Forget the USDA Food Pyramid (at least for the next few minutes). The four food groups that truly nourish us are our Mind, Body, Heart/Soul, and Spirit. When we feed these every day, the rest of life takes care of itself. 

Here are specific ways you can feed these four food groups in 2013.

Mind

• Read. There are so many great books to help you. I’m reading “Think or Sink” by Gina Mollicone-Long (www.GinaML.com). It teaches us how to master our responses to life’s hurdles so that they lead to the results we need.  A great resources for game-changing books is Verne Harnish’s list: http://www.gazelles.com/suggestedbooks.html
   
• Connect. Join a growth group, such as a Mastermind Group, or form a growth group such as an Advisory Board or Forum. The concept behind Napoleon Hill’s Mastermind Group is that when multiple minds come together to strategize and solve problems, a new mind is created. My Mastermind group has been the single most important catalyst to my personal professional growth. One of the most important benefits of my group is that it has enabled me to develop the confidence that matches my credibility. My Masterminders push me way outside my comfort zone. They see my potential, have high expectations of me, and hold me accountable to growth and goal achievement.

  If you don’t know where to start, one of the best resources for business owners is Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) (www.eonetwork.org). If you are over $1 million, you can join and become part of a Forum. If you are under $1 million, consider joining EO Accelerator (http://accelerator.eonetwork.org/Pages/Default.aspx). Their learning days and their accountability groups will provide a built-in learning and support network. 

Body

• Health = Wealth. When was the last time you did some preventative maintenance on your body? We often don’t appreciate our health until we don’t have it. Here are some appointments you must set for 2013. It often takes 6-8 weeks to be seen by a doctor. Make them today:
• Well-check
• For women, mammograms (if over 35) and pap-smears
• Dermatologist (I’m a Melanoma survivor – discovered by my doctor)
• Dentist 

Heart/Soul

• Schedule one-on-one time with special friends. Plan a trip or take a day off. Just call them and put it in the calendar, even if it’s in the future. Make it more than a meal, a call, or a text. 
• Send a card to someone you love, for no reason, other than because you love them.
• Say “I love you” every day. 
• Give back to a community by working directly with the people that need you. Connecting with the people – not just the organization – of those that need help is rewarding on so many levels. I recently launched CARES (Community Allstars Responding, Engaging, & Serving) in the DC chapter of EO. One of the organizations we have adopted is So Others Might Eat (SOME) (www.some.org). 15 members worked the kitchen and served over 200 meals this month, and we will be doing it again in February. There is a fine line between being a person that helps and a person that needs help. To connect with those that need a hand up is a gift to both the giver and receiver. 

Spirit

• Learn to quiet the mind every day through meditation. I’ve always meditated, but it wasn’t until I connected several years ago with Richa Badami, a spiritual guru who owns Anahatha (www.anahatha.com) that I truly learned how to trust the process and have faith in the journey. The work I have done with Richa has been transformational in enabling me to be both a witness and a participant in all aspects of my life, and to have both gratitude and trust for the known and the unknown. It takes a lot of work to get there, and the process is continuous, but it is a path to a much more gratifying life. 
• Forgive. For your own happiness, forgive others. Release anger, resentment, and bitterness. We can not be happy and connected to others when we are consumed with anger. 

The four food groups: Mind, Body, Heart/Soul, Spirit. Your nourishment for a great 2013.