Regaining Zestful Momentum In Your Life

The earth is in constant momentum and so are you! I love staring at Leon Foucault’s pendulum steadily swinging back and forth in the spectacular setting of the Pantheon of Paris.   I find it mesmerizing and meditative at the same time.  Even hypnotic.

The very shiny brass ball stays in perpetual motion thanks to the continuous revolving of our planet earth.  Foucault designed his swinging pendulum to prove that the earth is revolving.

Foucault’s pendulum reaches a broad swing up before it effortlessly glides back to the opposite side,  a continuous momentum where the ball moves by small degrees clockwise if it is located north of the equator and in a counterclockwise motion if south.

It takes 24 hours to make a rotation if located at the poles and longer depending on the latitude of the country and location. In Paris about 31 hours.   At the equator, it does not make a rotation.

The minute movement of our planet earth keeps the brass ball moving and revolving in minuscule increments propelling it slowly around a trajectory representing the earth circumference.

Foucault’s original pendulum can be seen swinging at the Musée des Arts et Metiers in Paris as well.

 

You, like Foucault’s pendulum, have your own rhythmic momentum whether you are aware of it or not.  How you live your life determines the breath and momentum of your swing.

You are in constant evolution not only physically but intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Your challenge is to make sure as you get older that this evolution is more upward momentum rather than downward into slow stagnation.

Though none of us can completely stop the process of growing older, we can slow it from being a landslide. Being holistic is the key.

Our bodies and psyches are well in tune with each other.   The connections are diversely wired. Some that we know and some that we have not discovered as of yet.

Remember studying symbiosis back in college biology?  Well within your body and mind, there are symbiotic relationships influencing the health and well being of each other, not one over the other.

You can’t starve one part and feed the one without consequences of some derangement in both parties.   You can certainly play melodies on an untuned old piano, however off key, but tuning the keys can also make all the difference in the world.

There comes a time when we all need a tune up!  When you think of taking a long car trip, you don’t go to your garagiste and ask him to just change the oil, do you?  No, you ask for a comprehensive refilling or changing of various fluids and components!

Regaining an upward momentum requires tweaking various social, physical, emotional and spiritual systems in your life.

They all need each other to be humming along.  You can’t just focus on one without assuring the health of the others. Neglecting to care for one results in it compacting the health and well being of the other.

Ok, enough harping along that theme!  Let me say in bold letters that no one is responsible for taking care of your self except you.  

You are the captain of your ship headed to either crash on the shore or reposition yourself to sail fairly smoothly along in calm waters.

Recalibration or repositioning yourself all at once is a complete chore and a seemingly impossible burden and task.  I am not advocating that, as you might be inviting failure to finish the goal from the beginning by overcharging your plate.

In physical therapy, you take baby steps in regaining your strength and mobility back to normality.  Tuning up your life must follow the same precepts.

Some say, human beings don’t value things, until they have lost them.  I would say that holds true for some, who forget about acknowledging and being grateful for what you do have.

That can be most seen when you face getting sick or facing an awareness that your body has lost ground and functioning over time.

Where were you when all seemingly was ok?  Out beating the bush to earn more money?  Accumulating more trinkets to adorn your house or body?  Running around trying to impress others while neglecting your own nest?  The list goes on!

Losses are very painful wake up calls, especially our health.    They certainly will get your attention!  When the alarm sounds, better to do something about it, rather than just turn off the alarm!

Most of us know or have experienced a mid life crisis.  I believe there are other developmental adult crises in our lives, not just one.

I feel there is a churning up and regurging of stuff in our late sixties or early 70’s.   We realise that the stark winter of life is approaching seemingly at breakneck speed.

Your train of life is running down the mountain in  a downward momentum to a puddle of physical and psychological stagnation, if  there isn’t some effort to brake the descent with fruitful lifegiving changes.

Some of you are already so settled into your rocking chair of routine to not even care.  You have so little momentum that you are approaching the fringes of stagnation.  You might feel you have well earned the right to do nothing but rock away and you have of course!

For those of you who still have curiosity about the life around you and look forward to something new, you can still go towards these quests beyond the horizon of your setting sun.

Shake up your life a little!  Take on a new leisure project.  Stimulate your intellectual facilities by some challenging lectures and reading  There is so much to learn about in our world!

Travel while you can! Travelling has multifold benefits.   It challenges you physically if you resume walking around new places to discover, instead of depending on wheels.

You are culturally stimulated by meeting other nationalities, learning about their lifestyles.  Even your ears being immersed in a foreign language is stimulating via the auditory nerve.

New smells and tasting new foods reawaken stale taste buds.  Seeing new sights and new landscapes can ignite new questions about their existence for further cultural and intellectual exploration.

Even if you can’t travel, rediscover walking!   Anywhere, anyway and anytime!  Your legs need to be used more than just heaving yourself in and out of the car and circling the grocery aisles.

Get outside in nature to walk preferably.  As I type you are losing valuable muscle mass.  Take up weight training and cardio as I did 4 months ago because I didn’t think all the walking I do each day was enough.

Regaining muscle will help reestablish the balance that you are losing too. Any physical exercise will provide you with many benefits beyond the physical.

It increases well being, lifting your spirits, and recharging your nerve circuits and heart.  Physical exercise is also tied into brain circuitry.  Recent research correlates protective measures in regards to cardiac health and stroke prevention.

Evidence is coming in to show that with exercise, your telomeres, that indicate ageing, are being reverted back to being longer, not shorter by the ageing process.

All of this won’t work as well if you are feeding your body processed foods, which can erode whatever gains you try to make. I sometimes see older folks get lazy about what they cook with many resorting to frozen or packaged prepared stuff or take out of very dubious ingredients.

If you have never made it a point to feed your body with various fresh vegetables, fruits, salads and dishes made from scratch, limiting your intake of meats, it is never too late to get on the wagon of healthy eating.

Nutrition in my viewpoint is a prominent key to your physical well being.  I realise that if that isn’t something you have been concerned within your life, this post will be quite irrelevant.

Last but not least is our psychological and spiritual health.  Two different components but actually they overlap and complement each other within the scope of healthy living.

Feeding our consciousness negative thoughts, wading in anger and revengeful thinking, and spewing hateful words on someone is like spreading poison on yourself.

Developing tolerance for others differences and their opinions is essential for peaceful cohabitation. Strive to be a peacemaker rather than foster divisiveness.

Walking the bridge of forgiveness is freedom that will make you feel lighter by removing the chains of bitterness holding you down.

Make gratitude your daily mantra and then some.  We can never give thanks enough for the blessings we do have in our lives.

Let compassion and empathy for the suffering for others guide you and be a hallmark of who you are.

Extend kindness and goodwill towards others and yourself!