“You can only truly thrive when you can distinguish between who you are and who you were told you should be.” – Tanya Leake
For those of you not familiar, “truly thriving” is at the heart of the Travis Illness-Wellness Continuum. I love this model because it promotes the concept of (High-Level) Wellness as so much more than just the lack of illness. While one can experience a neutral point of “no discernible illness or wellness,” the Travis model suggests that there can be more – i.e. a continuing journey to go beyond to High Level Wellness, a state in which one is truly thriving.
According to the Travis model, the steps on the journey to High Level Wellness – and thriving - include Awareness, Education and Growth. Of course, a health and wellness coach can support you on your journey through these steps. But, as a coach, how can provide the best support to someone on this journey?” I suggest that it is when each step is done in the context of a parallel journey to Deep Self Love. Deep Self Love and High Level Wellness are deeply connected similar to how mind and body are deeply connected.
In other words, you can only truly thrive when you develop Awareness, Education and Growth within the context of self-Awareness, self-Education and Growth of self. To perform optimally, physically, mentally, and emotionally, it starts with not just awareness, but, explicitly stated, self-awareness. As I explored the Travis Continuum in the context of my own High Level Wellness journey, I came to define what I believe is a parallel continuum that is a critical input to High-Level Wellness – I call It the Self Love continuum.
Based on the EmBODY LOVE framework, the Self-Love Continuum illustrates the parallel between a journey to Deep Self Love and a journey to High Level Wellness. Like the Illness-Wellness Continuum suggests there is more to wellness than lack of disease, the Self-Love Continuum illustrates the concept that self-love goes far beyond the lack of self-harm. Deep Self Love is a deep and abiding love for oneself that is an ongoing journey that starts with self-awareness and self-care, grows beyond with self-acceptance and self-compassion and blooms with self-appreciation. It is the development of not only a self-love mindset but also a self-love heartset. Your beliefs, your intentions and your actions become aligned, and this state, like High Level Wellness, creates an environment optimally supportive of truly thriving.
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