Your Life Wheel (part 4)

Although I have talked about each spoke on your life wheel independently, there are many activities that help you tend to more than one spoke at a time. Volunteer activities, for example, could help fill an occupational interest, but certainly could also address social, emotional, intellectual, physical, and/or spiritual concerns. Volunteering could be formal, as in working through an agency/organization or could be informal such as assisting a neighbor or someone in your church, family, school, etc. Journaling is another example of an activity that can fill multiple needs or interests. One other piece that I have not addressed directly is making time to play. Laughing and having fun can also have an immediate impact, potentially, on all six spokes of your life wheel. I believe that life is too short to spend it so seriously all the time. No matter what your age, you still need to have some fun and play. It could be sports, but it shouldn't be highly competitive, as that tends to take the fun out of it. It could be reading or watching something funny, talking to an upbeat friend, even writing about some fun times you've had will likely bring a smile to your face. Smiling and laughing can have an almost immediate impact on our feelings and emotional well-being. Being positive, keeping positive thoughts instead of dwelling on negative things, also add to your mental and physical health. It is important that you take care of you and do what you can to keep your life wheel in good shape. Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including job search or career change, retirement planning, coping with loss of job, planning to return to work or college, non-retirement planning, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She meets individuals in person and via telephone. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor (L/WC) by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.