July/August 1999
Articles on the theme "Lifestyles"
A Look Back
by Dr. Audrey Craft Davis
Reflections on lifestyles when the
writer was a child and how they contrast with today's.
Design Your Own Lifestyle
by Edwina H. Holloway
How to customize your unique lifestyle
to fit your authentic self.
The Spirit of Caring
by Lisa Raphael
The spiritual component of lifestyle.
Comments on Managed Care vs. true caring.
Is Lifestyle Predictable?
by Magzcha Westerman
How numerologically to find the number
that represents your Life Lesson and how that number relates to lifestyle.
The Yogic Lifestyle
by Charlotte Rudeau and Piers Anthony
How yoga can help one achieve a better
lifestyle.
Exploring Your Style of Life
by Elizabeth Fenton and Renée Gillombardo
Developing a lifestyle. How one views
oneself and the world around one. Passion and the authentic self.
A Lifestyle of Love
by Rev. Pat Cross
Creating a lifestyle that is an expression
of the spirit of God within us.
Life's Stylus
by Bob Gonzalez
The connection between 'stylus,' style
and lifestyle. Our unique mark on life. Purpose and universal love.
The Victimization Lifestyle
by Cydné Battreall
What causes the victim mindset and
how to change it.
A Lifestyle of Grace
by Cheryl Smeed
Of going with the flow to achieve a
positive lifestyle.
Other Feature Articles
Natural Health Q & A
by Karen L. Mutter D.O.
Of cholesterol and various approaches
to lowering cholesterol levels.
2000 and Beyond!
by David Findlay/ Werner Huemer & Micah
Rubenstein
What is . . . Astrology?
by JoAnne Gregory
Some notes on the history of astrology
and some of the people who have used astrology. What the Sun signs, the
Moon and the planets tell us.
Mineral Kingdom
by Judy Power
Featured stones for July and August:
Zincite and Kyanite.
Exploring the Style of Your Life
Elizabeth Fenton and Renée Gillombardo
What is the lifestyle of your authentic self? How does your style determine your approach to your externalvitalizing presence and how do these play out in your day-to-day style of life?
Whoever you are within determines how you operate in the presence of others. For example, consider how you proceed with professional and personal pursuits, social situations and family interactions. Are you being who you want to be? Are you satisfied? Do you have that level of internal comfort? Do you feel passion about where you are going and what you are doing?
Your financial, spiritual, work/career, family/friends situations are all aspects of your lifestyle that can be in balanced vital proportions in your life. There is no real magic to attaining these sought after goals. What it takes to achieve them is a commitment to your authentic self by honoring your personal values, for example, integrity, honesty, love, play, risk taking, organization, or flexibility. All of these things are within your power to have.
Having said that, our definition of lifestyle involves how one views self and the world around. This view or perception of self and the world helps build the necessary self-concept one must have in order to function at one's fullest capacity. Knowing self keeps us from operating on 'auto pilot' for the reason that, operating in the 'auto pilot' mode can keep us from our creativity and highest expression. We are in effect standing in our own way when we are operating on automatic. An awareness of our lifestyle helps us shift our paradigm just enough to move out of our way and see the opportunities that are being presented to us. Naturally, opportunities will involve other people and their lifestyles. If you have been successful in developing your strong inner lifestyle, you will be willing to embrace different lifestyles, joining together for mutual benefit.
The process of developing our lifestyle begins by implementing a practical plan of action. Your plan of action may include: devoting yourself to the task of self-discipline, finding ways to make everyday duties and responsibilities creative and playful, searching for someone who will help you be accountable and who will partner with you, supporting your success. Finally, incorporate gratitude for what you have as you move forward.
When you ask yourself, "Am I satisfied?" consider your frame of reference or how you look at the idea of satisfaction. Satisfaction can mean resigning to your perceived inevitable versus pride in your achievements. Considering the 'gray area' can help you realize where you are on the satisfaction scale. Understanding your beliefs of the concept of satisfaction is an important component to understanding your style.
What does it mean to determine your level of internal comfort? Determining your locus of control may help. If you are more of an external person, you probably feel more comfortable in your outer world and your inner world may be somewhat foreign to you. If you are more of an internal person, you probably feel more comfortable in your inner world and your external world may produce some anxiety for you. When we tend to give more attention to what is happening in our external world, we have a more external locus of control. When we tend to give more attention to what is happening in our internal world, we have a more internal locus of control. Understanding your locus of control can be an instrumental tool in determining your lifestyle. A note of interest: the goal here is to achieve a balance of your loci of control-recognizing and incorporating the strengths of each.
Passion is the glue of an authentic self. If passion is synergistic, then passion is greater than the sum of all the parts. The combination of your external and internal world, your concept of satisfaction and all that goes into your lifestyle is driven by passion.
"A body at rest affords us no idea of any active power to move, and when set in motion, it is rather a passion than an action in it." (Locke)
Essentially Locke is saying: electing to evolve is an act of passion in itself. Passion can be used as the 'economic criteria' to measure or gauge your effectiveness and efficiency, so you sustain or further develop your viability. Your authentic self is your unique and exceptional expression of your human potential.
Therefore, lifestyle is not about WHAT, it is about WHO and the WHO is YOU! Because you live in the world around you, acknowledge that you are your most important tool in constructing alignments and affiliations with other lifestyles.
Elizabeth Fenton, LMHC, and Renee Gillombardo, LMFT, are psychotherapists in private practice and consultants and coaches in the areas of personal and professional development. St. Petersburg, FL (727) 481-6433. E-mail: fgasuccess@aol.com. Internet: www.fgapa.com.
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