Body, Mind, Spirit
I have never thought much of these three components of life until I began working at Camp Carson and I witnessed my first BMS. After listening to the different speakers these past few weeks, I was inspired to share my own thoughts on each.
Body
The body can be viewed in so many different ways. It can be how you look at yourself or how you treat others, and so much more. Growing up I claimed to have never cared what people thought, but it was just a lie I’ve been telling myself over the years. As humans we have this need to fit in, to find acceptance among our peers. Fitting in includes buying the latest trend, the way we treat others, or something as simple as the way we look. If I’m honest, growing up I cared what others thought, about the clothes I wore and the way I looked, but I was not in a situation to where I could spend the money to “Fit in.” Instead, I found comfort in running, because if anything it would keep me in shape and help me to look fit. Low and behold running was something I was good at, and it got me noticed by my peers. Being acknowledged feels nice, but it’s not the same as being fully accepted by someone. Ever since I was young, I could not wait to get out of my school, to finally go away to college and to find people who had similar passions. In college I felt less of a need to find that acceptance, because I was part of a team that made me feel included. This being said, I still struggled to completely be myself and open up. By senior year, My life felt like wreck and I was just ready to move on, but I was lost and unsure. I felt like I no longer fit in with a group of my college friends. Values changed and the stress of trying to fit in and find a job took over. It wasn’t until I found a camp in Nashville, Indiana that I truly began to accept myself. I continued to run, not only to stay fit, but because after years of running I actually enjoyed it. I began to stop thinking about my looks, wearing miss-match clothing, socks with my chacos, or perhaps a tutu. This leads me to my current job at Camp Carson. I have never been one to truly open up to people that I do not know well, but at camp it is different. I can say that I am mending myself into the person I want to be, and I am beginning to feel a million times comfortable with being myself. Back in the day you wouldn’t catch me dead jumping in the middle of a mosh pit dancing like a crazy person or standing on a chair screaming a song at the top of my lungs. My confidence in how I look has grown, and standing in front of large groups of people have become easier once I stopped worrying about how I look and how others view me. In the end none of it really matters anyway because if anything there is that one wonderful God that will always love you even when you feel completely alone.
Mind
The mind is powerful and controls so many factors in our lives. For me my mind is what effects it all. As an introvert, I am always lost in my mind trying to decide who it is I am meant to be, because personally I feel as if I don’t belong a lot. It’s hard growing up and going to a school where you feel like you belonged anywhere else but there. College felt better, but even after 4 years I felt the search for belonging once again. I’m constantly searching for that place and for that person I am meant to be. Though it is good to exercise your mind, you cannot let it consume you. I overthink too much, I analyze everything I am told and I try to decipher what it might mean instead of asking for that clarification. This can lead to trouble, it can lead to moments where you feel down on your luck or borderline depressed. It also set me up for a lack of confidence. I have always been afraid to speak up because I am trapped in my mind and I am afraid of messing up and making a fool of myself. My mind is constantly arguing every point and has lead me to spending way too much time by myself. It wasn’t until last year that I began to ease my mind more by going on a spontaneous road trip. I use to be all about the details, what time and place and things I may need. The road trip was like a breath of fresh air, we didn’t plan where we were going to stay or just how far we would drive each day, we just sort of went. I was able to forget the chaos of life that was consuming me and just sort of let it all go. Now adventures are what I long for when my mind begins to consume my life and I am forever grateful for such a wonderful outlet to enjoy God’s beautiful creations.
Spirit
I feel closest to spirit when I’m outdoors. During one BMS, spirit was described as camp, being around those who you can truly be yourself around and maybe that’s why I am constantly drawn to working at camps. Listening to this BMS really hit my heart as I listened to Emily talk, I felt a single pine needle land in my hand from a beautiful red pine that towered above me. Which was the exact moment I realized I needed to share this with you all. The Spirit is strongest when you are placed in a positive environment, around those who truly care about you, who would constantly bug you until you tell them what’s wrong, those who would do anything to make you laugh, smile, sing. Those people who work their way into your heart just to give you a sense of home, no matter how far away from home you actually are. The people who have a huge smile on their face when you jam out to one of your favorite Beatle songs because they never seen that side of you, or the constant compliments on your art no matter how bad you think it is.When you see the tips of mountains peaking out of a horizon, catch the smell of aspen and pine,taking a run on a trail, or even seeing a hint of red dirt. The list is ongoing. Spirit is when you find your inner child, when you get that giddy childlike excitement that leaves your heart happy. Spirit is when you truly accept yourself for who you are and you aren’t afraid to make a fool of yourself.
Together all three of these things help in creating the person we are meant to be. I have felt so lost and unsure of who I am or where I am meant to go, so insecure about so many things, and unsure of how to solve the problem. Never did I realize that in breaking down these components of myself would I actually begin understanding more of who I am meant to be.
I want to live, I don’t want to sit on the sidelines. I want to challenge myself everyday to be the best version of myself and never settle. I want to love more and deeper, to help others in truly knowing that they are noticed and never alone. I still have a lot of self learning yet to do, but I am so much more confident in the Kristy I am finding along the way. And I am hoping taking this giant leap of faith and sharing God’s word and love this next year will help me to grow even further into that person I am called to be. And know without love, we are nothing.
The light always shines brightest when Body, Mind, and Spirit are combined as one.
Hope you all have a beautiful day!
Questions? Comments? Thoughts? Please share!
