10 Words Everyone Should Live By

BY DR. LAWRENCE ROSEN JULY 10, 2013 6:00 AM EDT

Ive noticed a trend in wellness circles. Whether in my work with patients or in my yoga classes, I keep coming across the same words. On a given day, one might be the theme of a dharma talk or a TED Talk video someone mentioned to me. (Or, as was the case one strange morning, the same word was featured in both.) I am sure the universe is sending me messages, and the more I mention these to friends and colleagues, it seems like they're hearing the same words. Which of these words resonates with you? My guess is some will at different times, but they're all good words to live by. 1. Presence: To be fully engaged in what you are doing right now. And right now. And right now. Mindfulness of the present moment is something we never fully attain 100% of the time, but it shouldnt stop us from trying. Whatever tools you use to cultivate

presence, make time to hone them. That is why we practice (not perfect) yoga and meditation. 2. Vulnerability: The willingness to be let others see you as you are. Vulnerability is to admit, I am human. I am not perfect. I struggle, just like you. No one has described vulnerability more effectively than Brene Brown <http://www.brenebrown.com/> . She teaches us that vulnerability is NOT weakness; in fact, being vulnerable is the most courageous thing we can be. Only when we are vulnerable can we truly connect and be open to intimacy. 3. Clarity: Transparency and lucidity of vision and thought. Not just an uber popular, kinda creepy song by Zedd. Clarity is that aha moment when everything is crystal clear and it all just makes sense. I find it comes to me when Im not trying to achieve it, but allowing my mind to relax and focus. Its one of those things that the harder you try to achieve it, the further away it may feel. 4. Equanimity: The evenness of mind to stand steady in the face of stress or challenge. I didnt really get equanimity until last weekend, when a very wise friend told me it could best be explained by the phrase, Its all good. The next day, I was meditating on this phrase at the beginning of a particularly challenging beach yoga session. (I know, boohoo, poor me.) Still, it was hot, with no wind, black flies biting. The teacher began by saying, I was reading something this morning about equanimity Aha. 5. Gratitude: An intentional appreciation of what and who you have. An acceptance and explicit acknowledgment of what life brings you. Not taking anything for granted. As psychologist Robert Emmons <http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_gratitude_is_good> notes, Gratitude allows us to celebrate the present. 6. Creativity: The use of your imagination to produce somethinga thought, an object, really anything. Creativity implies a childlike playfulness, having the courage to make mistakes and keep pushing on. We desperately need more creativity in education and in the workplace. Never forget: you were once a child and some part of you always should be. 7. Authenticity: Walking the walk. The real you. The most honest way of being. To be authentic is to accept your self as is and offer that self to the world. The challenge is to learn to be OK with who you are and then just be.

8. Passion: An incredibly intense and compelling desire for something (or someone) that is barely containable. And I think thats the key. Your passion should be so palpable that its going to burst out of your eyeballs but it just quite doesnt. Thats what separates a crime of passion from the kind that makes you invest your whole being in the pursuit of your dreams and inspires others to follow you. 9. Compassion: Love and acceptance for another as if they were you. To treat them as you would want to be treated. To walk a mile in their shoes. To see through their eyes as if they are your own. Compassion for yourself is the first step in having compassion for others. 10. Love: Do I really have to explain this one? OK, just one quote: We accept the love we think we deserve. - Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

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About the Author Dr. Lawrence Rosen

Lawrence Rosen, MD is an integrative pediatrician and co-author of T reatm en t A l tern ativ es fo r Ch il dren <h ttp://www.l awren cero sen m d.co m /treatm en t-al tern ativ es> . He is the founder of the Wh o l e Ch il d Cen ter <h ttp://www.wh o l ech il dcen ter.o rg> , one of the countrys first green and integrative pediatric practices, and he serves as Medical Advisor to the D eirdre Im u s En v iro n m en tal Heal th Cen ter <h ttp://www.dien v iro .o rg> . Dr. Rosens academic credentials include positions as past Chair of the AAP Section on Integrative Medicine, Clinical Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at UMDNJ, and author of numerous articles and book chapters on integrative pediatrics. He is also the pediatric columnist for Kiwi Magazin e <h ttp://www.kiwim ago n l in e.co m /catego ry /h eal th y /th egreen -pediatrician > and blogs for the Hu ffin gto n Po st <h ttp://www.h u ffin gto n po st.co m /l awren ce-ro sen -m d> .

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