Here’s a fun exercise for you–and you don’t even need to change into your fitness clothes! Just take out a pen and a piece of paper.

Take a moment to consider what the word “wellness” means to you.

Now, spend two minutes writing down a list of “wellness words” that come to mind. Keep your pen moving, and if you get stuck, just write any word until another one comes to mind.

What did you come up with?

I have been doing this exercise in a workshop I offer called “Write Your Own Wellness Story,” for the last few weeks. I have been amazed and, frankly, encouraged by the words participants think of to describe their thoughts and feelings about personal wellness. Here are just a few:

• joyful
• involved
• committed
• whole
• alive
• engaged
• vibrant
• fearless
• unencumbered (Wow! Now that’s a powerful word to me!)

Do you notice anything missing from the list? I immediately did.

• skinny
• pretty
• thin
• diet
• younger
• buffed
• hot! (Thank goodness!)

When we take the time to really think about what we value about our health and wellness, we often discover our aspirations go deeper than thinner thighs or a magic number on a scale. And when this happens, it’s like the light goes on and someone is finally home. We can see and feel, maybe for the first time in a long time, that we just might have a chance to take a healthier path.

Energy and joy, feeling alive, vibrant, and unencumbered (there’s that fabulous word again), are all qualities that are available to you when you make positive lifestyle choices. Think about it. Every choice you make today–the way you eat, the way you move, the way you breathe and connect with the people around you–either takes you closer to those wellness words or further away from them. What’s it going to be? With practice and commitment, you can embody each and every one of those words on your list.

In my workshop, I write these words on a white board for everyone to see. I say you can steal other people’s words and make them your own. I did that with “unencumbered.” Our “wellness word wall” makes me think of the one in my son’s elementary school classroom that reminds him how to spell a list of important words. This is different though. We already know how to spell. The question then becomes, “Can we live them?” Without a doubt, I say, “Yes, we can!”

Write About It . . .

What words did you come up with? Take a moment to look at your week ahead and think about 2 or 3 things you can do to bring those words to life. What activities or choices can you make to “feel” those wellness words? Post a comment and let us know how it goes.