Monday, April 10, 2017
Flexible Dieting - The New Fad?
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Living life fully
The easy answer is fear. It is true that giving life all of your effort may result in disappointment. It may result in heartache or financial setback or loss of pride. Loving life and people without reservation comes with risk, no question.
It is easy to look around at those who are saving their energy, passion, material goods, and love for "someday." However, when you admire a person, isn't it usually because they aren't holding back? They have what we only dream of because they were willing to risk it all.
We envy those who are out there having fun, living that life we long for, and having the relationships that seem so easy. We want what they have, yet we hesitate. We have our reasons, our doubts, and our insecurities, but no one is ever successful without real risk. We have been hurt before, some of us very early in life. Sometimes our role models taught us how to save, keep, hoard, and harbor.
It will require actual effort to overcome the fear. To jump of the cliff of safety, into the abyss of uncertainty, takes faith and strength.
It is those who are willing to put their money, their heart, and their energy on the line that are the most successful at this thing called life. We talk about someday, maybe, luck, and wishes, but they are actually out there doing what it takes.
If you want more out of life, if you want to skid into the grave with a smile, there are steps you need to take today. Here is a list of the daily efforts that reap the biggest rewards:
- Forgive those who have hurt you. It is holding you back from what you want. They may not even know that pain that they have caused, so it is up to you to let it go.
- Tell the people in your life that you love them. Today, right now, go tell someone how much you care and how much they mean to you. If it isn't reciprocated, that's okay. It isn't about receiving, its about letting your feeling be known so you can move forward unencumbered.
- Give of yourself. If you have money or resources, do not hold on to them. If you have talents, share them. If you have time, give it away. No one ever got to take their time and talents and money with them when they died. If we are to be judged at the end of our life, how do you want to be remembered? As stingy and selfish or as generous and thoughtful?
- Take a minute to count your blessings every morning. We get so wrapped up in what needs fixing that we forget appreciate all the things that are wonderful about our lives. Start each day with an attitude of gratitude!
- Reach out and give a compliment, a pat on the back or a hug to someone who needs it. There is someone who is hurting more that you. Someone who is having a dark day or who struggles with fear and doubt. Be the light in someone else's life on a daily basis.
- Finally, take calculated risks. Nothing foolish, just chances that you wouldn't otherwise take. From the greatest risks come the greatest rewards. It would be sad to look back one day and say "if only."
Living life fully means feeling all the emotions in the spectrum. Great joy and great sorrow. Yes, sorrow, because with every pain is a lesson that will teach us what we need to know to grow stronger.
Those who live in fear never truly live, and that my friends, is a really sad thing to watch.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Self Actualization and Health
Friday, June 29, 2012
Clutter
Receipts litter our drawers, old mail sits on our counters, clothes we haven't worn for years hang in our closets, and emails with no further purpose clog our inbox. Check the garage. or the basement..oh my!
What is it about stuff that is so hard to let go of? Hanging on to things we will never use, and information that is outdated has some negative repercussions that extend far beyond just being messy. Is it just throw back to our post depression era parents, or is there something else going on?
It's called baggage. Physical clutter leads to distraction and clouded thinking. Having things that don't matter keeps us from maximizing the present and focusing on the future, because the past surrounds us on all sides. Most of the time, we don't even realize it is there. It weighs us down and keeps us from moving forward, literally and figuratively.
Perhaps we don't want to let go because at one time we hung on to those things. They brought us joy and they are a reminder of better times. Perhaps we don't want to let go of the person associated or the era that is long gone. Everyone has different reasons for hanging on to stuff.
At some point, we realize it is too much, but the task is overwhelming and it isn't until we move that we realize how much stuff we have. Some people just carry it from place to place. It is unhealthy. Moving through life efficiently and with purpose becomes impossible.
Clearing the clutter takes effort. It starts with the decision to begin the task. Here are some tips for how to work toward a life that is full of abundance, but not full of stuff:
1. Pick one room or area at a time. Give yourself a certain amount of time to clear it. Stick to it. I recommend starting with you email boxes. It's easy and there is a tremendous amount of freedom that follows. File the important stuff in clearly marked files for easy access. Check the boxes for all the rest and do it...hit delete. Let it go. If it is negative mail you have been hanging on to, this is probably the healthiest thing you have ever done for yourself. DELETE IT.
2. Get organized. Put a box somewhere prominent that is marked "give away" first. As you go through each room. Fill it with things that are in good condition and useful to others. It feels good to know that someone else will benefit from your ability to let go.
3. Throw it away. We feel wasteful if we throw stuff away. Garbage is garbage. If you are not going to use it or wear it, and no one else will want it either, pitch it. You can do it. If you can't, get someone else to do it for you. Rule of thumb, if you haven't used it in several years, the chances are you won't ever again. It may have seemed like a good idea and you may have spent a lot of money on it, but everything loses value over time, accept it.
4. Eliminate paper. Grab the recycling bin. Scan copies of important documents or create hard copy folders and organize 1 filing cabinet to keep it in. Get rid of the rest. If it isn't taxes or legal documents, you don't really need it in paper form. Start getting your bills electronically, and keep sticky notes only until you can get that address or to do list into your planner or smart phone. Then pitch it. Get someone to put your pictures in albums or scan them on to your hard drive. Any pictures of ex's should be tossed. Your current love will thank you.
Do not underestimate the power of letting "stuff" go. It isn't useful and it is downright harmful for many of us. Getting rid of things and moving on doesn't minimize the importance of people, times, events, and places that are precious to you. It means you are a grown up that understands that memories are in your head, not your closet.
Hang on to the memories, get rid of the junk!
Be well.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Awesome Quotes
Grasp your opportunities, no matter how poor your health; nothing is worse for your health than boredom. Mignon McLaughlin
If you resolve to give up smoking, drinking and loving, you don’t actually live longer; it just seems longer. Clement Freud
To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear. Buddha
He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything. Arabic Proverb
Health and cheerfulness naturally beget each other. Joseph Addison
As I see it, every day you do one of two things: build health or produce disease in yourself. Adelle Davis
Fitness – If it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body. Cher
Health is not valued till sickness comes. Thomas Fuller
Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship. Buddha
Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. Mark Twain
Hygiene is two thirds of health. Lebanese Phrase
Here’s to your good health, and your family’s good health, and may you all live long and prosper. Washington Irving
It is health which is real wealth, not pieces of silver and gold. Gandhi
For each new morning with its light, for rest and shelter of the night, for health and food, for love and friends, for everything thy goodness sends. Ralph Waldo Emerson
When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost. Billy Graham
Eat well, drink in moderation, and sleep sound, in these three good health abound. Latin Proverb
What can be added to the happiness of a man who is in health, out of debt, and has a clear conscience? Adam Smith
I keep my good health by having a very bad temper, kept under good control. Theodore Roosevelt
What you give for the cause of charity in health is gold; what you give in sickness is silver; what you give after death is lead. Jewish Phrase
Good health, good luck, and happiness For today and every day. Irish Saying
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” Maya Angelou
“If they can make penicillin out of mouldy bread, they can sure make something out of you.” Mahummad Ali
“You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however.” Richard Bach
“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.” Napoleon Hill
“It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.” Dalai Lama
“There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot.” Plato
“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Theodore Roosevelt
“Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.” Mark Twain
“We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, climb over them, or build with them.” William Arthur Ward
“Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” Zig Ziglar
“The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.” Oprah Winfrey
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” George Bernard Shaw
“You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” Henry Ford
“The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers.” Deepak Chopra
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Walt Disney
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas Edison
“Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” Benjamin Franklin
“An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.” Gandhi
“Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.” Martin Luther King
“That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.” Abraham Lincoln
“Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.” Vince Lombardi
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Nelson Mandela
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Scottsdale Street Fair
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
In order to once again become a strong nation, we must be a smart one...it starts with YOU!
October is designated as Health Literacy month. For the last 13 years, the message worldwide has been stressing the importance of understandable health information.
Health Literacy is a person's ability to process and understand basic health information in order to determine how to self-manage certain conditions, grasp general illness prevention, and make educated decisions about health and well being.
People that have difficulty understanding health information that's commonly available have a hard time managing chronic diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes, and tend to visit the emergency room more frequently. To turn this around, the hope is to provide everyone with accurate health information, delivering health information and services personally, and supporting learning and skills for a lifetime of good health.
Educating yourself and your loved ones about common illnesses and lifestyle related diseases is important! Taking responsibility for the Nation's health care crisis starts at home!
Here are some helpful tips to help you get started:
1. Know your data! When the nurse or PA checks your blood pressure, ask what it is. Remember that number and be sure to mention it to the doctor. Ditto with blood lab results. Ask for a copy and do some homework to find out what those numbers mean.
2. Ask questions! If you aren't sure about something, get clarification. Be proactive about looking up health care info. It is important to double check facts and make sure your information is coming from reliable sources.
3. Know your family history. There is a genetic link to most lifestyle related diseases. This information shouldn't be an excuse, but a call to action. If high cholesterol runs in your family, it is YOUR responsibility to take action.
4. Discuss alternatives. Doctors are trained to treat disease with medicine, not prevent it in the first place. If your doctor prescribes something, ask about all side effects and whether there are healthier ways to combat the issue. Don't be afraid to get several opinions.
5. Pass it on. Information is only useful when you share it and only valuable when you use it. Discuss your health with people you trust and share what you know with them! This is especially important with your children.
The United States is sick, poor, and uneducated. Sad, but true. In order to once again become a strong nation, we must be a smart one...it starts with YOU!