Wellness and Environmental Stewardship

The following is a copy of the speech given to the honor society Phi Theta Kappa on March 28, 2003, the evening they inducted new members. The speech was written and delivered by Dr. Diane Resides.

Wellness and Student Success

Thank you. I am honored to be here today to share my thoughts about wellness and student success. Congratulations to all of you for your academic accomplishment. What a challenge to put into 15 minutes a topic that could take days to discuss. At this time in our history when we face uncertainty, we face conflicting values of materialism versus environmentalism, and we are living longer, it seems imperative to think about an improved quality of life. According to author Susan Witting Albert, "To be whole and healthy, we must work with our hearts, not just our hands and our heads. We must work for others, not just for ourselves, for in the shrinking world of the future there will be little room for individualism.  Right livelihood is chosen thoughtfully, mindfully, with a full understanding of our needs, the needs of those we care for, and the needs of the earth."

I will begin by defining key terms and proceed with thoughts on wellness and then end with a focus on society and what role we can play to make this world a better place for all.

What is Success?  I am looking at success from the perspective of quality, not quantity. When one looks in the thesaurus for the word success, you will come across words like achievement, thriving, arrival, and noteworthy. Notice, none of these words denote money, riches, or wealth. It is not how many possessions one has, how much money one has, but rather one's quality of living that is important. Success will be defined as attaining an improved quality of life for self, others, and one's community.

David Orr, an ecologist, states " The planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. It needs people who live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these qualities have little to do with success as our culture defines it."

The following are Qualities of Wellness:
· committed to a cause outside oneself
· caring and loving and a support system for others
· have a clear sense of purpose and direction
· intellectually sharp
· able to accomplish lots of work
· able to live in and focus on the present
· ability to experience full range of emotions
· accepting one's limitations
· ability to take charge of one's life

The handout you received provides a model for personal wellness and a sustainable society. To achieve personal wellness one needs to achieve a balance in all the different dimensions of the model. I will review each of the areas in a minute but first let me define the term wellness.

Wellness is a lifelong process of becoming more aware of and making choices toward a more fulfilling life. It means engaging in behaviors and attitudes that improve one's quality of life. There are many models of wellness and I will draw largely on the wellness model espoused by the National Wellness Institute. I am going to talk about two levels of wellness - that is, personal wellness (the 7 interdependent parts that influence and impact our overall quality of life) and societal wellness (quality of life for all). I believe there is an interdependence between individuals and society. In other words, our personal wellness influences and impacts how we interact with society and society also impacts our personal wellness. For example, if we pollute, it causes damage to the Chesapeake Bay, decline of species, lack of good drinking water, and in the same token, poor air quality can exacerbate illness such as asthma and allergies.

Let's now take a look at each of the seven dimensions of personal wellness.

Social  This means relationships with and care for others; interacting with others from diverse backgrounds; interdependence one has with others including those within and outside one's family. A 1995 national survey examined American's views on consumption, environment, and values of society. 66% of those surveyed said, "if I was able to spend more time with family and friends I would be more satisfied with my life." Do it now.  Don't wait. Take time to have fun and spend time with those you care about and love.

Spiritual Striving for the meaning and purpose of one's life; a sense of awareness and direction; and clarifying one's values. An appreciation and understanding of the interconnectedness of life. In the words of Clarissa Pinkola Estes, strength does not come after one climbs the ladder or the mountain, nor after one "makes it."  It is attention to and devotion to the nature of soul that represents quintessential strength. This strengthening, whether with words, prayer, contemplations of various kinds, or by other means, comes from a greatness that rests at the center of the psyche and yet is greater than the whole of the psyche. Mindful meditation has been shown to be helpful in treating or preventing medical illnesses. Take time out to meditate, pray, practice yoga, spend time in nature, or whatever means you find that helps you to be still and silent. Spend time in solitude.

Intellectual Obviously this is an area in which you have already demonstrated strength. It means to be mentally active, develop critical thinking skills, become a lifelong learner - have a zest for knowledge. The challenges of the 21st century, such as war on terrorism, ever widening gap between rich and poor, decline in natural resources, global warming, etc., require us to be creative, innovative, flexible, to think holistically, see things as interconnected. Learn to see patterns. It is seeing the 3rd and 4th dimension of things as opposed to seeing things two dimensionally. You may have heard the expression, "think outside the box" - this is what is required to be successful in today's workforce and to help solve today's challenges.

Occupational This means finding work that uses our talents and strengths and provides personal satisfaction. I challenge you to choose work that is your calling so to speak as opposed to finding a job. A job is often taken for material gain, to earn one's keep, or a way to build up our resume, to support a lifestyle that takes more than it gives back. In contrast, a calling has more to do with finding work that fits with ones' values, larger purpose, and the gift one wishes to give to the world.

Physical  This is the dimension of our wellness that is most familiar and whether we spend time attending to it or not we usually think about it. It means we need to exercise regularly, get adequate sleep (i.e., 7-8 hours per day), eat food that is organically and locally grown and nutritionally balanced. Take time to breathe. No, seriously, yes, we all breathe but many of us don't practice proper breathing, which helps to reduce stress and helps us to relax.

Emotional The ability to recognize, understand, and accept one's feelings. Relates to our ability to understand other's emotions and maintain intimate relationships with them. Our ability to adapt to change and to cope with stressors. It is the element that includes how positive and optimistic we are about life. When we are emotionally well we experience a deep happiness within. Express your feelings either through talking with others or writing down your feelings.

Environmental The quality of air, water, food, working conditions, and personal safety. A healthy environment is key to success of our future as a species.
S. J. Gould writes, "We cannot win this battle to save species and environments without forging an emotional bond between ourselves and nature as well - for we will not fight to save what we do not love." We can help in small ways by recycling, cleaning up trash, driving more environmentally friendly cars or better yet walking or biking whenever it is safe to do so.

To put all these various dimensions together I will use the metaphor of a kaleidoscope. If you've ever looked in a kaleidoscope you know that there are many moving images and one twist of the kaleidoscope changes the image. Liken that to your wellness; a change in one of the aspects of yourself causes changes in the other areas. It is a challenge to maintain a balance in all areas but necessary in order to maintain a state of well being. It is through learning (i.e., gaining awareness of self and resources, acquiring knowledge and skills) that one takes responsibility and makes informed choices, which ultimately leads to fulfillment of your educational and career goals and therefore, success and improved quality of life.

I would like to turn now to societal wellness. For as Catherine Bateson in the book, Composing a Life, states, "All the forms of life we encounter - not only colleagues and neighbors, but other species, other cultures, the planet itself - are similar to us and similarly in need of nurture, but there is also a larger whole to which we all belong. The health of that larger whole is essential to the health of the parts. Our actions impact the wellness of society and much the reverse the state of society impacts our individual wellness. How we see the world shapes the world and this in turn shapes us."

In society, there is pressure/focus on materialism and individualism, but there is a critical need for another way of living. That is, a way that includes others, thinks about the impact on our communities, and the larger world in the choices we make. For example, America comprises only 4.5% of world's population but we consume 30% of world's resources.

We can all help to create a sustainable society. What do I mean by a sustainable society? I mean one that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It means meeting the well-being of people, nature, and the economy over the long haul. A society in which there is a responsible use of energy and consumption of food and where all people are treated with respect and dignity. A sustainable society focuses more on quality improvement than quantitative growth. It means using resources at a rate that is equal to the rate of regenerating them. So, in order for us to continue to live quality lives, we must care about our environment and the world we live in.

Even though we may not think of this much, there are limits to natural resources such as land and water. We need to think in terms of "enough" versus always wanting more. It means we need to be responsible stewards of the earth, caring for those around us, and the environment. It means caring for the creatures around us…it should matter to you that 11% of bird species are threatened with extinction and 34% of fish species. One quarter of species are in danger of being lost by the year 2025.

Why is this important? Why should we care about the environment and nature? One example is the benefit of it. As noted in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, there are health benefits from walking in the woods, working in our gardens, and petting our cats and dogs. Contact with the wilderness can reduce stress and improve overall well-being.

Terry Gips, in his book Breaking the Pesticide Habit, writes, "…when you really understand how nature works, and how cells function, you see that there's a total connection between the health and wellness of plants and the health and wellness of human beings, and health and wellness of the environment. And the truth is that you look at things from the standpoint of a cell, you have to go to the molecular level to find any difference between the cell of a plant, of a person, or of another animal. They're almost identical. The primary difference between our cells and plant cells is the ability of plant cells to do photosynthesis. So if you start seeing a problem with plants, or with certain animals, pay a lot of attention. Because it ultimately will probably show up with human beings."

This means that our health and wellness depend on a well society and vice versa. There are some simple behaviors we can follow that will help us leave less of an ecological footprint.

In closing, I offer you a few challenges for success that are in keeping with the tenets of Phi Theta Kappa:

SCHOLARSHIP - USE YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND GIFT OF INTELLECT to live a better quality life for self and improve society for all.

LEADERSHIP - MAKE ETHICAL CHOICES - be a leader and role model for others -- reduce, reuse, recycle, buy recycled products. We can walk or cycle instead of drive when it is safe to do so and we can buy and drive vehicles that are environmentally friendly. We can buy energy efficient products, and make informed and well thought-out decisions that will benefit self, others, and society.

SERVICE - Be a steward and take time to participate in a college or community project. Give of your time and self to help others and the environment. For example, participate in Earth Day activities, as a group complete a service learning project, or do some good deed for someone else that will make a difference in his or her life.

FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHERS AND WITH NATURE - Experience the joy and wonder of nature. We can spend time in nature and get to understand our dependence on nature and its dependence on us. Listen to the birds sing, watch a squirrel play. Just sit, be still, and observe.

I wish for you much continued success.