I had a biology teacher who, while handing out exams, would read the following quote: "What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare….?" This, of course, didn't make us feel any more at ease as we nervously took the test.

Recently, for the first time since then, I found the poem and there was another line: "No time to turn at beauty's glance and watch her feet, how they can dance," written by William Henry Davies.

July, I am convinced, is the most precious of summer months. The days are still long and the sun can be at its warmest. It is the month where worries and cares are easier to put aside, when summer moments are shared with friends and family. It is a time to stand and stare, and to stand back and get a better look at our lives.

At the beach the other day as I sat for hours reading, I observed an eagle keeping watch standing and staring motionlessly. Now if I was perched and viewing my life from up there, I might notice a few things that needed to be changed or done differently.

I recommend what's called the "15 times" exercise to my patients who need some help getting "unstuck." The idea is to choose a one-liner goal or affirmation and write it out 15 times per day for at least 28 consecutive days. This is the length of time it takes to ingrain a new habit. My latest one is: "I waltz with the rhythm of life." After writing your line for a few days, you may even remember it during the day to help you keep focused on what is really important in your life.

At the root of any health condition is a vibration that is out of synch. Try to find out how to bring things back into synch by taking a 24-hour "healing day." Clear a space, wipe your appointment book free and do only those things that will help you fill your empty well, drop by drop. Perhaps spending the entire day near nature alone, reading your favourite books may help. Here are my favorites: Simple Abundance, Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, The Art of Pilgrimage by Phil Cousineau and Taking Time to Be by Helen Exley.

Go ahead and take time to stand and stare this month. Take stock of your life. This inch of time is an inch of gold. Everyday the first day: Each day a life. Fill your empty well drop by golden drop with sacred idleness. You owe it the health of your body and soul.

Dr Pincott, a long-time member of HANS, has been practicing naturopathic medicine since 1985 and is currently practicing in Campbell River, BC. She can be reached at (250) 286-3655 or at www.DrPincott.com. This article
first appeared in the North Island MidWeek, July 26, 2006.

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