Village Report | January 2024
January 1, 2024 | Jen Griffin, Vice President of Engagement
by Jen Griffin, Vice President of Engagement
In my article in December’s Lifestyle Guide, I shared my profound paradigm shift about “wellness.” The shift went from viewing wellness in a physical context to recognizing that wellness is really multifaceted in nature. It is not one dimensional! This shift has driven our theme for 2024. As a result, the Community Outreach Team has adopted the International Council on Active Aging’s 7 Pillars of Wellness serve as our guide for activities and special events in 2024. All year long, we will focus on balance within these specific areas of life: intellectual, physical, social, spiritual, vocational, emotional, and environmental. The theme for the year is “Go for the Gold in 2024!”
You may ask: What does that mean? Well, to me, “go for the gold” means “continue to reach”- for whatever you want! If you are exploring all pillars of wellness, the sky is the limit. As Norman Vincent Peale once said, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars!” I believe “shooting for the moon” is a mindset and a journey. It’s a way of life with mindful attention to balance.
Let’s face it: Nobody’s perfect. I am The Worst about balance in my life, but I’m inspired to be better. And like Vince Lombardi said, “If we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” Personally, aiming in the right direction would be improvement!
So…with that in mind, what excites me most about this new paradigm of wellness? It is that almost everything we already do at CC Young is related to wellness – and therefore to these 7 pillars! To help you along so you can “see” what I mean, this month you will be able to identify the individual pillars in our revamped Lifestyle Guide. There will be a guide on each page so you can start to learn how we are categorizing each event. I hope you will eventually be able to recognize the pillars and mentally chart your course for balanced participation in all the pillars. It will be easy seek balance because we have so many options each month!
Let’s break down the pillars in more detail. (“Here we go” – a la Dak Prescott…)
Physical Wellness: This pillar is familiar to many—it’s about the importance of regular exercise, nutritious eating, and adequate rest. However, it’s not just about the body; it’s about feeling vibrant and energized in our physical being.
Intellectual Wellness: This means stimulating our minds through lifelong learning, exploring new ideas, and engaging in creative endeavors. Intellectual wellness fuels our curiosity and keeps our mental faculties sharp.
Emotional Wellness: This is about understanding, expressing, and managing emotions in a healthy way. This pillar teaches us resilience, self-compassion, and the ability to navigate life’s ups and downs.
Social Wellness: This one is about nurturing meaningful connections and fostering a sense of belonging within our communities – both here on campus and elsewhere. Social wellness thrives on genuine relationships and a supportive network…wherever that may be!
Spiritual Wellness: The key to this is reflecting on life’s purpose, finding inner peace, and seeking meaning and depth in our existence. Spiritual wellness is about aligning with our values and beliefs.
Vocational Wellness: Sometimes a little mysterious by just the word, this one is about finding satisfaction and fulfillment in our work or personal pursuits. This pillar encourages us to pursue careers or hobbies that resonate with our passions and strengths.
Environmental Wellness: Finally, hopefully we will all continue being mindful of our surroundings and making choices that positively impact our environment. Environmental wellness emphasizes our responsibility to care for our planet.
As we navigate 2024, “Go for the Gold!” serves as a rallying call for each of us to broaden our horizons. It prompts us to ponder: What can we do differently this year to fortify our wellness – not just for 2024, but also for the years beyond? Our collective journey toward wellness isn’t merely about reaching a destination but rather embracing a [mindful] lifestyle—a way of living that nurtures every facet of our existence. It’s about fostering a community where each individual is empowered to thrive intellectually, physically, socially, spiritually, vocationally, emotionally, and environmentally. Doesn’t that sound like a good path for all of us?
As we embark on this journey together, let’s seize the opportunities ahead, explore new horizons, foster deeper connections, and immerse ourselves in diverse experiences. Let’s champion our wellness, individually and collectively, and in doing so, paint a canvas of vibrant and fulfilled lives at CC Young.
I am jazzed about the transformations that await us as we “Go for the Gold” in 2024 and beyond. Can you tell?
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