Spirituality and Health Promotion Behaviors #11: Taking photos

Memories are reinforced by photographs. Without photographs, we may never remember everything that happened to us. However, people often focus on how they appear in the photographs and forget that there are other things that are worthy of being captured.

Taking photographs not of ourselves, but of details, surroundings and other faces, is a good way to broaden our perspective of life. As we train our eyes to look for beauty in everything beyond our image, we begin to appreciate the time and place that we live in.

We do not need to have special talent to create happy memories for ourselves though photographs. We only need to truly open our eyes and engage in new experiences and places that will help us grow our photo album. This may be as simple as going to a new cafe with friends or taking a stroll in a park that you have never visited. In the company of a simple camera, we also learn to spend time alone and appreciate our unique perspective of this world.

Spirituality and Health Promotion Behaviors #10: Poise

A costume designer once said that an actor who is new to a role needs only to put on his costume and everything will fall into place. In a way, we are all actors playing different roles at different times of our lives. So it is important to present ourselves in a positive way so that we can perform effectively.

Dress in comfort. This takes practice. It takes skill and discipline to choose pretty apparel or footwear that do not also hurt our health e.g. choosing high heels that damage the back, or body-hugging clothes that are made of synthetic materials that do not allow the skin to breathe.

Comfortable clothes, however, only look smart on someone if the clothes are clean and well-pressed and more important, the person has a good posture. Here are 3 basic steps to developing good posture:

1. Sit straight (check with your hand that your lower back flat).

2. Stand upright (an easy way to do this is to gently place your middle fingers on the side of your thigh where the hemp of a garment would usually run).

3. Walk in a balanced way (a moderate swing of the arms can be achieved by having your thumb touch your first finger while you are walking).

Dressing smartly will make us act in a more confident and positive way.

Spirituality and Health Promotion Behaviors #9: Be your own person

As children growing up, we often look to our parents for answers. When the time comes for us to choose our paths in life, we subconsciously recall our parents' lives and values.

Although we can learn a lot from our parents' experiences, the truth is that one day, they too will pass on. In choosing the path to take, we must be ready to walk down that path on our own. We can only have the strength to move on in our chosen directions if we started out to be our own persons.

We must give ourselves a chance to lead the life that we know is best for our health and well-being. We are each unique and valuable in our own ways. What has worked for someone else may not work for you. Listen to your heart. It will tell you the real answer.

Spirituality and Health Promotion Behaviors #8: Buying time

Have you looked back in a week and felt like a month has passed? Often this feeling comes when we are starting out in something or traveling somewhere for the first time.

Compare a Wednesday filled with pure work and a Saturday that is packed with many new experiences. It is likely that our memory of that Saturday could seem like a week while the Wednesday is just an ever forgettable work day.

When routine and datelines pile up and time is in danger of flying by all too quickly, we can "buy time" by making an effort to do new things. e.g. going to a different cafe, learning a new song or making a new friend. As we open up to new spaces and faces, our time grows and we learn how rich each of our little world can be.