The Three Little Pigs

Things That Went Right Today:

1) Mother daughter Mary Kay meeting tonight.
2) Beautiful sunny day in May!
3) Happy birthday to my sister in law Tami!

Remember the story of the three little pigs? The two foolish brothers who built their houses fast from straw and sticks, and then watched them blow to the ground with a huff and a puff from the big bad wolf. And the wise brother who knew that taking the time to build his house out of bricks would keep him safe from the wolf...and rescue his brothers too. I loved that story as a young girl, and my children have enjoyed it too. It's a timeless reminder of the importance of hard work and preparation. I was thinking of it this morning though in terms of both our physical and emotional health.

Our bodies serve as a physical home of sorts to our spirits. What kind of house are we building?

Straw: Filling our bodies with harmful and addictive substances. Obesity. Engaging in dangerous activities. Staying up too late. Sedentary lifestyle. Ignoring signs of illness and doctor's orders. In these cases we become our own big bad wolves, and the natural consequences of our choices will destroy our "homes" unless we make some radical structural changes.

Sticks: Not doing anything really awful, but kinda coasting. Try to eat right, but a little too much processed or fast food perhaps? Not terribly overweight, but carrying an extra 20 pounds.  Fairly active, but not too consistent in an exercise plan. Go in to see the doctor when we are sick, but think little of preventative medicine. Our big bad wolf in this case will be the cumulative affects of aging. Our homes may not blow over in one big gust, but they will deteriorate over time for lack of proper maintenance.

Bricks: This means taking our physical health seriously. Respecting our bodies and doing all we can to strengthen them and keep them functioning optimally. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Getting 8 hours of sleep at night. No drugs or smoking. Drinking alcohol sparingly if at all. Exercising 4 or 5 times a week. Having annual mammograms and well doctor checkups as recommended. Wearing seat belts. You know the drill. We all know what we ought to be doing. The question is are we willing to put in the time and effort to build a strong house that can withstand the wolves? And serve us well for many years to come. We choose our own rewards on this one. No one can stop aging. And accidents and disease can often randomly take us. But in many many ways we choose our course in this life by the way we choose to treat the bodies we've been blessed with. We decide if we survive...or if we thrive, based on how much energy we put into keeping ourselves healthy and safe. We're worth it!

It's important to take stock from time to time in the kind of emotional houses we are building for ourselves as well. Just as we do with our physical bodies, we have more control over this area as well than we often realize. In straw houses we allow addictions, anger and depression to rule us. Sit helplessly while they take their toll on us and our families in turn. We relive the patterns set in childhood as if we can do nothing to outgrow them. We blame others for our own behavior. Houses of sticks are a little stronger, but not much. In these we allow too much of our self esteem to be dictated by the opinions and actions of others. We repeat bad habits even though we know we shouldn't, but take no concrete steps to correct them. We analyze and talk a lot about our issues (Wallowing is often just a form of stalling on actual change isn't it?) We may know deep inside that we need some help, but are too proud to reach out for it. We're overall pretty happy people, but still get caught up in petty things far too often and spend a lot of time "stressed out." Carry grudges around which weigh heavily on our shoulders. Straw and sticks can give the illusion of security and strength. Anger can feel quite powerful at the time. And we can become rather comfortable in our habits. But let's face it. Life is tough. The winds will blow through all of our lives, and the houses of sticks and straw will do little to shelter us. They may even tumble all together.

How do we build an emotional house of bricks? One brick at a time. We need bricks of faith, perseverance, forgiveness and unconditional love for others (yes I truly mean UNconditional...that means love no matter what. I don't mean allow yourself to be abused. But never allow your heart to turn cold. You can protect yourself without turning to anger and hate. Always love. Always!) We need bricks of self confidence. Believing in ourselves no matter what messages anyone else sends. We are God's children and he makes no mistakes. We need bricks of balance, relaxation, meditation and play! We need to add bricks of patience and optimism, integrity and endurance. Passion, courage, flexibility, self reliance, enthusiasm and creativity are essential bricks as well. As are variety, connection, proactivity and hope. We forge these bricks one by one - one day at a time. The fires that come into our lives can make them stronger as a kiln does for clay, if we remain committed to building something that will stand strong throughout our lives and provide shelter for those we love as well.  The mortar that we use to hold the bricks together and form them into beautiful patterns to decorate our "house"? Gratitude of course. Thankful living will hold it all in place and keep us focused during and after construction.

Straw, sticks or bricks? Which kind of home do you want to be living in when the wolves come and the winds blow?  And what can you do today to begin building the homes of your dreams? I'm going for bricks. Gonna work hard to get there! :-)