Community is Key
Community is always important, but especially when making modifications to your health - physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Having people around you for support is vital to lasting change. This could be people that live in your home, friends, and family. Additionally, having someone like me is a major benefit. Meeting regularly with a holistic health coach to encourage you, offer suggestions, and provide direction is invaluable. I have one client who began her fourth Balanced Well-Being Program with me last month. I asked her why she wanted to sign-up for another 6 months and she said, "I’m doing this program to continue in my health journey for the accountability.”
In our last session she was expressing frustration with herself because the changes she wants are happening so slowly. She makes a couple steps in the right direction, only to take steps backwards the next week. I asked her, “How have you changed in the past 2 years?” She listed off multiple ways she has indeed made positive changes. Later, I was thinking about the fact that 2 years ago she was opposed to reducing the amount of sugar in her diet, and now, of her own accord, she is reducing her sugar intake significantly! We need community to remind us of the modifications that we have made and encourage us to continue when the change is laboriously slow. Community gives us hope for transformation.
For the past year I have been giving extensive consideration to how to promote Joyful Health. Of course “everyone” says that social media is the method. And in many ways it is the simplest. I have agonized over how to use social media for my business when I acknowledge that true community does not happen via social media. Indeed, even having community virtually via video is not the same as meeting in person. I have found that while there are in fact benefits to meeting virtually, I miss seeing people’s full body language. My heart’s desire is for women to know how much God loves them as they are and not be distracted by social media.
Anyone else feel how addictive social media is? Sometimes I am frightened by it, actually. I mindlessly scroll. And when I realize what I’m doing I think, “What did I just gain from these past moments?” Generally it’s of very little consequence. Furthermore, I find myself ensnared by comparison. When I come back to “consciousness” I put my attention back on what is truly important - the eternal - and gain proper perspective.
As I’ve contemplated this and considered how to tell people about Joyful Health’s mission, I am inspired to not focus on social media, but true community. I desire for women to find contentment in Christ alone. And, as with my experiences, that may mean they learn to accept their faults as sin, ask for forgiveness from God, and accept Christ’s gift of forgiveness for their sins. Then seek out how to establish healthier rhythms of spiritual, physical, and emotional health.
I have begun “At Home with Joyful Health” as a solution to the lack of real community as well as for women to discover the benefits of Joyful Health. I ask that hostesses for “At Home with Joyful Health” invite 3 to 5 other women into their home to explore one of the three aspects of Joyful Health: physical, emotional, and spiritual. These times are directed by me through scripture. We will listen, discuss, and ponder the small changes you can make to improve your health. And that is done best in community! We need each other nearly as much as we need Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit speaking into our lives.
