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Natural Awakenings Healthy Living Magazine

Living Life in Full Color

At this time of year, nature saves its best for last. The trees are dressed in unapologetic glory, inviting us to live more boldly and to express the passions we may have held in before it’s too late. Yes, autumn reminds us how beautiful it is to let things go. We’re given the much-needed permission to let our hair down, allowing its locks to go silver or feisty red, and our souls may feel inspired to blow in the wind and free to come in for dinner a little late and disheveled.

       Living a life we love to live all year long should seem as natural as this flowing breeze, but for many of us, that is just not the case. With an endless to-do list and the mind chatter that keeps our thoughts preoccupied and constantly busy, it seems we often have little or no time to just play. How do we surmount this challenge to quiet the noise and find the space needed to create with intention and passion?

            I have personally experienced that a key factor to help me balance the inner world of schedules and deadlines I tend to dwell in is for me to simply step outdoors into nature for a while. Be it a walk in the woods or pulling weeds and tending to the garden, I find my relationship with nature as one that aligns me with quiet reflection and the calm to make clear decisions and recognize what is truly important to me. At this time of year as Mother Nature paints her lively landscapes, I’m especially reminded that engaging my body and senses in this healthy, natural way is increasingly vital for my well-being.

            It’s incredible how small, daily choices like this can directly impact the quality of our lives and ultimately, our longevity. Lengthening our human experience is an age-old quest that’s actually becoming increasingly attainable as science advances. Today, researchers say there has never been a better time in history to maximize our potential for metabolic renewal.

            This is the subject of our feature article, “Growing Younger: Longevity Strategies that Help Reverse the Aging Process.” By better understanding biological age—the state of our health at the cellular levels—researchers are fine-tuning dietary, sleep, relaxation and exercise requirements that turn back the clock.

            No matter how old you are, it’s never too late to love yourself more, to consciously nurture your health and enjoy life’s many wonders while you are still able to. I’ve come to know that making each moment count is fundamental to creating a life well lived and loved. What does living a life you love mean for you?

            This month, while you’re hopefully out enjoying the crisp, fall air in our beautiful state, I hope you’ll take stock of the things you feel are truly important. Faith, family and relationships with others are some that come to my mind. At every stage of life, we are creating a legacy with our daily thoughts and decisions. I once heard that every action we take and deed we make has a mathematical equation attached to it, all tallied up at the end of our journey here. Are we ready for the consequences of that sum total? If not, there is still time to purify and uplift our way of being. Here’s to painting your own vibrant life masterpiece that you can be proud of and embrace each and every day of the year.

Savor these remaining warmer days with joy!