Looking northwest towards Kamloops Lake from Goose Lake Road. This is where my worlds collide and merge.
It’s hard to keep one’s balance in this crazy world. Finding out what helps keep balance in life is a very individual process. What improves your balance and well-being?
Here’s my daily prescription to improve my well-being, in no particular order of importance. Maybe this list will give you some ideas for your own daily prescription:
- Eat local and organic food that I grow myself or comes from trusted sources. Eat only foods that agree with me. (For me, that’s a very high fat, modified paleo diet.)
- Practice Intermitted Fasting (IF). (For me, that’s every-other-day fasting.)
- Eat from the seasonal bounty and get at least part of my meals for free each day.
- Make my own homemade medicines and take seasonal remedies to improve my constitution. Only put things on my skin that I would consider ingesting.
- Never dress for the approval of others. Wear only comfortable clothing, made from natural materials that doesn’t cost a fortune. Buy used clothing whenever possible.
- Walk everyday with good company, preferably with enjoyable scenery. (For me, that’s 45-60 minutes of easy walking.)
- Do some body weight exercise two or three times a week. (For me, that’s about 5 minutes.)
- Live outside as much as possible. Sleep in my tent as many months of the year as practical to improve my hormetic response. (For me, that’s about from April 1st to October 31st.)
- Get out in the sun every day and expose as much of my skin as possible. Listen to the birds sing and let the insects crawl. (For me, that’s 15-30 minutes when the sun is 45 degrees above the horizon. For my latitude, that’s best done around noon.)
- Make something out of garbage each week or learn to do without. Reuse or re-purpose items I’m thinking about throwing out. Alternatively, find ways not to produce garbage in the first place.
- Find at least one way each week to get government out of my household.
- Have a media and technology fast every week. Completely avoid all computers, phones, or communication technology. (For me, the easiest way to do this is by going camping every weekend.)
- Find the time to watch the sunset and go to bed. Watch the sunrise and wake to the sound of the bird’s singing.
- Get a good night sleep. Turn off the breakers in the house at night or sleep outside.
- Just before sleeping, think about all the things that went well today.
- Keep only good company. Avoid people that aren’t good company.
- Practice forgiveness and lovingkindness meditation.
- Plan for the future but live in the day. Practice mindfulness meditation.
- Practice the Stoic practice of the trichotomy of control. Let go of things outside of my control and focus on things totally or partly in my control.
- Balance the Stoic practice of duty to society and the Epicurean practice of finding happiness. Practice carpe diem.
- Pray for God’s grace in my life. Contemplate God’s purpose for my life.
Looking northeast from Goose Lake Road. Getting outside is my kind of medicine!
