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.