The Four Pillars of Life are instrumental in the foundation of our existence. A version of the pillars can be found in ancient teachings from various cultures around the world. They are the fundamental principles that shape and uphold our life. Meant to establish health and happiness, the principles are as follows:
HEALTH
(mental, emotional, spiritual, physical)
WEALTH
(career, purpose, financial stability)
LOVE
(relationship with self, others & life itself)
PLEASURE/PLAY
(enJOYing recreational activities, hobbies, passions, interests & natural talents)
BALANCING THE FOUR FUNDAMENTAL AREAS
OF YOUR LIFE
If you want to tap into your inner superhero and reach your full potential as a human being BALANCE is the ticket. The Four Pillars of Life support and fuel the body’s homeostasis, which increases your vitality and energy reserves. You feel much more centered and grounded when you make the effort to live a balanced life. Plus, your happiness and confidence levels increase.
It also strengthens your sixth sense capabilities (aka your intuition which is your internal Divine GPS which is guiding you to your highest good), because the less stressed you are the clearer your mind. This is true freedom at its finest.
All four pillars are interconnected, so if one is neglected the other three will invariably suffer to some degree.
The best way to increase happiness is to identify the imbalances in your life. Start by asking yourself, what and/or who is creating discomfort and stress. Turning a blind eye to your unhappiness means disrespecting your heart and soul, which drains your energy and compromises your health.
PILLAR ONE: HEALTH
“Health is a state of body. Wellness is a state of being.” ~Miles J. Stanford, author of The Green Letters
The human body produces an electromagnetic field of energy and the rate at which it vibrates (the frequency) impacts our immune system. Neuroscience has established that thoughts and emotions carry subtle vibrations that either raise or lower your frequency; therefore, the emotions you choose to invest in directly impact your wellness levels.
Your overall physical health & wellness is affected by your mental, emotional and spiritual state of being. Since you’re a multifaceted, magnificent being, it’s critical to nurture all parts of you if you intend to thrive well in this world.
“It’s the chronic or habitual “mood” or emotional level we have to raise by increasing our own energy frequency. The more we do it, the higher and higher our habitual emotional level becomes and our sensation of happiness boosts and stabilizes into higher levels.”
This is where a mindfulness coach comes in handy as my goal is to help you achieve optimal health by uncovering which emotions are resonating in your field and why. It’s common to continually channel these low frequency emotional states if you’ve unwittingly absorbed unhealthy traits or behaviors from others, still harbor pain, sorrow or burdens from the past, or keep the company of low vibe people. Once you’re able to pinpoint everything that causes your mind to be ill at ease, you can begin to detach from it.
Sidenote: Research the Emotional Frequency Scale, discovered by Dr. David Hawkins.
PILLAR TWO: WEALTH
“The real source of wealth and capital in this era is not material things it is the human mind, the human spirit, the human imagination, and our faith in the future.” ~Steve Forbes If you base your self-worth solely on your financial wealth, then you should reconsider how you define the word.
The antiquated belief system based on bank accounts, academic and/or career achievements, accolades, and assets (homes, cars, boats, jewels, etc.) is why many people still believe money, power, possessions, fame and prestige will make them feel good about themselves, and elevate them to higher status levels.
People believe money will bring them happiness, but nothing could be further from the truth. Although money does allow you to live more comfortably, it doesn’t guarantee you peace of mind. (If it did, then why aren’t all successful, rich people happy?)
Enjoying what you do for a living, sharing your gifts and successes with others, feeling balanced, healthy and joyful, establishing a responsible relationship with money so you can create financial prosperity, stability and security are all part of what constitutes real wealth.
Once you establish a positive outlook about your self-worth, it’s easier to view prosperity and abundance from a new perspective.
You vibrationally open yourself to receiving more of everything when you resonate loving virtues on a consistent basis. Once you realize love – and not money and things — makes the world go round, everything starts to fall into place. The irony is the more loving, compassionate, honest you become, the richer, freer and more joyful you are.
(Sidenote: You’ll always be stressed if you have a hard time responsibly managing your finances. Even if you aren’t conscious of it, part of your mind is always at work thinking about what isn’t being handled.)
PILLAR THREE: LOVE
“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.” ~Jesus Christ, Gospel of Thomas
Relationships are how people learn about love. There isn’t one individual born into this world who could survive without the assistance of another human being. How you interact and care for yourself and others is what life is truly all about. Relationships have the potential to propel you into expanding your heart, or cause you to put up walls to protect it. This is why knowing how to create healthy boundaries is an essential part of understanding self-love.
Different Kinds of Love
Depriving yourself of love goes against your true nature as a human being, so love is who you are and what you’re meant to express. There’s human love, which is full of conditions people set for themselves and others. Then there’s unconditional divine love that protects, supports, accepts and endures all things. Rejoicing in truth it keeps no records of wrongs, and preserves joy.
The most important relationship is the one you have with yourself, as it sets the tone for your relationships with romantic partners, family, friends and co-workers. Until you’re able to recognize that you’re the embodiment of love and all that entails, you’ll continue to search outside yourself for it in all the wrong places. When you rid yourself of fear, judgment and criticism, you tap into and embrace the power of divine love.
PILLAR FOUR: PLEASURE (play)
“Pleasure and action make the hours seem short.” ~William Shakespeare
Pleasure is what you feel when you’re fully engaged in doing something you love and completely lose yourself in the activity. Making time to let loose, play and have fun has many health benefits. When you nourish your passions, talents, and interests, you make your heart smile and your soul sing, thereby decreasing stress and anxiety.
Ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians understood the importance of pleasure and its connection to their well-being, and that it should viewed as a necessity instead of a luxury. Carving out time to indulge in pleasure is essential to a well-balanced life, so not setting time aside time for yourself can cause disturbances in your energetic body.
At some point you may have stopped nurturing the things you love the most (the biggest excuses are often the lack of time or energy): Sex, cooking, painting, singing, reading, spending time with a friend, getting a massage, taking a bubble bath, gardening, meditation, dancing, playing with your kids, going to movies, journaling, spending time in nature, etc.
The goal is to feel pleasure without guilt; otherwise you won’t reap any health benefits (mothers in particular struggle with this, as they are nurturers and pleasers). When you stop using your natural talents and no longer engage in the things you love doing, you shut off a part of yourself.
Pleasure is also about connecting to your playfulness, because being in the “pleasure zone” is being connected to your spirit. When you’re involved in something that makes your heart smile, you aren’t thinking about the past or the future; instead, you’re living in the present which is a very liberating experience.
Pleasure brings peace and joy, so whatever it is that makes you happy, just do it!