Pearls of Wisdom

Boredom is not in my vocabulary. I treasure time with my family and friends. I love spirited people, art, nature, good writing, reading good books, goodwill, and traveling.

I enjoy watching colorful sunsets, listening to children’s laughter, trying new recipes, watching waves lapping upon the seashore and rolling back to sea.

I love the smell of springtime freshness, roses blooming in my garden, and the scent of white magnolias. I love the canvas nature paints: earth tones, pastels, and rainbow colors.

I strive for balance in my life. I am self-driven and self-motivated to be physically fit, mentally engaged, emotionally healthy, and to live a spiritually enriched life.

I am proactive in my wellness. Let it begin with me resonates in my spirit. My happiness is an inside job.

It is important that my words and actions are congruent, to have respect and dignity for self and others, to treat others as I want to be treated, and to live a life of gratitude, generosity, and be mindful of God’s amazing grace.

I strive for a holistic and preventive approach to attain balance in my diet, lifestyle, and daily routine. I avoid carbohydrates, fried foods, am waning myself off of chicken and red meat, eat lots of berries, raw nuts, vegetables, and hefty green salads with lots of arugula and kale.

My day starts with giving thanks to God for seeing another day. I pray for guidance, direction, and to be of goodwill. I make a call to my walking companion around 6am and we meet an hour later at the park three days a week.

I try to capture and write as many early morning thoughts on the page before walking. I attend an aerobics class on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. On Tuesday and Thursday in the afternoons I attend writing classes which keep me mentally active and socially engaged.

I avoid, as much as possible, getting hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. Perfection is an illusion; however, I keep my eyes on the prize of being the best that I can be.

I am a tortoise, not a hare, determined to run my race with faith. There is truth and power in the words, “As a man thinketh so is he.” I concur “a healthy outside starts from the inside.”

What the mind, body, and spirit feeds on grows. The following quote resonates with my belief, “Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”

I believe in the power of positive thinking. Thoughts have power, they carry energy. They can create bridges or build walls, heal or destroy.

I firmly believe it is our inner beauty that creates our radiance and how we impact those around us.

My gratitude keeps me humble, grounded, and invigorated. As I grow older I better appreciate the magic of imagination and I want to remain childlike, spirit filled with wonder, curiosity, and playfulness.

If I have learned anything, it’s how I stumbled and how I got back up that makes me proud of my journey.

Vickie Williams is a member of the writing class offered through the Cerritos College Adult Education Program. It is held off-campus at the Norwalk Senior Center.