“Life is a bowl of cherries. Some cherries are rotten while others are good; it’s your job to throw out the rotten ones and forget about them while you enjoy eating the ones that are good! There are two kinds of people: those who choose to throw out the good cherries and wallow in all the rotten ones, and those who choose to throw out all the rotten ones and savor all the good ones.” – C. JoyBell C.
Over the past few months, I have noticed many articles that arrive in my in-box are in reference to positivity and well-being. At a wellness forum hosted by the American Heart Association in St. Louis, two of the four speakers’ topics reflected these themes, which prompted me to do a little research of my own.
Merriam-Webster defines positivity as “the quality or state of being positive.” Oxford Dictionary defines well-being as “the state of being comfortable, healthy or happy.” Having a healthy well-being includes a well-rounded comprehensive experience of life. An individual who has a healthy well-being finds a balance between their social, physical, mental and spiritual health. Some qualities of a healthy well-being are:
- Self-acceptance
To truly have self-acceptance, one needs to make peace with their past, realize some situations are beyond their control and find contentment in who they are. - Self-growth
Individuals who have a healthy well-being continue to learn and grow throughout their lives. - Purpose and Meaning
Well-being involves having something to get up for each day, whether it is your job or your relationship with others. You feel that what you do matters to others and helps make the world a better place. - Autonomy
Standing on your own two feet and owning your own unique opinion can help you develop autonomy and realize you don’t have to be the same as anyone else.
A healthy well-being isn’t something that happens overnight. We go through life events that can change the way we picture ourselves, and at times, our state of balance is not what we would like it to be. But as the quote above shares, the more we throw out the rotten cherries that we are exposed to and savor the good ones, we will find ourselves in a more comfortable or happy place.
About the author
Kris Drake RN, CHPD, is the Wellness Coordinator at Freeman Health System. As coordinator of Freeman’s employee health program, Kris works tirelessly to improve the work-life balance of more than 4,500 health system employees. Since October 2002, Drake has developed an array of programs to empower Freeman employees to reach their personal goals.