I just returned from a trip to Iceland. This was a trip we were supposed to take 2 years ago as a graduation gift from college to my youngest son.
While there I was surprised by the kindness, openness, and welcoming attitude of the Icelanders. They loved to answer your questions and tell you about their “sagas”.
They also loved to tell us how their water is Icelandic glacier water and safe to drink. It made me think of how in this country that is developed, we don’t have safe water for everybody. But I digress as usual.
Of the people, when I was around them, I marveled at their kindness and acceptance of all people and how they appeared to all get along. If there was a bit of strife between them, they resolved it well with everyone being happy.
One of the owners of a lodge we stayed in told us a story of how his “neighbor’s” dog was hurt when he entered his property and one of his dogs didn’t like that. To resolve it, he went over to the neighbor to apologize and give him halibut that he had received on the sly from a friend. Halibut is rare in Iceland and when you get it, it is like gold. His neighbor accepted it and the dispute was settled amicably and peacefully.
The more we can think and behave with kindness, the more consistent it becomes to have that as our second nature.
But before we can even spread kindness to others, we need to be kind to ourselves. It’s like they say on the plane, place the oxygen on yourself before helping someone else.
We need to take care of ourselves so we can be better equipped to care for family, friends, colleagues, neighbors.
So whether that means taking a hike, reading a book, taking dance classes or whatever your passion is, even taking deep breaths, we learn to treat ourselves first and not selfishly but in a way that can then be translated to how we treat others.
My daughter has told me she is in awe of my resilience. Resilience is about prioritizing self care and taking the time for yourself. This is where kindness begins.
If you are suffering with pain or have stopped doing the activities you love due to an injury, isn’t it time you took care of this so you can be fully functional, mobile, and independent again, so you can enjoy taking walks with your spouse, playing with your grandchildren or children, or return to dance class, even to get a full night’s sleep?
Click here to schedule a Free 20 minute call to discuss your issues and how we can help you back on the journey to recovery to return doing what you love best.
To Your Health,
Cynthia
