inMotion Magazine

Living Well 33 Four out of four checked on any given day is mission accomplished, at least for that day! We all can live well, one day at a time. Can you imagine the world if all companies ran their business based on such a philosophy? 2. Nurture: What have you done to give back to the people who brought you into this world and raised you? Nurturing is a great value to instill in our kids and is best shown by how we care for our parents, our siblings and our extended family. We talk about our family tree, our roots, the legacies of our ancestors, be it positive or not, and how we have a responsibility to do better. Our son knows that when grandparents call, he is expected to stop what he’s doing to talk to them for at least five minutes. My sister’s way of fulfilling this responsibility is by taking our parents on at least one vacation each year. My husband’s way was to help buy my in-laws a home. There are many ways to choose to give back, but be mindful that your choice is something meaningful to your family rather than a matter of your convenience. 4. Fellow humankind: Have we done anything kind or helpful for another human? We get ample opportunities to fulfill this responsibility on a daily basis, but do we take the time to do it? Like the other three items on this list, the best way we can incorporate this in our children is through show-and- tell. Holding the door for someone, letting someone into our lane while driving, consoling someone’s sobbing child on an airplane, carrying groceries for a fellow amputee, cooking a meal for a neighbor, and if nothing else, wearing a kind smile. 3. Teachers: How have you repaid the gift of wisdom? We are who we are because of what we’ve learned, whether from our own experiences or from those of others. We owe our school teachers, college professors, coaches and instructors, countless leaders we’ve listened to, the authors we’ve read, and even the technology resources of today, be it Google or Alexa. One way in which we recognize this in our family is to be grateful for all the teachers and the institutions in our lives. We visit our alma maters often. We mentor and guide those who seek our advice. For me, writing a column in inMotion is one way to give back by sharing my life experiences and learnings.