Case Study 19

Spiritual, Physical, Mental and Social Wellness Fun and Function Model

God has a vision for me, and my life’s journey is to find that vision. Wellness is living out that vision. I see spiritual, physical, mental, and social wellness as one comprehensive way of life. I try to eat right, I try to exercise in ways that I enjoy, I try to keep up on current events, I try to read stimulating articles or books, I try to relax, I try to be open to God, I try to respect and interact with other people. All of those activities are interrelated. It is generally hard for me to do one without involving the others. Some of my most intense prayer, for example, occurs on the hiking path or in the shower. Sometimes I may be more attentive to one of those dimensions than to another; but if I want to be well, I need to pay attention to each of them.

That philosophy has evolved with my life. Different people at different times contributed different elements of it. I usually need time to figure things out, and so I often put the pieces of my wellness philosophy together long after those pieces have been a part of my experience. From my mother I developed an appreciation for taking care of my body—healthful eating and exercise. From my father I developed an appreciation for taking care of my mind—asking questions and exploring possibilities. Forty years as a Franciscan friar have given me on-going opportunities to explore and develop my own spiritual life. Fourteen years of Al-Anon meetings (a fellowship of friends and relatives of alcoholics) have given me the tools to interact more constructively with other people.

Life is on-going, not static. Do I always live out my philosophy? No! I get side-tracked. One dimension of life sometimes requires more immediate attention than another. If I am not careful, other dimensions of my life may suffer. When my mother died, for example, I became my father’s care-giver and neglected my own bodily well-being. In sixty-seven years I have come to recognize when one dimension of my life is out of synch with the others. I have learned to let go of behaviors, values, and outlooks which may have served a purpose at one time in my life but which now hinder me from living fully. I am learning to change.

Loren Connell, OFM