Life’s twists provided Jennifer Jeffries with an opportunity to turn her life around.  This Aussie with an attitude found herself wound around a power pole at what might have been considered the peak of her corporate career. That experience led her on a very different track, a track to well-being that she decided to share.  Today as an author, international speaker, and health practitioner she is helping women and men of all ages take “7 Steps to Sanity –for anyone who wants to have it all without sacrificing their health, sense of humour or sanity.”

Since I experienced Jennifer first-hand, I know her fresh, candid sense of humor captures an audience’s attention and starts attendees thinking about what’s really worthwhile.  Given Jennifer’s outlandish approach, when I got her book, I decided to turn right to her 7th Step, which is Chill Out, and it has two components:

1. Get a bit of perspective – is discussed below
2. Remember, life was meant to be easy! – I’ll reflect on next week

When was the last time you had your day turned upside down?  Recently I found that my automobile was unsafe to drive, the brakes needed immediate attention.  So, I had an opportunity to grumble and turn into a first class victim or REJOICE and be thankful the problem was discovered when it was.  All that was required was a shift inperspective.  The result, I ended up learning about the eastside bus system.  I also gave myself a pat on the back when I found out that using my intuition on service garages saved me over $200 and some peace of mind.

Jennifer adds a bit of punch to the idea of shifting perspective by asking, “Will plans shifted or your ’to do’  list remaining unfinished change the course of your life or history?”  Probably not!  So, accept life’s imperfections and get on with it!  Sporting that kind of flexibility can definitely reduce the stress in your life, and you are much more likely to enjoy your day and reap health benefits as well.

Being under the weather for the second week, I carved out only a few “in person” activities that I chose to participate in last week so that I could conserve my energy.  Attending a planning meeting for Earth Day was one of them.  Being there paid off on two levels, I was supporting a passion, and I was nurtured by loving friends and colleagues.

When you are not feeling very well have you ever noticed that engaging in something you are passionate about can almost immediately reduce your symptoms?  That certainly was true that night for me as we enthusiastically reviewed what we wanted as our theme, decided our roles and generally rejoiced in having our 8th Earth Day service at Seattle First Baptist Church. The congestion that I had experienced for a week, seemed much better. (I had not come with anything contagious, and I was still feeling a lot like a slug when I arrived!)

As we shared a meal and discussed the topic at hand there was a loving exchange, a celebration of being together with people I know and care about and who have similar feelings about me.  Sometimes these relationships develop quickly and easily, other times it builds over time.  This particular group is probably more of the later type.  We have seen group members move on for other more pressing interests, helped one friend through his process of dying and seen others move from robust work to even more robust retirement!

A striking thing about being ill, I discovered, is that I was more present to my own feelings at every level.  For me, it has made it easier to decide how to spend my time and energy.  You don’t need to wait for illness to:

• Take a few minutes each time you are about to make a commitment, notice whether the idea of making it gives you energy or drains you. 
•  Reflect on whether this is true just in this situation, or have you noticed this as a pattern with these people or this organization.  Either way it is valuable to notice.
• Use this type of information to make better and better decisions for your well-being.