don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

A talk given on Wednesday March 19, 2003 to the Channel District members at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa, FL)

There are many reasons I'm glad I ran for mayor. One is that I got to appear before so many interesting, dynamic and influential organizations and clubs -- such as this august body. Of course, in this instance it's a little late to help my campaign but better late than never, I suppose. Glad to be here.

You have to admit I had the coolest campaign theme -- "a well city that's fit, fun, free and functional." My topic today is "a timeless message." I suppose wellness IS a timeless idea, for it is worth considering and adopting at any time during life. Instead of promoting a well city, my purpose today is to discuss a well person. Specifically, I'll highlight what wellness is, why it matters and how you might integrate it into your life, if not promote it as a business organization.

Do you think of yourself as a well person? Can I see a show of hands? Who in the room considers him or herself well?

Some people did not raise their hands. Maybe I should be more specific. What does it mean to be a well person? From a wellness perspective, you should raise your hand if:

• You have a great body and you're proud of your fitness level.
• Your diet is exceptionally healthy.
• Stress is no problem at all -- hardly anything upsets your serenity.
• You have a wonderful sense of humor and your days are filled with fun and play.
• You love your work and would probably do it even if you were not paid for doing so!
• You are clear and happy about your sense of meaning and purpose -- you know why you were put here and why everything exists. (And, unlike Calvin of "Calvin and Hobbes" fame, you don't think it's so "everyone can do what you want!")

So, how many of you are really well?

It's not unusual to see fewer hands go up AFTER I offer specifics as to the nature of a well person. Being well at the more demanding standard is a challenge many people can't seem to manage, given the time required.

What about normal? How many here are normal? What IS normal, and why would you want to be normal? Isn't normal a form of mediocrity? Is it really necessary to blend in with everyone else, not to stand out in any fashion?

One last question: How many middle-age folks do we have among us today?

What IS middle age? The consensus, by the way, is that there is no such thing, at least no consensus on when it begins and ends or how it would be defined and measured. It's all in your head.

Middle age is, in fact, whatever you want it to be or, more likely, whatever you allow it to be. If you think you are too old to be exceptionally well, or put another way, to be remarkably fit, fun, free and functional, then you will NOT be so fit, fun, free or functional. Expectations reinforce attitudes, behaviors, standards and outcomes. Don't settle for normalcy. Set a higher standard -- choose wellness.

Why doesn't everyone choose and live wellness lifestyles? Why do so many settle for mediocrity?

Folks, there are hundreds of reasons to choose wellness, but they all come down to two, one negative and one positive. The latter should be enough, but I'll offer the other anyway. I hope it won't frighten you.

The negative is that the costs of NOT pursuing immoderate, unnormal lifestyles of a wellness nature are extraordinary, and possibly unsustainable. The positive refers to the exceptional benefits and payoffs of a wellness nature. I'll summarize each in turn, and then offer a few simple suggestions in hopes of sparking your interest in pursuing wellness for either of these two basic reasons. Hopefully, the latter (positive) factors will be more appealing.

Negative rationale for choosing wellness. A wellness lifestyle will improve your chances of avoiding excess weight (like 64 percent of adult Americans) and a long list of possible illnesses and diseases. It will save you money, in that all encounters with the $1.4 billion dollar sickness system are expensive, even WITH a generous health insurance policy, which 41 million citizens don't enjoy. You will probably live longer and, more important, you will have more mobility, better health and added fun in your final ten or so years. (At present, life expectancy has reached 77.2 years as of 2001, up from 77 in 2000, and has increased for both men and women as well as for whites and blacks. For men, life expectancy increased from 74.3 years in 2000 to 74.4 years in 2001; for women, life expectancy increased from 79.7 years to 79.8 years.)

Positive rationale for choosing wellness. You will look and feel better, have more energy and experience a better sex life. Isn't that enough? If not, let me add that you will be more fit, less stressed, more admired, a better decision maker, able to play more and have more fun, and more interested in continuing to find added meaning and purpose. At least, it seems that way to me.

A few simple suggestions follow. I hope some of these will be helpful.

• Find a way to get paid for doing whatever it is you enjoy.
• Do what you must to experience a lot of DBRUs every day. DBRU is an idea I got from a Gary Larson "Far Side" cartoon. You had to be there.
• Adopt a perspective that embraces responsibility for whatever goes well or poorly in your day and enables you to get on with making the best of things given conditions that exist, in lieu of tendencies to blame, excuse, whine, whimper or shift accountability to someone or something else.
• Do not rely on the health care system for YOUR health. This so-called system is not about health -- it's a huge disease and illness-based business irrelevant to excellent health and a disciplined wellness lifestyle. No matter how expensive or how wondrous doctors, drugs and the medical system can be when used appropriately, what you do or do not do (in concert with human biology/culture/and your environment) will be the critical variable in affecting the quality of your appearance, vitality and overall health.
• Go out of your way daily to experience humor, lightness, fun, joy -- good times by whatever name you prefer. Laughter and assorted pleasures strengthen your immune system, metabolize bad vibes and act in 1001 ways to make life richer and fuller. Unlike frustrations, setbacks, tragedy and disaster, however, initiative is needed to bring these sensations up beyond the minimal level of occurrences.
• Develop a deep and abiding sense of tolerance for diversity of all kinds, especially differences in styles, appearances, religions, politics, values and opinions at variance with your own. This is one of the most effective ways to eliminate negative stressors that come from unnecessary and futile judgments as well as temptations to try to change people to think or be more like you.
• Find as many people to love as possible. Some of them will probably love you back, or at least be nice to you.
• Do some original thinking about why you are here and what it's all about. Too many accept what they were programmed to think. As a free adult, it's your right to decide for yourself.
• Be of service to others -- it's good for your health and sense of purpose. Frankl, Maslow, Yalom and dozens of other psychiatrists, existentialists and assorted scholars have urged engagement for mental health.
• Find lots of heroes to emulate, in some ways. It's not a good idea to adopt a single hero, for everyone has strengths and weaknesses and only the former are worth copying. Think of traits you admire and the people who manage those qualities with dignity, panache and flair -- or whatever appeals to you. When you want to function at what you consider your best in these areas, think of your hero for that aspect of living. How would he/she deal with this? Then do your version, with the role model (hero) in mind.

By the way, my hero is Calvin of "Calvin and Hobbes" fame. I just ask myself, "What would Calvin do and everything becomes clear. For those not familiar with Bill Watterson's late, lamented cartoon strip or Calvin's style, well, consider this: In vouching for his character in a recent letter to Santa Claus, Hobbes wrote, "...the kid tries to be sort of good if he's not tempted otherwise."

Be well. Always look on the bright side of life.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the PHYSICAL DOMAIN under the skill area of lifestyle habits. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

 Send e-mail to Don Ardell