When you think of a lotus flower, what comes to mind? Its beauty, its color, how it grows, or its symbolic significance across cultures? The lotus comes to mind when I think of my own wellness. It grows in darkness by rooting itself in mud, surrounded by water to then blossom towards the light. Much like our lives, we may often find ourselves in dark places, but we search and manage to find the light and reach for it. The lotus also sheds its blooms at night, only to grow new ones at the start of a new day. Like the lotus, we lay our heads down at night and shed the worries of the day, only to be "reborn" or given a new chance to start over when the sun rises.
In the illustration above, the lotus encompasses all of the wellness dimensions blooming from the center, which is me or the self. The petals of my life bloom outward with the most important aspects towards the center. Personally, in order to reach the outer blooms of the lotus, I must first have a sense of self, who I am, and how I see life. This spreads out towards how I handle physical, spiritual, and social health. I feel happy and content in these aspects of my life. Due to my comfort in these areas, I am able to create and choose a healthy environment where I can nurture my creativity and hobbies. I see all of the petals as precursors to my financial and intellectual health. They enable me to focus on setting appropriate priorities and have an open mind to learn new things. There may be moments where a petal may get muddy, and it certainly has; however, there is always an opportunity for new growth.
Credits:
Created with images by Devanath - "lotus natural water"