chatwithketch

The election/selection (forgive me…I am not sure what the ‘spiritually correct’ word should be) of the new pope got me thinking of spiritual health? What comes to your mind when you hear this? Whether you are born again? A pastor? An imam? A worker in church? Whether you’ve got your pastor or imam on speed dial? Well, I mean none of those things…though I am sure it is perfectly appropriate to do or be one or more of the above. This is something a little different. Something that we do not readily ascribe to health…our feeling of being at peace with ourselves and the world!

The bible tells us that as much as possible, we should live in peace with all men and I oftentimes wonder at the conditionality of the ‘as much as possible’. Now I am not a pastor and would not dare to start a religious dissection of this bible verse…there are others who are better versed at this than my poor ordinary self. However, I would go as far as suggesting that the conditionality in this sentence perhaps implies that irrespective of our very best efforts (which sometimes includes bending over backwards, walking on our heads and sometimes shedding blood!), there are just those who would never see anything good with anything we do! It could be a neighbor (who just doesn’t like you because you generally mind your business and don’t stop over to chat and discuss the other neighbours); it could be your former customer in the market (who has decided that 3^rd world war isn’t about to happen fast enough and needs some help coming up earlier, just because the last time you came to the market, you purchased fruits from someone else); it could be someone who just thinks ‘your own is too much sef’ because you like to carry yourself in a particular way or speak ‘properly’ (we shall gingerly step over the exact meaning of ‘speaking properly’); it could be your in-laws, boss in the office, colleagues or even (horror of all horrors), your co-workers in church!

Now how do you handle this? Remain at peace with yourself doing nothing to provoke them but generally being yourself knowing that whatsoever good you do, you shall reap. Understand that the only person who can really ruin your mood or peace within yourself is anyone you give the permission. If you do not give the permission then they do not have access. Whenever they get under your skin and you are threatened to retort or retaliate, listen to your heart pounding, feel your tummy tighten and an ache start there ,watch your hands trembling and your body getting ready to move in whatever direction you wish to propel it. All these are the results of substances released into your blood stream by that loss of peace and resultant anger. These combine to give you stomach ulcers, hypertension, diabetes and other disease conditions that have long term effects.

So, as difficult as it may sound, when you ignore these people who upset you (for the purpose of this post, we shall call them irritants! Just because I think it’s easier and quicker to write that, and not because I am being mean and classifying people in a derogatory way…I think! Anyways, hopefully my pastor does not get to read this and call me in for deliverance!), you’re really doing it for you and not so much for them. You want to live long and healthy and so any activity (legal, of course) that takes you there is a good one. Remember, we are enjoined to love our neighbor as ourselves…not more than ourselves! (Now my pastor must really be squirming!!!). Take for instance this story. I was driving out of my house one day and wham! A bus from nowhere just appears…and hits me! I sat down in my car minding my business, telling myself that it didn’t really matter, to ignore him and move on. I had convinced myself that this made sense when all of a sudden I heard quite a bit of noise. Looking up, I realized that during my period of meditation (in a bid not to lose my peace and ‘click ignore’) this bus driver kinda got the impression that I was a JJC and thus started raining abuses on me, the details of which I shall not burden you with! The summary though, was that I was a woman who did not think she should use a driver because she wanted to show the world she could drive myself and that I should go and park that thing (!) and stop blocking people on the road!  That was it! In one split second, all that peace disappeared! I became a seething raving mass of human! I came out of my car, went to the bus and ordered him to get out and do something about my car. In the meantime, traffic had built up behind both of us on both sides. (Did I see you cringing? Well, if you live in Lagos…you’re kinda used to this sight L).

From somewhere behind me, I heard the voice of the head teacher of my daughter’s school call out to me. That was like a bucket of cold water dumped over me. My heart slowed down, my tummy ache reduced and all of a sudden, I saw the light! What on earth am I doing in the middle of a road screaming at a bus driver…who by the way, at that time was prostrating, begging for mercy!

Lesson in this, let it all go…put it in a bubble, blow it away! You can’t win with the bus drivers. They start off abusing you, they end up, prostrating before you. At the end of the day, you are left with chronic ailments and a battered car…which still has to be fixed! In the spirit of spiritual health…I reject it in Jesus’ name on behalf of all of us!!!!

Here’s to…..a healthier you!

Yesterday was mothers’ day…for Anglicans /Pentecostals and the social media was awash with tributes, messages, pictures and display pictures of mothers from the world over! Some of the messages were emotional, some were funny and some just took you…way back! It certainly took me on a journey…to a time when I felt that  the age ‘30’ was ancient, when I thought grey hair was ‘cool’ and when I was a custodian of all ‘cool’ lingo…now I struggle to keep up with my children! Those were the days….(sigh!). Mothers’ day for me, then, was spent at my grandmothers’ house with all my cousins, aunties and uncles congregating to eat, drink and be merry (naturally!). Gifts were exchanged at some point…I think! My ‘older’ mind races to recall….

But I digress! It is established…actually has been forever that mum is special! But…how many of us know what mum is dealing with these days? Those headaches she keeps complaining about, that just won’t go away.…are they symptoms of something else? Would you have an idea of any chronic condition she suffers from, if asked? Hypertension, Diabetes, arthritis? Does she have a blood pressure monitor? When was the last time she got a medical checkup? If she has a chronic ailment, have you ever bothered to ensure that her drug refill is continuous? Questions! Questions!

The aim of these questions…is not necessarily to evoke guilty feelings (though it may not be a bad place to start…especially if it is effective! ;)) It really is about the health of these precious people (and daddies are not left out!) In terms of emotional health, our mothers were there when other people were too busy…to heal our hurts, nurse those damaged limbs and fragile teenage egos! They kept our secrets and told nobody of those excruciatingly embarrassing moments that we wish we could just wipe away from history (have I got some of those!!!!)

So, to celebrate these special women, what would be a good mothers’ day gift? A car? A house? A new dress/lace fabric/aso-oke? A new phone? Blackberry Porsche perhaps? Am I getting warm? But going back to my trusted book, the bible…all these shall pass away. These things are not meaningful if mama/mum is not around. Yep! It won’t make sense to see all these stuff lying around when the person we bought them for is not around. Or the most ridiculous of all! Spend tons of money that, perhaps, poor mum never knew we had when she was alive, for her burial! It is so senseless!

Is there an answer in here somewhere, I hear you ask? Actually yes! Please visit mum often…this improves her emotional health. Go with your family and just say hello…not just on mothers’ day! Call her up from time to time. Buy her a BP monitor to check her blood pressure at home. Get a doctor/nurse to do house calls and check on her. Buy her a health plan that registers her in a hospital next door to the house and ensures that she is covered for all manner of medical care from the basic to the esoteric and even covers the supply of her drugs on a monthly basis. This takes away the pressure of remembering to send money down for the drugs, takes away the pressure of trying to figure out how to fund mum’s surgery (should there be need for one) and makes mum know very clearly that she is firmly on your mind despite the fact that you may not really be near her all the time.

The boost to her emotional health adds more years than drugs can and makes her a happier woman. For those who have children, you just might be teaching them how you would like to be looked after in your time! So, don’t waste time…call up an HMO today and get mum’s health plan started. Please get one for dad too…I don’t want to be accused of gender insensitivity! And while you’re at it…one for you and your family!

So, here’s to a healthier mum…and a healthier you!

Okay! This is certainly not what you thought when you saw the subject, I assure you! But, hey…don’t leave…at least not just yet. Not until you’ve read what I’ve got to say! So yes, this is not a post extolling the virtues of this prime (I’m sure) drink neither is this meant to even disrespect it. Nope! This is in honour of the time worn, aged, good old fashioned ancient means of transportation called walking!

Don’t roll your eyes! Okay, if I ask how many times you’ve gone to the gym in the past one year? What would be the answer? If I asked how many times you’ve been able to clock up to 150 minutes of exercise in a week? What if I asked, what your daily routine is? Would it sound like…from the house to the car to the office back to the car off to meetings, back to the car and off to the house? Does this sound like you? Well, you are not alone! It took the magical object called a pedometer to bring to my attention how little I was moving around when I stopped going to the gym due to some ‘household operational challenges’ (code for ‘my nanny up and left without notice!’ ;)). The first day I used it, I racked up all of 432 stairs!!! Did you get that? In all of 24 hours…I moved my feet one way or the other a total of 432 times! That is pathetic! And really scary given that a sedentary lifestyle (one in which there is little physical activity), can increase our risks of hypertension, obesity, cancers, diabetes etc.

Even our children are not left out! I usually park a little distance away from the church on Sundays, just so that immediately after the service, we can make a quick escape without having to wait for people to move their cars etc. But my children hate the very idea of that short walk to where the car is parked and they will use any opportunity to whine about it!

Okay what’s the answer to this? Get physical! Go out and play football, table tennis, basket ball, lawn tennis with your spouse, the children, friends etc. This ensures you’re getting the required exercise and also bonding with your family. Visit the gym: do weight trainings, aerobics etc. Did I hear you say ‘oh but I work so hard and I can hardly find time to sleep, how much more exercise?’. Then find other ways of doing this: instead of calling the Accounts Department to find out the status of that invoice, walk across there. Instead of using the elevators, use the stairs. Instead of being driven all the way to your front door, stop at your gate and walk the rest of the way inside. Instead of calling the nanny to get you water, go get it yourself. In all of this, the goal is to rack up 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 days a week and if using the pedometer, at least 10,000 steps per day!

Okay! I heard all the screams of 10,000? Was that a mistake? Did you mean to say 1000? Nope! I meant and still mean 10,000. Now, this is the optimal. However, if you are starting out from the very depths where I started, then aim to increase your steps by at least 500 per week until you get to the promised land. You’ll be amazed at the fun activities that can rack up steps quickly. So if you love your Owambes, enjoy and be sure to dance! Not the stationary ‘hips down, backside swaying’ kinda dance….nope! More like the Nkpokiti/atiolgwu/salsa dance steps (hmmm! writing these three dance steps together raises interesting imagery right here! Beyonce, eat your heart out!). You’ve got to get some motion in there! You know all those stuff your children want you to do…like carry them around, swing them around or just chase after them? They all count!

Every little step counts towards making you healthier and happier! Celebrate every milestone with 5000 being the first major one. This takes you firmly out of the sedentary lifestyle group and on your way to wellness! 5,000-7,499 steps/day is termed “low active.” 7,500-9,999 is considered “somewhat active” and 10,000 steps/day indicates the point at which an individual is classified as “active”. People who take more than 12,500 steps/day are classified as “highly active”.

So start small, keep at it, get those joints to stop creaking and keep those terrible diseases at bay! Keep walking people!

Here’s to….a healthier you!

Here’s to… a healthier you!