I know. I know. Thrive on Fives is the name of the wellness dispatch I send out on the 5th, 15th, and 25th each month. But, wait–now it’s also the name of this month’s blog post? You’re probably wondering if my creativity stores have already run dry, hehe. No, not to worry. It’s just that as we build a foundation of wellness wisdom together, and since I usually tend to deep dive on just one blog topic a month, it felt important to explain a bit about this idea of “thriving on fives.”
It’s easy enough to understand why having a fundamental principle of improving one’s health, habits or happiness in ways that will help someone not only improve but to thrive makes sense. But what’s with all this emphasis on the number five? Did I just channel my best Goldilocks and pick a number that was “not too big and not too small” and find one that was "just right" and happened to conveniently rhyme with ‘thrive”? Fortunately there’s a little more, if not science, then substance, to my name choice--but indulge me first for just a bit.
For as long as I can remember, I have loved naming things. I don't know how it started. I'm not certain that a first childhood memory is at the root for enjoying naming things in a significant way, but I do remember being maybe ten or so and having the rare chance to be hanging out with my dad-- solo. As one of five kids (oops, there’s that number again!) you can do the math and realize that one-on-one time with either parent was considered the brass ring on the merry-go-round. Anyway, this one day while driving in the car with my dad, somehow we got around to what was, in retrospect, a pretty grown up conversation about values. Yet to me it was my dad sharing secret wisdom with me. He said,
"It's always important to remember someone's name and to call them by their name
because that belongs to them and no one can take that away from them. Always
remember, when you can, to call someone by their name."
Pearls of wisdom that planted seeds of compassion and empathy
in me by helping me to think about how something like one’s name, can matter deeply to a person in terms of uniqueness, safety, community, and legacy. Somewhere in honoring people by calling them by name, I must have made the jump to naming things that were important to me and felt part of who I was. Like my cars that brought me joy and freedom and my homes that gave me warmth and comfort. Giving my cars catchy, female names that included a clever clue as to the car’s color hidden in its name became a source of enjoyment. Just to share a few:
Emma, for my emerald green miata; Lil-lease of the Valley (yup, my first try at leasing a car, she was white, and I lived in the Hudson Valley); Midori (Japanese for “green” --my car was a Honda!); Scarlet, my sassy red roadster.
You get the idea.
My homes were named after places of significance to me or treasured trees that were on the property or a combination of both. Catalpa Bend. Caledonia Pines. Sedona Woods. Naming my daughter, Grace, who gave me the gift of becoming a mom at 44, was less about clever naming and more about my heart. The saying goes, “There but for the grace of God, go I.” I flipped the meaning of this old expression on its head when naming her by putting a positive spin on that turn of phrase. I felt my life had been changed and blessed at that point in my life, going only with the grace of God. A name that named my most precious gift.
The somewhat eccentric (but very much me) name game continued into my business world. Not so much during my Wall Street years but when I left to pursue Eastern medicine and a private acupuncture practice. My first business name was Lasata Acupuncture and Holistic Health. “Lasata”, according to some writings I had come across many years before, was Native American for “place of peace.” It felt so important to me for someone to leave my practice having that feeling of calm serenity, no matter how they felt when they first walked in. My practice name stated that intention, especially on an energy level. I try to infuse that intention in all the work I do.
“Essential Thyming with Karen Hand” was my "punny " name used as a Chinese herbalist, to share wisdom on how to use essential oils, herbs, and other plant medicine with my patients and clients for the different “thymes” of their life. Seasons of the year-- Childhood/Adolescence/Midlife/Late Adulthood. Times of change--New year/New job/New marriage/Divorce. Cycle of the day-- Morning/Midday/Evening/ Bedtime. I still use Essential Thyming as part of my business Instagram because so much of what nature and seasonal wellness teaches us varies based on different times of our day, year, and life. Knowing how to navigate the times of our life with wellness tools, can provide additional support when we shift through a transitional change.
Thrive on Fives. Phew. That was a bit of a meandering path to get back to the question of “Why the Fives?”
For me, thriving by using different systems of "fives" became the basic structure for the natural wellness teachings I wanted to share. Traditional Chinese medicine’s Five Elements along with the characteristics of each element
Wood Water Fire Earth Metal
complete a system that informs everything we do and that comprise all of life. Its characteristics of Five Senses, Five Seasons (yes, you read that right, there's a fifth one!), Five Directions, Five Sounds, Five Organs, just to name a few of its aspects, provide rules and clues to follow that come straight from nature’s wisdom.
From that ancient system, I developed a modern system, Five Pillars of Radical Self Empowerment, a system of self care based on the Five Elements:
Rest and Restoration
Intentional Movement
Joy and Gratitude
Next-level Nourishment
Ritual and Release
Those five areas provide the structure to my wellness system and are considered with nearly all the healing recommendations I make. I'll be sharing more on the Five Pillars down the road.
The Fives influence on me doesn’t stop there. Many religions and aspects of science revolve around the number five as well. There’s one particular idea that has become part of my personal medicine. In Japan, the concept of Ikigai, finding joy and purpose in everyday life, has five basic concepts:
Starting small
Releasing yourself
Harmony and sustainability
The joy of little things
Being in the here and now
My own ikigai is a journey that includes sharing this kind of information with you in hopes it supports you, especially when looking to feel better or considering life transforming changes. That lights me up!
Lastly, of course, the meaning of Thrive on Fives, cleverly points to receiving thrive-worthy wellness wisdom from me on the fives (5th,15, 25th) of each month. That’s not meant to bury the lead!😊 As you can see, the story behind this newsletter name really is way more than just a name. Hopefully my explanation garners “five-stars”, but while you give that some thought, it’s time for me to “take five.”
Big smile. xo
