Doing

Mutual Respect

Every healthy relationship, especially marriage, is based on mutual respect.
If it's not based on respect, nothing that appears to be good will last very long.

Dwelling

We can choose to dwell on everything we think is wrong, complain about it to everyone who’ll listen, focus on everything we think we lack, and generally go through our days feeding negativity.
Or we can choose to engage with the world in ways that feel right, talk about the things that excite us, focus on everything that makes us feel fortunate, and generally go through our days feeding positivity.
Of course, there is a third, likely more realistic option: We can do our best to recognize when we’re doing the former, and then make the conscious choice to do the latter.
We may never completely eliminate negative thoughts, but we can learn to catch them and dispute them with increasing regularity.

Music and Chronic Pain

If pain produces a significant amount of anxiety for you, there is a way to combat those feelings and curtail the pain: Listen to music. According to a study in the Journal of Pain, concentrating on music can help lower the amount of pain a person experiences, because the effort competes with the brain’s pain pathways.

Basically, your brain can only process so much information at once, and focusing on music hijacks those areas that would instead be registering pain. For the study, participants were asked to identify notes that stood out in a piece of music. Having a specific task helped the volunteers become more engrossed in the music than they might be otherwise.

Give yourself an assignment when listening to a tune, such as counting the beats or identifying when the tempo switches, so that you can properly distract yourself from the discomfort.

Acts of Kindness

Character

"Nearly all men can stand adversity,
but if you want to test a man's character, give him power".

Abraham Lincoln

Acceptance

Acceptance is the opposite of rejection or resistance.

Acceptance keeps your mind calm and positive. As William James said, "The starting point in dealing with any difficulty is to be willing to have it so."

The moment you accept that a change has occurred and that you can't prevent what has already occurred, you become more capable of dealing with the change and turning it to your advantage.
One of the best ways to deal with the worry that is often generated by unexpected change is to sit down and answer, on paper, the question: "What exactly am I worrying about?"

Hand Strength

Because there’s no weight machine for hands at the gym, most of us probably don’t even think of exercising them. However, building and maintaining hand strength can take the struggle out of many everyday tasks, such as putting away groceries, opening bottles and jars, or even keeping a firm grip on your dog’s leash. This simple exercise from the National Institute on Aging is great for multitasking — you can do it while reading or watching TV. Here’s how:
Hold a tennis ball or other small rubber or foam ball in your right hand. Slowly squeeze the ball as hard as you can and hold it for three to five seconds. Relax the squeeze slowly. Repeat 10 to 15 times. Repeat 10 to 15 times with the left hand. Repeat 10 to 15 times more with each hand.

Where We Are

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is letting go of the pain
and accepting what has happened because it will not change.

Forgiveness is dismissing the blame.
Choices were made that caused the hurt;
we each could have chosen differently,
but we didn't.

Forgiveness is looking at the pain ,
learning the lessons it has produced ,
and understanding what we have learned.

Forgiveness allows us to move on
toward a better understanding
of universal love
and our true purpose.

Forgiveness is knowing that love
is the answer to all questions
and that we all
are in some way connected.

Forgiveness is starting over
with the knowledge
that we have gained.

It is saying :
''I forgive you , and I forgive myself.
I hope you can do the same.''

The Price

"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it".

Henry David Thoreau

Making Fitness Fun

Any kind of physical activity that gets your heart rate up will help you get fit. Forget about burning calories or getting the perfect body, and focus on finding something you enjoy. Making fitness fun is the best way to stick with an exercise program.

Sure, you could grit your way through a boot-camp class that you hate, but it won’t earn you a sleek physique if you can’t keep at it week in and week out. When you make fitness a regular part of your routine by doing something you enjoy, you’re more likely to see the physical results you’re after.

Sign up for a class that you might enjoy or an activity you’ve never tried before. If you thrive in a social atmosphere, the camaraderie of a class can help you stay motivated. If you’re intimidated by group dynamics, ask a friend to take lessons with you.

Some options to explore: Pilates class at your adult education center, self-defense at the martial arts studio, water aerobics at the YMCA, or tennis or ballroom-dancing lessons. (Call Victor Goldman--631-928-4114).

Coming Alive

Still Mind

"To the mind that is still,
the whole universe surrenders".

Lao Tzu

Softness

In a world of harshness, it is time to soften and expand how we go about our life.
A common obstacle to our receptivity can be our tendency to believe that we have to act aggressively in order to achieve our desired goal. This can cause us to become mono-focused and myopic and we may fail to see, and be open to, opportunities on the periphery of our vision.
So becoming receptive involves a softening of our defenses and a willingness to remain open to possibilities outside our immediate realm of vision.

Triglycerides

Keep your triglycerides down. A new study shows elevated triglycerides — a type of fat found in the blood — may greatly impact one's risk of stroke, even more so than other risk factors, such as high total cholesterol. Your doctor measures your triglyceride levels during cholesterol profile screenings.
In addition to learning your LDL and HDL numbers, make sure you know your triglyceride count as well. If you have high triglycerides (150 mg/dl or higher), you may be able to lower them without medication.
Extra calories, alcohol and sugar from our diet are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells throughout the body.
Limiting the amount of sugar, refined carbohydrates and alcohol you consume will help to lower your triglycerides. Keeping your calorie intake in the recommended range will also help.

Your Choice

Watering

“The grass is not, in fact, always greener on the other side of the fence.
Fences have nothing to do with it.
The grass is greenest where it is watered.
When crossing over fences carry water with you and tend the grass wherever you may be.”



Robert Fulghum

Free Thinking

“A wise man makes his own decisions;

an ignorant man follows public opinion.”

Chinese Proverb

Healthy Fats

Anyone who is trying to get healthy will tell you that they’ve cut fat from their diet. While it sounds like a worthwhile pursuit, dozens of studies have shown that low-fat diets end up being no better for you than moderate- or even high-fat diets. The reason: Low- or no-fat processed foods are often higher in sugar, flour and salt than their full-fat counterparts. Nuts and avocados may be high in fat, but they’re good for your heart and make a healthier and more filling snack than low-fat-but-sugar-laden granola bars.

Instead of looking only at the fat content, put a wide-angle lens on your food choices. The least processed foods tend to be better for you, as are items free from sugar and flour. When it comes to fat, focus on the type you’re eating and nix anything that’s high in saturated fat, like full-fat dairy, red meat, baked goods, and deep-fried foods.

Choose fish, nuts, seeds, lean cuts of poultry, olive oil, canola oil and other plant-based oils. Avoid any and all trans fat. And, remember, even though you do need fat in your diet, it is the most calorie-dense nutrient out there, weighing in at nine calories per gram (or 120 calories per tablespoon).

Mindset

Power

Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love.
Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent
then the one derived from fear of punishment.


Gandhi

Birthright

We are here with a guaranteed freedom of choice mandated by the very nature of our existence. The time has come for us to exercise that birthright.
We are caught in no one's web. We are bound by no circumstance. We are victims to no conditions.
Rather, we are beings who possess the sacred ability to implement any outlandish desire our limitless minds can concoct, for we possess unregulated, unrestricted, uncontested freedom of choice, no matter what those choices may be.

8 Reasons You Fell Off The Weight Loss Wagon--Part 8 of 8

8. No personalization:

Your nutrition or training program was the
wrong one for you.

It might have worked for someone else, but it
didn't suit your schedule, personality, lifestyle, disposition or
body type.

Awareness

Thoughts

What we think, we become.
All that we are arises with out thoughts.
With our thoughts, we make the world.

The Buddha

Love

Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it.
Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it.
Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.

Martin Luther King Jr.

8 Reasons You Fell Off The Weight Loss Wagon--Parrt 7 of 8

7. No balance:

Your diet or training program was too extreme.

You went the all or nothing, "I want it now" route instead of the moderate, slow-and-steady wins the race route.

Tension

Great Love

"We can do no great things,
only small things with great love."

Mother Teresa

Differently

Love and kindness is saying "I feel differently,"
instead of "You're wrong."

8 Reasons You Fell Off The Weight Loss Wagon--Part 6 of 8

6. No planning: you winged it.

You walked into the gym without
having a workout in hand, on paper, you didn't plan your workouts into your weekly schedule; you didn't have a menu on paper, you didn't make time (so instead you made excuses, like "I'm too busy".)

Changes

Sleep

"Man should forget his anger before he lies down to sleep. "

Gandhi

I Wish You Forgiveness

I wish you forgiveness, both the power to forgive and the wisdom and strength to seek forgiveness. One of the most powerful forces in the world, forgiveness frees us from anger, resentment, and the lack of peace that results from these emotions.
Forgiveness allows us to move on with our lives, leaving the mistakes of the past where they belong--in our pasts rather than in our present. I wish you the ability to see clearly when it's important for you to ask forgiveness for the hurts that you might have caused others.

8 Reasons You Fell Off The Weight Loss Wagon--Part 5 of 8

5. No patience:
You were only thinking short term and had unrealistic
expectations. You expected 10 pounds a week or 5 pounds a week or 3 pounds a week, so the first week you lost "only" 1 or 2 pounds or hit a plateau, you gave up.

The Art

A Life

Dedicated to my dear friend, Scott Burzon
Rest in Peace.

To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children,
to leave the world a better place,
to know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived,
this is to have succeeded.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gestures

Making a difference in the world often takes no more than a moment, just a wish for the world is a beautiful gesture and can be done by even the busiest of people effortlessly.

The gift you give each day need not be grand or attention-worthy because the broader benefits are the same no matter the literal repercussions.

Once a day, you can affect reality, and you can reap the rewards of knowing that you are making the world a better place, day by day.

8 Reasons You Fell Off The Weight Loss Bandwagon--Part 4 of 8

4. No Accountability:
You didn't keep score for your own
accountability - with a progress chart, weight record, measurements, food journal, training journal, and you didn't set up external accountability (ie, report to someone else or show your results
to someone else.)

Excellence Is A Habit

Judgments

“Judgments prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.”

Dr. Wayne Dyer

Where You Are

You are right where you are at this moment. Now it is time to move on to what is next.
Whether your life up to this point has been easy or whether it has been difficult, you are here just the same.

Your destiny does not care about your past.
There are plenty of reasons why you find yourself here at this time. What matter much more, though, are the reasons you now have for moving forward.

As good as they have been, your triumphs of the past are now little more than pleasant memories. As painful as they once were, your past failures are now behind you.

8 Reasons You May Fall Off The Bandwagon--Part 3

3. No support system:
You tried to go at it alone; no buddy system, training partners, family, spouse, friends, mentors or coaches to turn to for information and emotional support when the going got tough.

Anger

Doing Nothing

Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing,
of just going along,
listening to all the things you can't hear,
and not bothering.

A. A. Milne (Winnie-The-Pooh)

8 Reasons You May Fall Off The Bandwagon--Part 2

2. No priorities:

You may have set a goal, but you didn't put it
on or near the top of your priorities list. For example, your goal is six pack abs, but drinking beer and eating fast food on the weekend is higher on your priorities list than having a flat stomach.

The Behavior Of Others

Tiny Changes

Sometimes it can seem like nothing ever changes and nothing ever will. But everything changes, in tiny shifts, every day. The real question is whether or not we’ll recognize the tiny shifts within us and act on what we feel.

Regardless of our circumstances, we always have a choice. We can choose more of the same; or we can recognize this moment is different—and that we can be, too.

One Cloud

"Don't let one cloud obliterate the whole sky."

Anais Nin