The Olympics are in full swing and the wonder of what the human body is capable of plays out before us. We now know that it is not just the muscular parts of the body, but the mind is very important. Athletes need to have the right mental attitude and utilise mind games with each other and themselves. How fascinating that the mind is so important, yet it is still thought of as something different from athleticism. When nerd meets jock you get an elite athlete. This is something worth investigating in this week's article.

The thing to add to an active body and an active mind is a true sense of wonder and joy. That's what the pictures are all about and this week is titled, Nature's Paintbrush. If the mind is going to create and excellent expression of human potential, then truth and beauty are the triggers for excellent expression of the human spirit. The glory you see in these photos are just a sample of what you see in the world around you every day - if you look!

Cut the chicken breast into small cubes and put into the dish with the carrot and all the other ingredients.

Mix the ingredients together in the dish and then cover with a lid (or foil if you have no lid). Place the dish in an oven pre-heated to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 4. Cook for 55 minutes then serve with yogurt.

Serves 4

Mind: Let's keep on the theme of balance. Keeping things balanced is a real job for the ol' grey matter. Try the classic walk with a book on your head. Get some friends and play a game like Twister. Put a cup (plastic or paper) of water on the back of your hand and walk without spilling. Rest a golf ball on the bridge of your nose. Make up some of your own activities as well. Be sure to have fun and lots of laughter.

Soul: Divide a page in two. Write down a list of qualites about yourself. Not only the good ones, but the not so good as well. On the other side of the page show how each item on the list can be expressed as a strength. Now look at the list at those things that other people say are your weaknesses. Think about how everything is a strength when you apply the right frame of mind.

Perfection - Just a State of Mind?

This is the sort of mind game that is used when contemplating the concept of mindfulness. It is also the sort of manipulating of reality that is used to justify 'living in the moment' as an abrigation of responsibility for the past or the future. Still, in any given moment, you are all that you can possibly be.

I was fascinated to hear people describe the human body as a 'collection' of cells. Rather than a unified, connected body that is made up of cells, the body is what arises out of a community of cells that are like a city. Connected, but disconnected. One entity, but only because of an enormous amount of voluntary co-operation.

That's what we are. Perfect in one moment and completely imperfect at the same time. A heart is exactly that. No more, no less. The heart is not an imperfect liver. The heart is a perfect heart. Yet, at the same time, that heart may be full of disease, clogged with cholesterol or faulty from age and overuse. It's all a bit of a dilemma really. Are we perfect or not? Perhaps the answer lies in the mystery of the mind. Dan Siegel tells us that the mind is 'a process that regulates the flow of energy and information'. Our brain, our body, this community of cells is just a gathering of energy and information and the state of our mind determines the way in which that community functions.

Look at the amazing images of cells as they function within the body from medical animator David Bolinsky

If this film doesn't work, please go to this link http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/david_bolinsky_animates_a_cell.html

And the mind is even more amazing than we can imagine. Keith Barry is classed as a magician. We don't know how he does what he does in this TED talk, but, at the very least, he challenges our ideas about what is possible and what is not. The fact that he can create a feeling of cautious wonder as we watch him do the 'impossible' is simply a message that we hold enough doubt, there is enough that is not known, that inspires us to wonder when our beliefs are challenged. Perhaps that is the perfection of being human - that there is no perfection. Everything is a mystery. The more we know the more we realise what we don't know. Wow! Everything we are in this given moment is a stepping stone to everything we will be in the next moment. The 2.5 billion moments that make up the seconds of our lives are a long and continuous string of moments that create a community of time we call a lifetime.

I wonder if our obsession with perfection can be set aside in the much greater shadow of our pursuit of grander ideas, like the never ending organisation, re-organisation, discovery and achievement of creating our lives.

Share your thoughts and suggestions? richhill@iinet.net.au

(Please register me to receive this newsletter)

Looking forward to sharing more thoughts, suggestions, news and making a very Healthy Wednesday connection with you!

Take Care, Richard, Susie and The Healthy Wednesday Team