Today, SLO or "SLO Town" as we lovingly called it, is ranked the No. 1 city in the United States for overall emotional health. Not surprisingly, physical health also ranks high there as well, including low rates of obesity...some 9% points below the national average in fact!
Coincidence?
I think not.
Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones, a book that teaches us how to live longer, healthier lives, long touted by Dr. Oz, has a new book soon to be published entitled, Thrive. You can preorder the book through Random House by using this link. The book isn't actually available until Oct. 19, 2010.
In Thrive, Dan connects happiness to our health and fitness...and what may surprise some folks, connects art with happiness!
Being a sculptor myself, I find this as no surprise. Art has a way of tapping into our emotions, often without our conscious awareness of it. Looking at a sculpture or painting can bring our feelings of joy or anger...and artists have long used that ability in order to engage audiences and patrons.
In the book, Dan mentions the former mayor of SLO, Ken Schwartz, and that he likes to quote a Persian proverb:
If you have but two coins, use one for bread to feed the body and the other for hyacinths to feed the soul.
Dan continues that art is like flowers, that both feed the soul and claims that,
Happy people usually have access to art--painting, film, sculpture, theater, music--and live in places that are attractive to the eye.
It is a natural extension then, that if we want to be happy, healthy and more slender that we should take time to appreciate things that nourish our soul. What nourishes your soul? Are you energized or calmed when looking at flowers (hyacinth or other blooms)...the mountains or the sea? The grasslands? Beautiful trees reaching for the skies? Cloud-filled vistas? Or paintings or sculpture?
Or are you touched by listening to music? Poetry? Watching a theatrical performance? Film? A dance?
Beauty is, as the saying goes, in the eye of the beholder...but finding beauty around you and appreciating it is more than just a treat for the eye!
Just goes to prove my theory that weight loss is not just about what you put in your mouth, it is truly what you put into your mind and spirit.
2 comments:
Being fit and attractive is a great benefit to your happiness.
While being fit and attractive can help us to feel happy, it is crucial that we learn to be happy and love ourselves as we are. That is turn will help us to be fit and attractive!
I believe one of the biggest problems women face is the pressure to look good rather than to feel good. Focusing on our appearance rather than being healthy leads to many eating disorders and other problems.
No one should put off being happy until they lose weight. We all deserve health and happiness, and once we realize that, then we are on the road to weight loss success.
Post a Comment