Pear with Me for Sustainable Health

Sustainable Healthy Living, by Sheila Mullen – Sept. 1, 2012

On Monday I had the opportunity to talk with a Rotary club about “What is Sustainable Health.”  They were a great group.  I was impressed with how engaged they were; their questions were deep and thoughtful.  Just more encouragement for me that the time is right and there is a hunger to experience “whole-person” wellness.  

I always like to leave the attendees with a piece of local fruit or vegetable.  Since it is autumn, I “paired” my talk with the soft, sweet, buttery flesh of the pear (pictured above). I have since learned that growing pears in North Carolina has its challenges, but because I picked these pears right off my neighbor's tree, I figured it couldn’t get more local. These juicy gems are pretty healthy for you, too. I have added a few great resources about how to grow, find and understand the health benefits of pears below. So come “pear” with me for sustainable health.

I made five points in the presentation. Here is a quick snapshot.

Food

I do believe what you put in your mouth is important, and I encourage everyone who will listen to eat fresh, local, whole foods. The individual must go on their own journey to find the way of eating that works best for them. What I have come to understand is food actually is not the most important element to sustainable health.  Heresy, I know!  I have seen too many folks who appear in perfect health, yet eat poorly, drink too much and smoke. It honestly baffles me. I have also seen folks who couldn’t eat “more perfectly” and continue to experience serious health concerns.  The work of finding the food that supports you the best and makes you feel the best is a personal journey.

Exercise

This is where I believe real healing begins.  We as humans are meant to move. I heard a quote recently that sums up the healing power of motion. Moshe Feldenkrais said: "The first sign of a change in health is a change in movement."

Thoughts

Thought power is the key to creating health. Everything you perceive in the physical world has its origin in the invisible, inner world of your thoughts and beliefs. What we say to ourselves and about ourselves floors me often. Once people become aware of their negative self-talk and replace it with more loving, nurturing and supporting thoughts, I have seen people transform their lives. Nothing more powerful than our thoughts.

Purpose

Dick Leider, author of The Power of Purpose, asked adults, “If you could live your life over again, what would you do differently?” He discovered living a life with clear purpose was one of three themes that emerged. The key to acting on purpose is for people to bring together the needs of the world with their unique gifts in a vocation. Working on purpose gives people a sense of direction, spark and vitality.

Connection

Many of us have been blessed experiencing great success in our professional and personal lives, but it is in helping another where the power of connectedness ignites our passions and well being. 

So come “pear” with me for sustainable health.

Be well!

Learn more about pears and growers:

• Growing Pears in North Carolina
• North Carolina Orchards Directory
• Health Benefits of Pears

About Sheila Mullen – The founder of Continuous Motion Consulting, Sheila is passionate about engaging friends, family and community in improving their lives and the lives of those around them. Sheila spent more than 20 years in technology sales, marketing and development. She also has a background in organizational development, innovation and executive wellness coaching.