“To the left, to the left! Everything you own in a box to the left!”

Guest post by Harpreet Matharu, B.Sc. (Psych), R.H.N.

Beyonce was quite right about this if you relate it to clearing up your kids’ clutter!

As parents, we teach our little ones to clear up their toys and books, instilling important values in their minds about cleanliness and a sense of accomplishment.

Sometimes, we may end up clearing up the clutter ourselves but that is not a bad thing!

Have you ever caught yourself beaming after plopping down on the sofa, because you’ve just tidied up a room or two in your house?

I know for me personally, after de-cluttering and organizing, there is an instant energizing feeling of satisfaction that equates to a thrill ride at an amusement park! My body feels light, my mind feels light and my spirit feels light. Light and just right! As Goldilocks once said, “this is just right!”

The act of de-cluttering physical space is equal to de-cluttering our minds. With a clear mind and a renewed sense of energy, we have more time and energy to spend on what matters most:

• The foods we are putting into our bodies,

• The thoughts we are filling our minds with,

• Physical activity,

• Spirituality.

Taking a holistic approach to healthcare involves choosing nutritious foods and beverages, choosing to think positive thoughts and maintain positivity, choosing to engage in physical activity and choosing to delve into our spiritual selves.

We are surrounded by people of varying opinions, fast food restaurants and take out options, drugs, organic and non-organic foods, supplements, and various other phenomena that have the ability to influence our thoughts and actions. We must have the mental willpower (which comes from educating ourselves) to look past phenomena that do not serve us meaningfully!

Life is about trial and error for your unique self. We must try different foods, beverages, supplements, physical activities and spiritual practices until we discover what works for us, and what will allow our body systems to live in harmony. What works for one person does not work for another and there is beauty in that. Thrive in your uniqueness and live optimally!

The following short story illustrates how we can achieve optimal health and about discovering one’s potential to live optimally and happily:

The Tale of the Teeny Tiny Box That Could

Once upon a time, there lived a teeny tiny box made of wood. Every night, before bedtime, the children would hum and sing while tidying up their play area. They would place their books on the bookshelf, the big toys would be lined up against the wall and everything else would be stuffed into their big toy box. 

They wouldn’t pay any attention to the teeny tiny box that sat in the corner of the room. They would walk right past it as if it didn’t exist! The teeny tiny box would wave its arms frantically trying to get the childrens’ attention but to no avail! The teeny tiny box yearned for just a few toys to be placed inside it. 

Once the children were asleep, the teeny tiny box would conjure up all of its mental capacity to believe in herself. Every night, she would repeat the following to herself: “If anyone can do it, so can I. I will be strong and big enough to hold all of the children’s toys.” Her nightly routine also consisted of eating a nutritious, wholesome meal, full of fiber, protein and good fats (with no drinks consumed while eating so as not to interfere with the activity of the digestive juices!). As well, the teeny tiny box loved music, especially Salsa music, and would practice her steps with that Salsa attitude!

On the eve of this one particular night, after repeating her affirmations, eating a nutritious, well balanced meal and dancing her teeny tiny feet away, the teeny tiny box felt an odd sensation. It’s as if her body was growing! She felt her arms and legs being pulled in all different directions! What was happening?? 

Well, the teeny tiny box was no longer a teeny tiny box! She was a bigger box! This new big box was thrilled! The next evening, when the children were tidying their play area, they noticed another big toy box they had never seen before! “Wow!” they exclaimed. After that night, the children never had to stuff all their toys into one box, they now had two beautiful boxes!

The End.

The moral of this story: If you believe in yourself, nourish your body, mind and spirit with the right food, and do what makes you happy, you will flourish.