Sometimes, in life, we feel as though we’ve fallen down. Something bad or unexpected happens, and knocks us off our feet. When this happens, it’s OK to take time to feel the emotion that comes along with it: disappointment, anger, fear, etc.

It’s even OK to express it verbally, artistically, or through writing, as it can aid in the healing process. It’s sometimes appropriate to stay down for a time to recover from the experience. But, like a small child who falls and cries, we need to learn from the experience and get up and walk again with our new knowledge making us wiser.

When a child falls and hurts himself, it’s human nature to offer compassion, perhaps give them some words of wisdom, and expect them to get up and keep going. This should not change for adults, whether we’re dealing with someone else or our own self. Yelling at, or degrading someone for mistakes is rarely helpful, and more often than not, hurtful. So directing that type of energy toward anyone, including yourself, should not be permitted.

Remember that being down, whether we feel pushed down, slammed down, or simply fell, can initiate a change of direction in our life, possibly even catapulting us forward.

At least one religion has a “God Of Obstacles.” The belief is that this god puts obstacles in our way when we’re on the wrong path, and removes obstacles when we’re on the right path. This is an interesting concept and the words can be changed to suit your own beliefs. The evangelist Joel Osteen stated the same type of thing, but said that your life is supposed to stay within a frame. When things don’t go right, it’s because you’ve bumped into the frame, thus bringing you back to your correct life path.

Whether this resonates with you or not, the fact is that sometimes things don’t go as we expect, and we feel as though we’ve run into a brick wall, or the rug has been pulled out from under us. These times should be looked at as an opportunity to reassess our situation, making us stronger, smarter, and more agile to avoid or better handle other difficult situations. It also gives us reason to appreciate the pleasant moments in life.

Just as it’s OK to feel your emotions when you’re down, it’s OK to feel your emotions when good things happen. In fact, these pleasant feelings should be allowed to be magnified and linger. People don’t spend enough time feeling positive emotions. We spend so much time working and trying to get things done, we don’t take time to really feel happy about our accomplishments and successes.

What if we took time to hear the compliments that are given to us instead of shrugging them off so we don’t appear egotistical, using them as information to keep doing what we were complimented for. What if we honored ourselves, on every birthday, for all that we learned and accomplished over the past year, or past decade. What if we acknowledged finishing a task, allowing ourselves time to feel satisfied with our accomplishment.

Honoring ourselves is important to our health, as it triggers endorphins and boosts the parasympathetic system, ameliorating stress. Of course, we must remember not to be arrogant, which stems from ego and does not give the same benefits. Arrogance is offensive, honoring yourself is healthy.

Next time you feel as though life has knocked you down, or you’ve fallen, notice how you feel, and ask yourself what you’ve learned from the experience. Take time to nurture yourself and get up and continue your journey, wiser than you were before. Honor yourself for what you’ve learned, then take time to celebrate the good things in your life and truly enjoy them. It will boost your spirit, your energy and your health.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same."

Wow, do things change!

Think back to the 60's when women were burning their bras. Convenience (canned and boxed) foods became popular because they allowed women to spend less time in the kitchen.

Wonder Bread was supposedly able to "help grow strong bodies in 12 ways."

Cigarette vending machines were common and easily accessible to the general public.

Women exercised by standing still on a machine with a special belt wrapped around their hips, belly, thighs, while the machine shook the belt, which, they claimed, jiggled the fat off the body. There was even a fad diet called "The Drinking Man's Diet" that encouraged a combination of alcohol and meat for weight loss.

In the 70's, there was a big push to eliminate eggs and butter from the diet, because of cholesterol. Now, health professionals are telling us to eat them, as they are naturally healthy.

In the 80's, we were taught to bounce to stretch muscles. Now that is frowned upon, as it may induce muscle tears.

Soy was originally looked at as a miracle health food. After soy products turned into a big business, the health risks (of unfermented soy) are now said to outweigh the benefits.

When we learned that suntan oil promotes cancer and premature skin aging, we replaced it with sunscreen. Sunscreen (which contains chemicals that are absorbed into the body) blocks UVB light that our skin uses to make vitamin D, so using it may lower our vitamin D levels. Many health practitioners are now promoting D supplements.

Throughout the years, there have been numerous medications that have been taken off the market because of risks to patients that were unknown until after they were on the shelves. This includes antidepressants. A study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1999, proved that exercise improves depression just as much as antidepressant drugs.

We've learned a lot in the last 50 years, just like they had in the 1960's, looking back 50 years prior to that, thinking they'd "come a long way, baby."

I'm confident that in another 50 years, we will look back at some of the things we do now, as silly or just plain wrong.

How will people feel, 50 years from now, about artificial sweeteners, food dyes, genetically modified foods, cooking in plastic containers, and the use of antibacterial soaps and cleaners?

We need to think before assuming that new, man-made items are safe. We also need to beware of anything that is being sold as a miracle food, drug, supplement or weight-loss plan where businesses are making big profit.

Luckily, we have the Internet, as well as media, to help us research things so we can become informed from a multitude of sources. Of course not everything on the Internet is correct, but it's a place to gather information so we can ask intelligent questions and make informed decisions.

My suggestion is to get back to nature, and eat a variety of organic, whole foods in moderation. Exercise most every day, in a way that makes you feel healthy. If "they" find a new miracle something-or-other you want to try, incorporate moderate changes as you feel you should, and notice how your body reacts to see if the changes are good for you. Do you see, feel or test for appropriate changes to your body without unwanted side effects? Look at the overall picture, not just one aspect.

What we're learning today may be right or wrong. All we can do is our best to find the right information that works for us. Do your research, learn as much as you can about health from as many sources as possible. Notice what information resonates as truth to you. Then, after you've gathered all your information, tune everything out. Stop the chatter, and do what you think and feel is right for you and your situation. Stick with nature as much as you can, go with your gut instinct, and don't worry about what's popular. What's popular today, may be what we look back and laugh at tomorrow.