nourish [ˈnʌrɪʃ]
vb (tr)
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) to provide with the materials necessary for life and growth
2. to support or encourage (an idea, feeling, etc.); foster to nourish resentment
[from Old French norir, from Latin nūtrīre to feed, care for]
nurture - The verb was formed after the noun, which first referred (c. 1330) to a person's training or breeding. The word can be traced back to Latin nutritus, meaning "to nourish".
No New Year's Resolution, no crazy declarations at midnight about HUGE changes I was going to make, no fad diets, no radical career change, no drunken promises and then beating myself up later when the resolutions were forgotten by March.
In the lead up to the new year I'd read lots of articles by other people who also disliked the whole resolution thing. Some talked about goals, or vision boards, or a word to focus on for the year. I wish I could remember who they were now so I could give them credit!
In fact my partner and I spent New Year's Eve making a shared vision board. It's actually more of a vision pile than a board. We found a few pictures in magazines, cut them out, and threw them in a pile. The discussion around the process, and about the things that we chose was actually the work. We might actually look at that pile again soon and see how we're going. It might even make it onto a board before next New Years Eve, or maybe not.
I really liked the idea of the one word focus as a personal vision... like a place for all decisions and actions to stem from. If they didn't support that one word focus then it wasn't going to be moving me in the right direction.
I played with a few words over a period of a few days... there was "PEACE", but that's one that I've lived with for a while. There was "SPACE" when I was feeling particularly overwhelmed by family stuff and all I wanted to do was run away on my own for a few hours... there was also "NURTURE", but I kept coming back to "NOURISH". And just when I'd think it was perhaps a poor choice, I'd hear it somewhere, or see it in an article. I'm sure it was the universe telling me to just get on with it.
On Friday in my first energy coaching session with Soli, she also mentioned the words nourish & nurture in conversation. It was then that I knew that it had to be NOURISH! And on checking the dictionary meaning it seems that the word nurture comes from the Latin word "nutritus" which means to nourish!! Perfect!
So what does "NOURISH" mean to me? It's about taking good (better!) care of my body, mind and soul.
It's about eating healthy food, less meat, more vegetables, less fat and drinking more water.
It's about remembering to take my vitamins and supplements more regularly, and getting more sleep.
It's about increasing the amount of physical activity and fresh air that I get during the week.
It's about getting back into some yoga and meditation routines.
It's about making some long overdue appointments with some health professionals.
It's about taking some time to do more things that I really enjoy, like reading and gardening... taking time to smell the roses.
It's about expanding my knowledge, and continuing some study in areas of personal interest.
It's about taking care of my skin and hair.
It's about spending time and energy with like minded people for spiritual growth.
It's about giving myself time, space and permission to be creative, and to daydream and imagine.
And something that became clear for me during my session with Soli, was that by nurturing and nourishing others, I'm open to receive that same nourishment from Source. And likewise, by taking proper care of myself I'm in a better position to be able to nurture others too.
So no New Year's Resolutions for me... just some well considered and hopefully realistic and achievable ways to maintain my WELLNESS. Thank you to Soli for also helping me to see that this was my real goal.
