The way we poise ourselves can have an effect on whether or not we enhance harmony within or around us. It also reflects and affects our health.

“A good stance and posture reflects a proper state of mind” - Morihei Ueshiba

Our posture reveals the status of our physical and emotional health. If you have pain somewhere in your body, your posture shifts to accommodate the pain, to ensure that there is less pressure exerted in the painful part of the body so that there is less pain. Apparently, this is also true when it comes to emotional pain. In a TED talk titled Postural Empowerment: The Future of Holistic Wellbeing, Rob Holcroft indicated that he observed that different people he worked with who had anxiety and depression would adopt differing degrees of a foetal position. They would cave in around the heart, which is considered the emotional centre, as if to protect it. He observed that the body was responding in the same way to emotional trauma as it would to physical trauma. He found that when he got people to lift their breast bone, to open up or expose their heart area, he would see a positive emotional shift happen after the initial sense of vulnerability. Physically opening up and exposing the heart area, our emotional centre, can feel overwhelming but also it is quite empowering.

The relationship between the body and the mind is cyclic in nature. They are one system, if you may. How the body acts does affect the mind and how the mind feels also affects the body. So essentially, if you have harmony within, then you will most likely have good posture, if you have or maintain good posture, it enhances or boosts your body functions and thus it increases your well-being. 

Our posture also plays a crucial role in how others perceive us. It contributes to the social dynamics that we encounter on a daily basis. Since as human beings we are social creatures, this then becomes such an important aspect of our lives. We utilize posture to draw others to help us out when in trouble, to fend off would-be attackers whether that be physical or emotional attack, we use it to look attractive to others for social and business ends.  As Camille Kostek said “Confidence is everything, and the way you carry yourself, your posture, eye contact, all of that plays such a big role in impressions, regardless of your size.” 

So the question arises what is good posture?

In an article titled Guide to Good Posture found on medlineplus.gov by the US National Library of Medicine, they indicate that 

“Posture is how you hold your body. There are two types:

Dynamic posture is how you hold yourself when you are moving, like when you are walking, running, or bending over to pick up something.

Static posture is how you hold yourself when you are not moving, like when you are sitting, standing, or sleeping.

It is important to make sure that you have good dynamic and static posture.

The key to good posture is the position of your spine. Your spine has three natural curves - at your neck, mid back, and low back. Correct posture should maintain these curves, but not increase them. Your head should be above your shoulders, and the top of your shoulder should be over the hips.”

How mindful are you about your posture? 

So clearly, good posture improves our well-being and how we are perceived by the people around us. For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should be conscious of our posture, ensuring that we adopt a good posture. It is the simple daily habits regarding our posture that will be either beneficial or detrimental to our well-being in the long run. 

The thoughts we harbour affect our bodies in significant ways. Depending on the nature of the thoughts, it could promote our health or affect our health in negative ways which manifests in diseases or maladies of some form. 

“Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.”   –Charles Swindoll

There is a Chinese proverb that says “That the birds of worry fly above your head, this you cannot change. But that they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent.” Indeed we may not have control over things that will come our way that may cause us to worry, have anxiety and despair. However, we can prevent these kinds of thoughts from building nests, or dominating our minds. 

It is clear from medical research that thoughts affect our bodies. Thoughts may cause our bodies to react in a healthy way or in an unhealthy way. Negative thoughts sustained for a long time may cause stress within our bodies  which then manifests as various kinds of diseases. 

An article on Webmd.com How Worrying Affects the Body by Debra Fulghum Bruce says “Chronic worry and emotional stress can trigger a host of health problems. The problem occurs when fight or flight is triggered daily by excessive worrying and anxiety. The fight or flight response causes the body’s sympathetic nervous system to release stress hormones such as cortisol. These hormones can boost blood sugar levels and triglycerides (blood fats) that can be used by the body for fuel...When the excessive fuel in the blood isn’t used for physical activities, the chronic anxiety and outpouring of stress hormones can have serious physical consequences, including: suppression of the immune system, digestive disorders, heart attack...Although these effects are a response to stress, stress is simply the trigger. Whether or not you become ill depends on how you handle stress. Physical responses to stress involve your immune system, your heart and blood vessels, and how certain glands in your body secrete hormones. These hormones help to regulate various functions in your body, such as brain function and nerve impulses.

All of these systems interact and are profoundly influenced by your coping style and your psychological state. It isn’t the stress that makes you ill. Rather, it’s the effect responses such as excessive worrying and anxiety have on these various interacting systems that can bring on the physical illness. There are things you can do, though, including lifestyle changes, to alter the way you respond.”

The Scriptures caution us not to dwell on thoughts that are limiting such as worries, anxiety and fear. Jesus uses the words that such thoughts that are within us and which we talk about make us unclean as opposed to food which at that time some kinds of food was considered to make someone unclean once they eat it.  

Jesus also cautions us from worrying about everyday life. He asserts that worrying does not add a single moment to your life. In fact if we go by what scientists say, it actually reduces the length of our life. Elsewhere in the book of James 1:2, we are encouraged that when troubles of any kind come our way, we should consider it an opportunity for great joy. For we know that when our faith is tested, our endurance has a chance to grow. So we should let it grow, for when our endurance is fully developed, we will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

It is said, laughter is the best medicine. It is free of charge, also  scriptures, philosophers and medical research agree that humor or laughter has immense benefits for us  human beings. 

What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul. ~ Yiddish Proverb

It is interesting that we only laugh with those with whom we are in harmony. Indeed to get a joke, you have to be in harmony with the one telling it. It is a show of empathy to laugh at another person’s joke. In a deeper way, we are in harmony with ourselves, our inner person, when we can laugh at ourselves. When we can see the mishaps and mistakes we have made, and see the humour in them and the lessons we pick from them. Martin Niemoller said “ If you can laugh at yourself, you are going to be fine. If you allow others to laugh with you, you will be great.”

Proverbs 17:22 says “a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” So humour which brings laughter contributes to our good health. Even though this idea has been known for centuries, medical Research has also shown that  humor or laughter has immense benefits to our well being. In an article titled Laughter the best medicine in HelpGuide.com, they indicate the following benefits of laughter: 

“Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.

Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Laughter burns calories. Okay, so it’s no replacement for going to the gym, but one study found that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn approximately 40 calories—which could be enough to lose three or four pounds over the course of a year.

Laughter lightens anger’s heavy load. Nothing diffuses anger and conflict faster than a shared laugh. Looking at the funny side can put problems into perspective and enable you to move on from confrontations without holding onto bitterness or resentment.

Laughter may even help you to live longer. A study in Norway found that people with a strong sense of humor outlived those who don’t laugh as much. The difference was particularly notable for those battling cancer.”

These medical benefits are tied in some way to the social benefits of laughter. It strengthens relationships, attracts others to us, it enhances teamwork, helps defuse conflict and promotes group bonding. Thus looking at these medical and social benefits of laughter and humour, it shows how they contribute to harmony. Harmony within a person and harmony with others. 

So have you laughed heartily lately? When was the last time you had a good laugh?

For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should enjoy laughter. We should look at our life on a lighter note sometimes. When we enjoy laughing at ourselves and with others, it strengthens our bond thus enhancing harmony in our lives and in the lives of the people around us. 

Discipline is inevitable if one is to achieve harmony. Wherever you see harmony and inspiration, the underlying story is one that consists of discipline.

“Everything in the world is conducted by a gradual process. This seems to be the great principle of harmony in the universe.” William Godwin

I suppose there are two kinds of discipline, self-discipline and discipline enforced by an outside force, examples being parents, the State or authorities, God.  

Discipline is observable in nature. Observing nature in light of discipline you can see the best portrayal of what Elbert Hubbard said: “Self discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.” – Look at the sun, the moon and the stars in the sky above. They are always shining and going about their course whether it is cloudy or not. They keep to their set patterns day in day out. This in many ways keeps the harmony and steadiness of conditions that allow for life to be possible on earth. 

Think also of the mother hen, who after laying several eggs, has to sit on them to provide warmth and other requirements for them to hatch. The brooding process takes 21 days before the eggs hatch. The hen becomes disciplined to sit in that one spot (though I remember observing that the hen would take breaks but not for long) for all those days for the eggs to hatch. Without this kind of discipline, the eggs would not hatch. And I am certain this kind of discipline is present in many other creatures to enable them to survive and thrive. 

I think one of the most beautiful moments is watching military parades during ceremonies. They are spectacular in fashion, everything is done in precision, rhythm and harmony. I think it is impossible to achieve this kind of precision and harmony without immense discipline. It is no wonder they are referred to as the disciplined forces. So clearly the harmony we see at the end, is the result of countless hours of disciplined practice and lifestyle. There can be no harmony in their marching without discipline. 

In an Article titled Standards and Discipline, An In-depth Look at Where We Once Were and Where We Are Now,  Command Sgt. Maj. Shelton R. Williamson gives a reflection about the history of the US Army. He writes “ As the standards and discipline of units improved, so did the success of the American Army eventually leading to victory over the British. As our Army continued to mature and take on a larger role across the globe, standards and discipline would become the very core that would separate our Army from other fighting forces around the world; often viewed by other countries as the “Gold Standard” of an Army with respect to standards and discipline. The other armies often looked at how we marched in formation, how we were consistently in the same uniform, and how strong and tactically savvy our leaders were. All of these spoke to our standards and discipline.”

He quotes George Washington, the first General or leader of the American Army, who once said “Discipline is the soul of an Army, it makes small numbers formidable; procures success of the weak and esteem to all.”

Just as discipline is crucial in the harmonious and successful operations of an army, so is it for us as individuals. We must embrace discipline to achieve success and harmony in our lives. 

For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should embrace discipline. Just as there is no shortcut to the top of a tree, there is no shortcut to achieving harmony in life, we have to adopt discipline, to keep at it day in and day out. If for some reason we encounter a set back, we pick ourselves up from where we fell and keep moving forward. 

Self-respect and the ability to see our worth, is the aspect that enables us to cultivate harmony within ourselves. Having self-respect sets us up to have cordial and harmonious interactions with others. Without self-respect, chances are, we adopt a chaotic lifestyle. 

“Character — the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life — is the source from which self-respect springs.” Joan Didion

It occurred to me the other day that the reason I sometimes struggle to do the things I plan to do could be because I do not respect myself sufficiently. I am too familiar with myself and thus I can cut myself too much slack, as they say, familiarity breeds contempt. Come to think of it, why is it that most times we are quick to meet a deadline set by someone else but without serious discipline, we can easily forgo some deadlines we set for ourselves. This usually puts me in a rut of sorts, and the result is procrastination. I easily say “I will do this tomorrow…” and tomorrow could turn to many days later. Yet on the other hand, we take seriously deadlines set by others such as clients, bosses, leasing companies, our bills, public and private services that we seek etc 

In other circumstances, we meet deadlines when we give our word or commitment to a friend, someone we respect, a co-worker or an acquaintance. We strive to put our best foot forward to keep our word since our reputation is on the line. Failing to meet these deadlines can be detrimental to our reputation. It can go to show whether we are reliable or not. 

I think when I respect myself, then I will make every effort to meet the commitments and deadlines I give myself. In my view, this leads to harmony within and harmony with those around me since I will keep to the commitments I make. 

I think the way you carry yourself illuminates your way and ensures others respect you too for who you are and what you stand for. Ideally, the worth you place on yourself, has lots of bearing on how others perceive you and treat you. It is akin to this story told of the blind man with a lamp. There lived a blind man in a small town. This man, even though he could not see, he carried a lamp with him whenever he went out at night. 

One night, when he was going back home after dinner, he met a group of young travellers. They could see he was blind, but were puzzled by the fact that he was carrying a lamp. They started questioning him and making fun of him. One of them asked him “hey man, how come you are carrying a lamp yet you are blind and do not need it?!”

The man answered “Yes I am blind and I don’t see anything, this lamp is for people like you who can see. You may not see me coming and may end up hitting me and pushing me off the path. That is the reason I carry the lamp.” The group of young travellers was ashamed of their behaviour and apologized to the man. 

 When you are in a place where your self-respect and your worth is valued and shines, then it enhances harmony within yourself and harmony with those around you.  

Self-respect is protective to us. It ensures that we are not shaken by the views of those who do not perceive our worth or value. Consider what Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said  “He that respects himself is safe from others. He wears a coat of mail that none can pierce.”

There is no harmony without self-respect. No harmony without seeing the value you bring to society, your family, your friends and the people around you. When one does not see their worth and lacks self-respect in an increasing measure, they can easily descend into a chaotic lifestyle. For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should have self-respect, we should know our worth and the value we bring. As Robert Holden said “Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have.” 

There is a tension that exists in trust. When one  trusts blindly, they stand a chance of getting hurt, when one gets hurt, trusting again becomes difficult. Yet we cannot live without trusting ourselves, others and the systems that have been put in place to make life much easier and possible. 

“There are indeed times when one should trust blindly, just as there are times when one should not. Wisdom consists in being able to tell one from the other.” Daniel Quinn

We exercise trust often. We trust systems that have been put in place for the usual operation of things. For instance, rarely do you find anyone checking the credentials of a driver before boarding an Uber, a taxi, a bus or a train. Also seldom does anyone check the pilot’s credentials before boarding a plane. We usually go by trust. Trust that the system that enabled them to occupy those seats have done the job of ensuring they are trustworthy. Of course no system is perfect and there are occasions where untrustworthy or less qualified individuals take such positions, but generally, we trust that the systems that be, will ensure a qualified driver, a qualified pilot etc will occupy that important seat to take us to our destination. This application of trust applies to different spheres of life in varying degrees, but in essence on a daily basis, we interact with others and enterprises on the basis of trust. Warren G. Bennis said “Trust is the lubrication that makes it possible for organizations to work.”

Our level of trust can be observed and built as we interact with others and utilize resources at our disposal that may belong to others. I suppose each action we take casts a vote as to whether we are trustworthy or not. Whichever of those two sides you fall today, is the culmination of the many trustworthy or untrustworthy interactions or actions you have done thus far.  It is notable what the Scriptures say  “Whoever can be trusted with a little can also be trusted with a lot, and whoever is dishonest with a little is dishonest with a lot. If you cannot be trusted with worldly riches, then who will trust you with true riches? And if you cannot be trusted with things that belong to someone else, who will give you things of your own?” Luke 16:10-12. If you think about it, these are very interesting questions and perspectives that can help us to gauge how trustworthy we are at present.Consider what George David Miller said “Trust becomes solidified when words consistently back up by deeds.” 

Clearly, being trustworthy is beneficial to us, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.” The opposite is also true, if we treat others without trust, it may come back to bite us. It is like this story  told of a farmer and a baker.  Once upon a time, there lived a farmer and a baker who did business with each other. The farmer sold a pound of butter to the baker everyday and the baker sold a pound of bread loaf to the farmer. Soon, they had a good bond and became friends. One day, the baker suspected that the farmer was cheating him and that he didn’t give him a pound of butter, so he decided to weigh the butter to see if he was actually getting the right amount.

When he measured the butter, he found that he was not getting the right amount of butter from the farmer. This made him very angry and so he decided to take the poor farmer to court.

When the judge confronted the farmer with the accusation,  the farmer replied “Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I had been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Everyday when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter.” If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker.

“I want to live perfectly above the law, and make it my servant instead of my master" Brigham Young.

The law is a set of rules that govern human interaction and behaviour. Broadly speaking, it sets the standards by which everyone in society is to be judged. In fact there is a maxim or a legal principle which states that one cannot be punished for doing something that is not prohibited by law. 

The Scriptures have this concept of operating in such a way that one is living above the law. Paul teaches that if we possess some particular virtues,  there would be no law against us. He writes in Galatians 5:22 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” More on this later where Paul zeroes in on the virtue of love that encompasses all law. 

The systems of law have evolved in the sense to govern how people interact with each other and also how sovereign nations interact with each other too. As an example I was reading a story about approximately  6000 residents of Ottawa being effectively above the law. See these are people with diplomatic immunity who reside in that city but are representatives of other countries. These people with diplomatic immunity are essentially in every country and the idea is if they were to do any unlawful act, while in that foreign country,  they would be handed over to their own country’s authorities to be dealt with accordingly. So in this instance, the story talks of a vehicle that was being driven dangerously down the highway in Ottawa. As many as nine Police vehicles gave chase and apprehended the driver who was visibly drunk. The driver flashed his badge to show that he had diplomatic immunity, he was then driven to his embassy and police contacted the Foreign Affairs Department. If he was not a diplomat, the consequences would have been different, his license would be suspended and if convicted he would face a steep fine. I suppose there are many similar cases around the world. 

I think one of the most interesting conversations between Jesus and his disciples is the conversation he had with Peter about taxes. The conversation had an interesting look at the requirement to pay taxes.  The story is found in Matthew 17:24-27.  In essence Jesus who is essentially the King of heaven and earth, the Creator of all there is,  is revealing to Peter that he is literally exempt from paying taxes. However, because of the context in which they were operating, he instructs Peter to go ahead and pay the taxes anyway. And according to this passage and others, he would pay the taxes that were required in his day.

There is this article from the List.com that listed some laws that the British Royal Family is exempt from. In particular, it indicated that the Queen is exempt from paying taxes. However,  they wrote how she has voluntarily paid them since 1992. It is interesting how the tax practices of Kings centuries ago when Jesus walked the earth are in many respects seemingly still the same. 

The effects of the law on us as human beings are quite interesting. The law has the intention of directing our behaviour. It works in many respects, but again, as human nature is, some get overwhelmingly compelled to do the very opposite of what the law said. 

It appears that where there is love for something or someone, then there is no need for a law to remind us on which way to behave ourselves. Presumably, the correct and appropriate actions follow.

Kindness is an enabler of harmony. It perpetuates harmony within a person and harmony with others. It is the lubricant of harmony, it keeps things going smoothly and pleasantly. 

“A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses.” Chinese Proverb

Kindness is defined in Oxford Dictionary as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. This quality as we’ll explore in this episode has  immense benefits for both the doer and the receiver of a kind act. For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should be kind, kind to ourselves, to the people close to us and to the people we encounter as we go about our daily activities. 

I recall a Swahili story I read many years ago of a conversation between a rich man and a poor man. The rich man noticed how the poor man’s wife was very healthy and good looking. The rich man’s wife had everything she needed yet it puzzled the rich man that she was not looking healthy and happy. 

So the rich man approached the poor man one day and asked him what his secret was. Why was his wife looking so healthy, what food had he been giving her, what was the secret, he asked. “Quite frankly” he said, “I have been giving her the choicest of foods, she has all manner of luxuries, she even does not labour much for there are many servants to help us with our work.”

The poor man acknowledged that he did not have all the resources to provide a lavish lifestyle for his wife. However, he told the rich man that his secret was the tongue or to put it bluntly “the meat of the tongue”. He said his secret was that he made every effort to give his wife tongue meat. He ensured that of all things, he should not miss doing this particular one. 

 The rich man was grateful to the poor man for telling him the secret. He took off since he had no time to waste and he needed to attend to his wife. He went to his vast estate and instructed his servants to slaughter several cows, goats and sheep and to bring their tongues. He then preserved some of the tongues while some were prepared as a special delicacy for his wife. So for a long time, his wife ate the tongue meat, specially prepared and the rich man hoped to see a big change in her health and appearance. However, there was no much difference in how his wife looked after several months of trying out this secret. 

The frustrated rich man decided to go back to the poor man to update him and let him know that his secret was fake. It was not working. He felt deceived and taken for granted by the poor man. So he told him “I did all that you told me, I have given my wife tongue meat for several months but there is no change, did you deceive me?!” 

The visibly puzzled poor man said “oh my! So you have been feeding your wife tongue meat every day?!” “Yes indeed” said the rich man. “You must have misunderstood me, what I meant is that the secret is meat from the tongue, that is kind and endearing words from me to my wife, that is my secret!”

 In the book of Proverbs in the Bible chapter 11:17 say “A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself”. In some ways, scientists have proven this fact. There is this YouTube video that talks about kindness being the only thing in the world that doubles when you share it. It describes the almost instant benefits we derive from being kind. It says that studies have shown that if you perform at least one random act of kindness a day, you will not only reduce your stress levels, anxiety and depression, but your body is flooded with the same hormones that make you and the person you have helped calmer, healthier and happier.