What's Your (Wellness) Sentence?

I was recently intrigued by a professional newsletter that challenged me to create my sentence. In short, it was an assignment to craft a sentence that defines what your life is about and why you're here. In our twitterized culture, it also designated that the sentence be limited to ten to twenty words. On a good day I am a very organized person and on a bad day a perfectionist. In turn, the challenge to define my purpose with such rigid parameters was painful. After much though I arrived at a sentence and I must say that the process was helpful. With attention to detail (a "high-C" for those familiar with the DISC personality profile), I came in at exactly twenty words, each one carefully considered.

The challenge to form your motivational sentence originated from Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind and Drive. According to the trailer on Pink's website, there are two questions that if carefully considered might change your career, your work, or your life. They are, "What's your sentence?" And, "Was I better today than I was yesterday?" Using these two sentences to navigate your life, Pink theorizes, provides focus and purpose.

The history of the question traces back to Clare Booth Luce who was one of the first women to serve in the US Congress. In the 1960's she approached President Kennedy with the statement that "a great man is a sentence." Lincoln's sentence was that he preserved the union and freed the slaves. She was concerned that Kennedy was trying to do too much and that his sentence was in jeopardy of becoming a rambling paragraph. (www.danpink.com)

Too often, in terms of health and wellness our desire and motivation is rooted in purposeful goals (wellness sentences perhaps), but quickly dissolve into rambling paragraphs. We want to eat healthier, drink more water, eat less fast food, reduce our salt intake, walk more, increase our cardio, mix in weight training, practice mindful exercise like yoga, skip the dessert, and on and on... Ultimately, the list becomes too daunting and consequently we scrap it (typically around January 15, a few short weeks after our resolutions). What if we could define our wellness goals in terms of a sentence? Perhaps we could start with something like, "He exercised regularly" or "She ate a well balanced diet" or "They made time for daily activity and exercise together as a family." If we start with a simple, clearly defined purpose and measure it daily against "how was I better today than yesterday," Pink's theory says that our drive, our motivation, and ultimately our success will be positioned to increase.

Of course, the practice of crafting your sentence can transcend fitness to encompass holistic wellness, defining all parts of our lives. The professional newsletter that offered this challenge to me was from the YMCA of the USA and I was inspired by some of the responses that they received.

“He accepted me as I was, saw the potential that lied beneath and helped me to become it.” - Joe Lopez, Jefferson City Area YMCA

“She was the best mother two kids could ever wish for, the best wife a husband could hope for and the best friend and family member to everyone she cared about.” - Teresa Mowry,Blocker Norfolk Family YMCA

“I don’t just work with individuals, I influence self discovery and celebrate their purpose.” - Jenna Grossman, Triunfo YMCA

“She led others to find more joy from the simple things in life, not sweat the small stuff, be thankful for what we have and to follow the golden rule.” - Terri Falkenberg, Marinette-Menominee YMCA

After much thought and over-analyzing, I crafted my sentence. It's much more simple than it would have been had I crafted it a year ago. It's much less career and me centric and more about what I believe matters most. It relates to health and wellness in terms of if I'm not paying attention to my personal health, I'm unable to effectively move toward my purpose daily. Each area represents a priority where I seek to focus. Some days I pursue these areas well. Other days I fail. Ultimately, I'd hope the legacy of my life to be reflective of this sentence:

"He loved God, loved people, deeply valued time with his wife and kids, and ultimately found life to be enough." Matt Tuckey, Carlisle Family YMCA

What's your sentence? I'd love to hear from you and be inspired by your sentences. You can email your responses to mtuckey@carlislefamilyymca.org and I'll explore them in a follow up post (article).

The Single Best Exercise

Gretchen Reynolds recently posed the question, "What's the Single Best Exercise?" (New York Times, April 17, 2011). The article pieced together the expertise of many offering their opinion. The butterfly swim was suggested as were some old-fashioned calisthenics. Interval run/walking was proposed along with the squat life. All things considered, the author concluded that running up the stairs may just be the single best exercise.

My wife, two boys ages 4 and 6, and I packed up our vehicle and traveled to Family Camp 2011. This was our third Family Camp, the first without diapers. We braved the rain and joined a group of ten other families at Camp Thompson for a weekend of adventure.

Family Camp started off with a fun-filled game of adults versus kids dodgeball. The large field in front of Masland Hall set the stage for a showdown of this classic game among families. In the background, more families arrived and were checked into their cabins by Y staff. As one game finished and a new one started, two families introduced themselves, noting that they remembered meeting last year at Family Camp and recognizing how big the kids have grown since then. Off to the side, children who tired of dodgeball made their way over to the trampoline surrounded by parents with flashing cameras. The day unfolded with canoeing, archery, and lawn games.


Employed at the Y, I workout a few days a week. (I would not boast this as my motivated self will, but rather a complete lack of any excuse not to workout as I'm surrounded by opportunities for exercise). I've ran multiple distance races and even attempted a full marathon as well as a sprint triathlon). Overall, I'd consider myself in reasonable shape for my age (my age begins to show simply by using that phrase).

Even so, I was tiring at Family Camp. After dinner on Saturday, my friend and I braved the harsh elements (light drizzle), using our outdoor living skills to masterfully build (lighter and fire starter sticks) a campfire. Our village of cabins enjoyed Smores while the children played, explored, and imagined.

Our children are active. They play outside often, participate in community sports, and battle back the tired with everything that they have. My wife is high energy as well, working out often at the gym or with Billy Banks in the living room. I'd suggest that our family lives an active, healthy lifestyle.

Even so, we were tiring at Family Camp. On Sunday, we woke to homemade breakfast, crafts, lawn games, the Alpine Tower, and free choice. We chose to head out for a hike with our friends. The six adults and seven kids headed for the steep assent to Pole Steeple. It's about a mile up to the lookout. We decided to take a less steep route back down that was suggested by a friend who will remain nameless. The alternate route extended our mile decent three-fold. After a two-and-a-half-hour hike (which only by Divine Intervention included almost no whining and all children walking the entire way on their own), we returned to camp for lunch. Family Camp came to a close with children playing, the sun overpowering the rain, and friends new and old packing up their vehicles.

Both of our sons were asleep before we made it to the main road to return home. They slept as we unpacked the car. The older son slept for 2 hours immediately after school on Monday, passing up his snack and playtime. My legs were sore and my wife and I both fell asleep on the couch Sunday night and again on Monday night (my wife might argue that this is a regular occurrence for me, but I continue to contend it's due to physical exertion).

What's the single best exercise? Running up the stairs carries weight of a fine physical activity. However, I'd argue that for the best exercise that is relational, spiritual, physical, and emotional, pack up your vehicle and travel to a camp. Do it with others you know or meet others along the way. Exercise your mind, heart, body, and spirit while appreciating the beauty of Creation. Nature provides a better holistic exercise than any machine or routine can offer.

Connecting to Better Health

I recently had a business lunch meeting at a local restaurant. I noticed two couples eating at adjacent tables. At one table, a couple sat across from each other and the silence was only broken when they ordered and asked for more napkins. At another table, a couple sat on the same side of the table (a rarity in our culture) and talked throughout the meal. While I am not aware of the circumstances surrounding either meal, the observable difference was in the connection between the individuals. When my wife and I were dating, I would take her to breakfast and I'd buy a newspaper beforehand to read during the meal. Over time, she taught me that it was important to her that we use that time to connect, not isolate and read. To this day, when we go out to dinner as a family, my tendency is to allow the kids to take the video games and for me to manage the chaos until the meal is over. My wife leans toward leaving the video games at home, everyone being present, and sharing about the happenings of our days (and sometimes intentionally allowing some chaos to occur)! The difference is in the opportunity that we're giving our family to connect.

My pastor friend often talks of the life cycle of someone new to church. They'll come, they may like what they find and stay, and they may even check out a program or two. This will last for some time, but the engagement will fade unless there is a deeper connection. To this end, people are encouraged to join a community group or commit to serving in a ministry area. If they find a deeper connection in community, they stay. If they don't connect with others, they eventually move on.

A recent article in the New York Times asked if gyms are passe (New York Times, Catherine Saint Louis, January 26, 2001)? One gym owner said this, "Now everybody is plugged in... now they come to disassociate themselves from everyone... it's killing the health club..." The article goes on the argue that while there is a market for the anti-social approach to fitness, that socializing is still the key to long-term exercise success. Casey Conrad, a fitness industry consultant says, "There's no question that the social element is a huge, huge piece to getting participation. I travel a lot, and when I miss a yoga class [at my gym], they are like, 'Casey, where have you been?" Other industry experts reported that people have to have the opportunity to be challenged while connecting in a meaningful way to others. A personal trainer stated that the environment was important, but ultimately, "It's about connection."

If your exercise resolutions are fading and your commitments to wellness are waning, try connecting for better health. In each community that you are a part of, find a way to connect at a deeper level. Find a gym where you can work out while also connecting to others in am meaningful way. When you go out to eat, make healthy food choices by choosing fresh, nutritionally rich menu options while also making healthy relational choices by leaving the newspaper at home and connecting with the person that you are with.

Finding More in Less

There are days when I long for the simplicity of life that my kids enjoy. They love their parents and gain security through the love that they receive from us. They're eager to learn, grow, discover the world through the joy of play. They laugh at each other and at themselves. They imagine themselves in exciting adventures. They're fully awake and present until the moment that they finally drift off to sleep at night. Their lives are simple. Their joy of living isn't choked out by the weeds of stress and worry. In their innocence, they make simple choices that provide them with a better reality.

My wife is reading a book entitled, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are (Voskamp, Ann). The book is about finding hope in the ordinary. The author started the book on a dare to keep a list of the many things that bring her joy. The list contains many ordinary things like the sun shining through the window, the smell of cookies baking, or a beautiful landscape that you see on a summer stroll. The book focuses on finding joy and experiencing happiness through being attentive to the thousands of blessings that we have each day. She makes simple choices of gratitude that provide her with a more joyful reality.

Rueters recently ran an article that also discussed simple changes that can change our reality for the better. (Kelland, Kate. Simple Life Changes Could Stop Millions of Cancers). The article says that about one-third of all common cancers can be prevented through simple life changes such as eating healthier, drinking less alcohol, and exercising more. Cancer is the leading cause of death around the world, killing 7.6 million people each year. This number is projected to climb to 13.2 million people a year in 2030. Low levels of physical activity are the leading cause of many of these cancers. (The World Health Organization recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week). In short, simple changes can save your life.

Consider the time that you have on this earth and what story you are writing with your life. Make small changes to write a better story. (Thanks to Don Miller for this illustration). Learn from children to laugh at yourself and with others. Create more margin in your life and be thankful for the ordinary. Do your part to prevent cancer: eat healthier, stop smoking, walk more. Find more life in simplicity!