationship do you want to cultivate with your meals?

Commit to Fitness

Your exercise routine is a life-supporting agreement to honor and cherish your physical body in order to appreciate overall health. Physical activity is an important part of my daily spiritual practice. The relationship I forge with my exercise program must be engaging, fun and sustainable.

Mixing things up helps me heed my promise to self-care, which in turn makes me feel strong and confident about keeping my commitments.

Welcome Home

We all need our space, inner and outer. Have you ever considered your home environment a sacred space for lounging, personal development and inspiration? How do you want your home to look and feel?

Taking time to arrange things in a way that supports your needs is a sensible undertaking. My home environment encourages my spiritual practices and reinforces my way of life. This, in turn, promotes my inner calm and welcomes the peaceful Presence.

Embrace Friends and Family

What types of bonds do you want to build with other people? What emotions do you expect to arise, when you gather with friends and family? Are you open to expanding your pool of companions? Cultivating the feeling of oneness with others is important to me.

I am reminded of the meaning of Namaste: “The God in me recognizes the God in you.” What a beautiful way to express appreciation to those you meet! I’ve said this before: When I leave home each day, I become a serotonin dispensary, promoting mutual respect and good vibrations. I focus on developing relationships that radiate the harmonizing power of Divine love.

Relish Rest and Relaxation

Do you regularly establish time to get proper rest, meditate, play, reflect, read inspirational passages, commune with nature, practice mindful breathing and express thanksgiving? There’s wisdom in wooing me-time. Regularly scheduling breaks will not only help you feel refreshed, but will also enhance the other connections in your life and prepare you to be receptive to bountiful blessings.

Endorse Service Options

What emotions do you feel when you’re serving others? Personally, I prefer to sync my service choices with my life purpose. There’s no greater joy than giving back and uplifting others. It’s why I’m here. The ripple effects seem to spread and magnify beyond my familiar shores.

What philanthropic activities are you currently involved in? Art? Education? Environmental and humane causes? Whatever your interests, consider aligning your service choices with your values and beliefs. This will strengthen the bonds with yourself, your community and the earth.

Pursue Purposeful Endeavors

My passions are responsible for getting me up and motivated each morning. They give my life meaning and keep me engaged with my world. Peace, joy and unexpected favor seem to rush forth when I’m living my purpose. My sacred mission in life is a covenant that I created with Spirit.

What is your passion and purpose? Describe your relationship with your life work and the words that summarize your feelings about the gifts and talents you have developed over the years. Further, what is your relationship with success and money? Does that relationship support your purpose?

Relationships Are Forever Evolving

Can you see how the relationships we hold near and dear are interwoven and constitute the dynamic lives we wish to lead? The work of nurturing a loving relationship with myself is an ongoing process that requires me to remain aware, receptive and open to change in all areas of my life. Self rises up out of the power of Spirit, which was always there, just waiting to be acknowledged and affirmed.

I’m grateful that I am the instrument for Spirit’s love to be expressed through my relationships – and choices – in life. Deepening my awareness of Spirit helps deepen my awareness of my Divine nature. When my treasured relationships are aligned, everything seems to flow harmoniously and become one – my rich, rewarding life.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Can you think of other aspects of life that you’d like to develop a better relationship with? What would your ideal relationship with yourself look like? What feelings are expressed in that relationship?