Love Yourself, For You Were "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made"

Siddeeq The Wellness Fréq

People think I'm a health freak, but from today fourth I want to be known as The Wellness Frēq.  I came across this definition of well-being that I really loved in a Gallup poll from 2013 on employee engagement; "all things that affect how people think about and experience their lives." I love the fact that it encompasses so much more than the typical idea of health being exercise and nutrition. I also like this picture of the robust nature of wellness from the University of Oregon's healthy campus drive.

I want to be known as a person who gravitates towards a higher frequency of healthy habits, and that the habits that I choose are on a higher frequency of health and well-being. When I look at a higher frequency of thoughts I mean thoughts centered around acceptance and love as opposed to rejection, fear and hate. As a Wellness Frēq I feed myself higher frequency foods; foods for nourishing my body, my mind, and my soul, which are so deeply integrated that you can't really impact one without affecting the others, though many try. As a wellness fréq I believe that by focusing on my thoughts, and my spirituality I can have a bigger impact on my physical and nutritional habits, and create a more sustainable level of wellness.

A Wellness Fréq's Food For The Spirit

Today I was feeding my spirit with a sermon from Passion City Church, the church I attended in Atlanta, called Rejection Must Fall, and this is how it spoke to my heart and my life situation. 

I often discuss my relationship with my son because it's such an interesting dynamic feeling the pressure to raise a man when I've spent the first half of his life trying to raise myself as a man. Today we have a much better relationship, as I continue to evaluate who I'm being for and with him, and when I listened to this sermon and specifically him quoting Psalm 139 I was nearly moved to tears. 

I love this Psalm for many reasons, but namely because it speaks to the divinity in each of our creation, and the fact that God made us in all the way's that we are. Though I know that far too often I'm guilty of not seeing that divinity when looking at myself and others, I understand that to see less than that is a crying shame.

Rejected People Reject People

In Louie's sermon a few things really jumped out at me. The first was the notion that; "Rejected people reject people." Normally the people rejecting you are doing so because they themselves feel rejected. This morning I sent out an affirmation asking my friends to pass the blessing of understanding Psalm 139 on to others especially those who aren't showing up in a loving and empowering way. When you can frame yourself and others in the understanding of rejection and this Psalm it's easier to see the opportunity to share the blessings rather than engaging in an unhealthy way that feeds into rejection, fear and ugliness. 

Acceptance is Attractive

The 2nd nugget I gleaned was, "Acceptance is attractive," while rejection repels. This hit me hard as I realized how I reject some of the things my son chooses, like his choice of baggy clothes, or a sideway's cap, all the things you see in rap videos and pop culture (ironically neglecting the fact that I was probably 20 years old before I started to grow out of my violent, gangster-wrap phase). When I look at my son sometimes, I see him being influenced by the world around him in ways that differ from what I would want for him, and I get scared. 

This sermon helped me realize how grave the situation can get if I continue to reject my son and repel him from my influences as he's attracted to the influences that may not have his best long-term interests in mind. What it really made me realize is that, regardless of what I like or want for my son or how relevant and helpful it can be to his life, with rejection, I may never get the opportunity to share that with him. Rejection is that repulsive. 

Today I recommitted myself to accepting my son, to build the type of relationship that builds trust and respect that will one day lead to him seeking my guidance in the little things as well as the big ones.  This commitment isn't just with my son, I will work to be more accepting in general and hopefully you can find the inspiration to try and meet me on this journey as well. If your child, partner, or friend isn't getting acceptance from you, they will start working their way toward wherever they feel most accepted. 

I want the people I care about to feel honored and respected as individuals with the same freedoms of choice I enjoy in leading myself. Sometimes with children, in my case it's been this way at least, it's harder to see them separate from the responsibility we have as the adults to guide them, while discerning which parts of their 'uniqueness' are truly theirs and which are the external influences that could use some evaluation, especially when the behaviors are opposite of what we see for them.

Join me as a Wellness Fréq and choose a higher frequency of thoughts as you interact with your family, friends and coworkers. Subscribe to my blog for more insights, recipes and fun ways to raise your frequency and experience a happier healthier you today!