Kim Shorts: March to your own drum

At the start of the year, my column talked about working on being your best … with reminders to focus on the somewhat lofty goals involved in living your best life.

I realized I had to follow this up with another important reminder … to also march to your own drum.

I believe in order to live your best life, you need to ensure you are looking after number one.

Taking care of yourself first means you can take help care of others, when needed.

Developing healthy habits can translate into a healthier and happier person. It’s important to take the time to get that rest, to eat well, to get out as much as possible, and to socialize.

Sleep is so important to your health and mental well-being. As we age, sleeping can become a challenge. When I can’t get to sleep, I concentrate on slowing down my breathing. All that counting my breaths usually conks me out. Find a helpful tool that works for you.

Of course, eating a well-balanced meal will definitely help with your health. Oh, and it’s okay to cheat every now and then, treating yourself to a sugary morsel – as long as you do it moderation. (Remember, taking in too much sugar can lead to health problems.)

Drinking lots of water during the day, helps keep you hydrated and your cells happy and healthy. I find this is one of my biggest challenges as I keep forgetting to drink several glasses of water per day. For the first time this month, I am carrying the ubiquitous large water bottle (right) around the house with me. It was a Christmas gift. I just hope I remember to drink from it! (Editing this column just reminded me to grab that bottle!)

Then there’s the exercise that helps keep us healthy. Choose what works for you. Simply walking, for example, is great exercise. I see lots of people using the track at the Davidson Centre, which is awesome.

Let’s not forget our mental health which is so important to everything we say and do. Keeping a positive outlook on life, remembering to hand out those warm and free smiles … there’s so much going on outside and in our brains that it is often hard to remember that the glass is always half full or more!

I’ve always had the attitude that I can learn best from what life has put in my path, and like most people, we learn the most from our mistakes and errors. We are only human, after all. But if we can take note of it and file it away and/or laugh it off, then it helps improve who we are.

It is up to each of us how we manage and, hopefully, can control what is in our path. It’s life’s experiences, the ups and downs and everything in between, that make us stronger, smarter and, hopefully, happier. As I have often said, we are each a work in progress as we learn and grow into understanding what we can and can’t control or manage. That includes allowing yourself forgiveness in this march in life.

I’m a big Star Trek fan and one line from the show, "Voyager," has always resonated with me: “… maybe it’s not the destination that matters, maybe it’s the journey ...”

I always think of my life in terms of the journey I am on. I want to enjoy this magical journey, learn from it and share it, as I loudly march to my own drum.