2020 was a year of shifting patterns, routines and norms. We have been stuck in the house so long that, when we finally throw open our doors, it may forget what it’s like to live life to the fullest. What guests have been brought into your house in 2020? Although we have not been able to entertain our loved ones, family and friends, there certainly have been visitors.
Does restlessness count as a guest? What about frustration and annoyance? Maybe a new hobby was a welcome guest for you. Like Scrooge, did you get a visit from a ghost of the past reminding you that you used to be healthier and happier?
How do we handle these guests, both welcome and unwelcome? Do we throw the door open wide and invite them in? Or do we draw the blinds and hope they go away?
Take a few moments to listen to this reading of The Guest House by Rumi, and imagine how you can open your heart and your life to each guest that shows up – the expected and the unexpected.
[su_audio url=”https://news.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/06/The-Guest-House-525-Andrea-Young.mp3″]How will you enter 2021? Will you find room in your life for a new and healthy habit? Will you allow yourself to envision a stronger version of you?
VA has tools to help you set goals in all areas of your health and well-being. The Whole Health website is a great place to start your Whole Health journey.
Andrea Young is a Field Implementation Team Consultant with the VHA Office of Patient Centered Care & Cultural Transformation
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