As an established nonprofit human services provider benefiting the intellectually and developmentally disabled (IDD) population of Las Vegas for the past 30 years, New Vista knows much about activating healthy habits. Wellness should not be advocated from only one vantage point; our perspectives must consider the many angles of what it means to be healthy and happy. Through a multifaceted approach, we can nurture the various aspects of our lives to provide the best opportunities for all of us to lead vibrant, empowered lives. In doing so, we inspire ourselves to set an example for our family members, friends, coworkers and the greater community.
Let’s use an analogy of wellness to a precious gemstone, as each stone is appreciated from a variety of viewpoints. What make these gems so beautiful are their various facets, or sides, and how they reflect light or hold color. Their allure is, at least in part, a result of them being so marvelously multifaceted. These gems and their multiple surfaces reflecting light are much like an approach to wellness: a diversified integration of many aspects of life that we all strive to keep in a beautiful balance.
Ben Caine
An important part of an empowering home environment is giving the gift of health and wellness to ourselves and those around us. Think about your own home life for a moment and the many goals you strive to achieve in a day: getting proper sleep, eating healthy meal options, exercising, practicing mindfulness, finding time to socialize, nurturing hobbies you have or discovering new ones. There are a multitude of goals we have in a given day to live a healthy life. The point is that these pieces of our lives represent the facets of our overall wellness. We should take pride in caring for each aspect of our lives to appreciate the whole “gem” of our being. In doing so, we create a strong foundation to pass this awareness on to those around us.
In today’s complicated world, active daily living practice is not easy to achieve. Hurdles set before us every day can be enough to halt most of us from exploring the sides of ourselves that we may not enjoy, and it’s all too easy to abandon the unfavorable facets of our lives. Whether it’s taking the time to exercise or preparing healthy food options, it is downright difficult to remain focused on wellness with the stress of life beating you down.
However, think of the gemstone again and how the facets weren’t always polished. It takes active and resilient effort to put a shine on our rough edges; we must diligently persevere in the balancing act of life to achieve our best potential. All of us at New Vista take action in advocating health and wellness for everyone in our community, no matter what challenges or limitations they may face. We encourage everyone to join us in these efforts.
Ben Caine is director of development at New Vista.