The 3 Roots

The 3 Roots - What Life's About

What is life about? My life is about helping others live their life to the MAX. Your life may have a completely different purpose and that is completely great! I boil life down into three roots. I call them roots because they help nurture us, keep us strong, and they’ll help keep you stay focused, fulfilled, and get the most out of life.

The FIRST ROOT is physical health. You need to be physically able to do what you need, you also should be physically able to do the things that you love to do. To help make that happen you want your body in good condition. This means you will probably need to work out and do some cardio at least 10-15 minutes a few days a week. (Legal notice: Please consult your doctor before you start any new workout routine, nutrition regime, etc. Now back to the good stuff) You don’t need to go crazy and become a bodybuilder but you need to stay active to keep your cardiovascular system, respiratory, and muscles strong. Yoga is also something that I find particularly important. It is amazing at helping your balance and allowing you to center and calm yourself down. Personally, my ideal week would be three strength days, two cardio days, and one yoga day. That is only six days, so you still have one day where you don’t need to exercise if you don’t want to. Workouts should ideally be between 15-60 minutes. They should get your heart pumping and you breathing a little heavier than normal.

Nutrition also ties into the first root. You need to be careful about what you put inside your body. Eat more foods that are natural and healthy, and avoid fast food.. You can still snack and treat yourself. Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it isn’t tasty. And sometimes, it’s ok to have a piece of cake or some ice cream. If 95% of the time you are eating healthy, you can treat yourself every once and a while and not worry about it!

Sleep is also very important to physical health, not getting enough sleep puts a lot of stress on the body and on the mind. It is recommended that you get seven and a half to nine hours of sleep each night. Create a routine and schedule for yourself allowing you to ensure you get enough sleep. You will be amazed at the difference it can make in your overall energy levels.

The last aspect of physical health is breathing. Take nice deep breaths to get as much oxygen as your body needs into your body. It utilizes your entire lungs keeping them active and healthy. Spend some time, even just three minutes a day, taking deep breaths. You will feel calmer, it will make you feel less stressed, and will help your body continue running properly.

The SECOND ROOT is mental wellness. Your mental and emotional health is huge! It can stress your body or help it relax. Thankfully there are many things you can do to help your mental wellness. Meditation is one of my favorites! There are many ways to meditate. You can find some options online or if you would like a guide on how to meditate, you can check out my previous episode Finding Your Zen. As I mentioned, there are many different ways to meditate, and everybody meditates differently. Meditation is helpful no matter how you go about it. The important thing is to do it!

Breathing is also part of this root because it helps you deal with stress. Your breath is connected to your body and your mind. Learning to control your breath and use it in certain ways can help you lower your stress and be at your best.

Another thing that can help mental wellness is therapy. Having a person that’s trained to help you deal with your issues is something I find personally very helpful. Sure, all of the other suggestions will help, but going a therapist will help you fast track your healing.

Essentially, you want to stay calm, be happy, and enjoy life. Don’t let stress get in the way of living. So making sure your stress levels are low is very important to mental wellness. This world feels like everything needs to be done instantly. And when it doesn't come right away, it can cause a lot of stress. If you want to live longer and happier you need to lower your stress. Some ways you can do that is by meditating, chasing your passions, spending time with people you care about, and even exercising. Find a couple of things that work for you and use them!

Positivity is also very important to mental wellness. Find things that make you feel positive and happy and surround yourself with them. You will start and/or continue to feel amazing. If you want help finding things that make you positive you can look at one of my previous episodes, 5 Ways to Stay Positive.

Lastly, spirituality can also help your mental wellness. I’m not telling you what you need to believe but find something that works for you. Having something to believe in has helped many people and it may help you.

The THIRD ROOT is having a larger purpose. You need to find what you are here on earth to accomplish. This is a hard thing for people to do. You might not know what it is and that’s ok, but you should try to find it. Your purpose may change over time. Know that that is ok. My purpose before was to teach in a classroom. Now it’s shifted into teaching individuals and groups how to better themselves. It’s a journey to discover your purpose. Don’t wait to figure it out before you begin. It’s part of the journey. Start going after things you love and it will come if you are open to it.

Figure out some goals that drive you and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Always look for opportunities to grow and improve yourself in different ways. Be open to new things that can challenge you, and push through them.

Lastly, work towards something that’s bigger than yourself. Working on yourself is very important and it’s great, but it can’t just be about you. Find something bigger that you are passionate about and work towards it!

I would love to hear what you think about the three roots and how you are living your life to the MAX! Please send me a message on social media at @Jonesinfor or email me at smj190@gmail.com. Thanks!