Strength in Presence, Part 1: Fulfillment Embodied
Human beings are not machines.
The longer we live in this age of technological advancement and screens, the more we tend to forget that.
We are, however, amazing & capable creatures, and our machines have the potential to serve great purposes in the world…
But we are still biological beings with biological needs like rest and nourishment.
Sure, we are creatures who have built upon our strengths to rise to the top of the Natural order to create the bustling, thriving civilizations unique to our species…
Which often include the tools and machines we created to form them, and which we so frequently try to emulate…
But we are creatures, nonetheless.
We are living beings with complex internal and external structures that govern our day-to-day existence, only some of which we can control.
Our inherent complexity cannot be boiled down into mechanical calculations or airy ideas…
Because we are more than the sum of our parts.
Each part of us, however – be it physical, mental, or emotional/spiritual – plays a role that cannot be ignored if we wish to achieve our highest potential, either as a species or as individuals.
At Freedom Foam & Equipment, we value what it means to be free. And we believe that true freedom – and fulfillment – requires acknowledging all parts of ourselves.
Freedom can be physical…
And it can be mental…
And it can be emotional/spiritual.
All things work together in our lives, and as such, each piece of who we are deserves respect for the inherent value it provides.
If we ignore vast parts of ourselves, finding fulfillment will be difficult…
Because fulfillment is ultimately an internal art, not an external circumstance.
And there’s no better way to start exploring our internal landscape than by reconnecting with our physical forms.
Our Value and Our Bodies
Our bodies house us, and as such, we cannot – no matter how hard we may try – separate ourselves from our physical forms…
Because our bodies are an essential part of what makes us human!
Why do we regularly ignore our body’s signals, seeking to push beyond our physical limits, even when we know that productivity tapers off when our resources are exhausted?
Perhaps we feel pressured to achieve a certain level of approval or recognition because our bodies have a limited lifespan…
And grappling with mortality leads us to hope we can be “more than” who or what we already are…
So a piece of us will endure beyond our time, leaving a lasting impression on others.
But the truth is that our value comes not from what we accomplish, or from how much we produce, or even how history remembers us…
It comes from the fact that we live at all.
That’s a freeing thought, isn’t it? And it’s true! Your value does not lie in your level of achievement. It lies, instead, in who you are.
And believe it or not, we are not what we do.
That being said, at Freedom Foam, we believe that every person – including you! – has a purpose to fulfill and the ability to change the world for the better…
But that cannot happen if we ignore or try to abolish the wisdom of our physical forms.
When we listen to our bodies, we respond to the wisdom we each carry within us, and we rest, digest, and grow at a healthy pace, so that we don’t burn ourselves out or lose focus on what matters most to us.
The Wisdom of the Body
Our bodies are amazing, complex systems, and without them, we literally could not navigate the world!
We use all parts of our bodies to take in information and learn from the world around us. And, although we don’t think of it often, our bodies are specifically adapted to the world we live in.
We can breathe the specific mixture of air that exists in our planet’s atmosphere…
Our eyes can the specific portion of the light our sun emits that allows us to best survive in our environment…
And we can metabolize the nutrients in the food sources that exist here.
None of that is coincidental.
All of the basic physical specifications we need to survive on this planet are contained in our bodies without our intentional input.
But that’s not the end of the wisdom we hold within us.
We have external input that is important to our survival – but we also have an internal world: Our emotions play a physical role.
Emotions and the Body
Emotions are not signs of weakness.
In fact, emotions have been one of the key survival mechanisms (a.k.a. strengths!) of our species, and they continue to help us differentiate between the things in our lives that need to be addressed and those that are currently safe or life-giving.
Our emotions are tools that we can wield to help us thrive…
And our bodies can help us do that…
Because we feel emotions in our physical forms, too – not just in our proverbial “hearts” or “minds.”
(Think: fight, flight, or fawn response.)
Although we don’t often need to run from predators anymore, our bodies contain the physical wisdom to help us do that if the need arises.
And those physical responses are fueled by emotions. And fear isn’t the only one!
Joy is felt in our body just as much as fear…any emotion changes our body chemistry!
Our physical forms have a lot to tell us – if only we’d listen.
The point: emotions are part of being human, and they help us understand who we are and what we need. They are there to help us process something.
As such, we are much better served if we listen to – and follow – our body’s guidance through emotion, rather than trying to bottle everything up.
Because we can’t hold things in forever.
Not without severe consequences.
Consequences like serious diagnoses, such as anxiety disorders, high blood pressure, and digestion issues.
(Sound familiar?)
If we leave our emotions to fester, our physical and mental health suffer.
The good news: we don’t have to live in misery forever!
If we take time to process our emotions – to feel through them safely (often with the guidance of someone we trust) – we can grow from the experience, and increase our understanding of and tolerance for change.
When we allow the changes that come to help us grow, we are more likely to operate from a place of peace…
And peace leads to fulfillment.
Cultivating Fulfillment (And How Our Bodies Help)
Fulfillment is an emotion…
But it is also a mindset.
Emotions are often fleeting…
But a mindset? That’s a choice. And intentional mindset choices can last for years.
What does that mean?
It means that fulfillment can be a feeling that helps us know we are doing something right. And that’s lovely.
But we don’t have to leave it at that.
With the right mindset, a sense of fulfillment (which may or may not be emotive) can happen in even the worst circumstances.
At its roots, fulfillment is a sense of connection between ourselves and the world around us…
And that often includes a sense of our efforts making a difference to ourselves and to others.
How do we cultivate a mindset of fulfillment?
At Freedom Foam, we believe the simplest way to begin growing a sense of fulfillment is to practice connecting with Nature and one’s physical form.
When we get out in Nature, we remember that our lives are not the only lives unfolding on this fantastic planet.
In short, exploring & experiencing Nature helps shift our perspective…
Which, in turn, helps us decipher our place in the world!
A place that centers around our anchor in the Natural world: the body.
When we pay attention to the signals our bodies send us, we can more easily create the conditions within which the emotion of fulfillment is most likely to occur.
Without the exploration phase, though, we are just taking advice from others. And while advice can be valuable, it’s not the connection we need with ourselves to find fulfillment.
Freedom Foam’s advice?
Get out there and get to know yourself!
The rest will follow.
Conclusion
One of the first steps to find fulfillment is to listen to our bodies, seeking the wisdom that is there (of which there is much more than we give ourselves credit for in this “modern” world).
Operating from a place of genuine connection – to ourselves and the world around us – we can more easily foster the compassion, understanding, and peace that fulfillment stems from…
And that connection will lead to more growth than you ever thought possible.
In our next blog post, we will discuss the mental component of our path to fulfillment, and how we change the world by working on ourselves.
Until then, happy exploring!
