Comfortable or Overstuffed?

Reinvention

Reinvention is a strange process;  although you may start out working on one area of your life the journey has a way of taking over completely.  For me as I fought to get motivated I needed to regain my health, to keep the mobility I have now I needed energy and as I educated myself  I wanted to make better choices.  As I reach out to others I need to be in control, I know I can hold my own in most situations but appearance and confidence is half the battle, looking better means taking better care of me.

Changes

So twenty-five pounds ago I began making changes. I pratted around buying endless amounts of gym equipment, while some did have merits (Malibu Pilates Chair and Urban Rebounder) I also invested a bunch of money on things that will never be more than glorified places to hang stuff.

Medieval torture, exercise machine or coat rack?

Even the good options aren’t things I could see myself doing everyday for the rest of my life. With so many ‘quick fixes’ either exercise, diet or both most are a long term sales plan and not a life plan.  Since I am most definitely an emotional eater I needed to take the emotion (boredom, guilt, pain, passion, hurt, depression) out of the equation I decided to look at my increasing girth and lack of energy as a manufacturing situation.  I took a look at my raw materials, the fuel I put into the furnace, were they the best quality and best options available? I looked at the maintenance needed on the plant and machinery and what I wanted to achieve.   As I looked back I could see a point where things changed and I looked closely at what was different.

What has no calories but makes you fat?

One of the concessions I made in to moving to the U.S. was to start drinking pop, I hadn’t drunk it much before then. I actually moved to the Republic of Korea with the U.S. Military, I call it my M*A*S*H period. When a Brit arrives anywhere the second thing they do is put the kettle on, the first is put down their bag and sometimes that is reversed.  In Korea the water came out of the tap tea colored, I couldn’t tell you what it tasted like I never tried!  As I explored the options I found bottled water was available but it was heavy to haul without a car, and therefore it was used sparingly.  Safe, was soda or beer and since you can’t be drunk all of the time, well you can but I tried that! Our running joke was that each tour came with an automatic follow on to the Betty Ford Clinic so soda was ‘the’ option.

Addiction

Over the years one can became two, increasing incrementally to Super Gulp level. When you realize you need more than one of those puppies a day you know you have a problem! Coke was no longer refreshment but a habit.  As addictions go it isn’t too horrendous but  whatever your beliefs about aspartame there’s no escaping the fact that it makes you crave sweet things and there are enough statistics indicating that drinking something with zero calories can have a negative effect on your waistline (and potential for diabetes).

In the U.K. life is paced around tea and as a tea lover my alternative was easy. I brew my own tea from tea leaves or tea bags hot or cold, caffeinated, decaf, or tisane (herbal) there is a drink for every occasion.

Tea - The best drink of the day.

Fast forward to today and I am 6 months ‘sober’ from the dreaded brown CC elixir, it’s been a hard fought battle but I no longer crave it.

With over twelve pounds down in my lifestyle change finding ‘my cup of tea’ was the start of a new path.  I’m not sure if I reverted or converted but I can feel the difference.

Sometimes the key to unlock change is something you wouldn’t expect ~ what habit is holding you back?

*Pratted around = messed around, fumbling missteps ~ based on clown like falls aka pratt falls.

Get up no earlier than 11 am (stretch it to 1.30pm if no-one is watching, text,  eat breakfast, watch TV, text, don’t shower, whine, sigh, breathe heavily with emphasis on the humph at the end,

Mom, I'm bored! How does this thing work, just put your leg through. Getting 'tired' swinging in Munds Park Arizona.

loaf around not doing chores, text, complain, eat, kvetch, text, empty their closet onto the bed to find something to wear, text, ask you to drive 20 miles, ask you to pick them up, ask if they can eat the leftovers, tell you they’ve nothing to do, generally schlep, still don’t pick up their clothes, tell you they’re bored!, sigh alot,

change clothes in case that helps, ask you to drive them somewhere else, snack, moan, text, ask you to drive another 20 miles, lounge, text, ask for money, ask for food,  text, sigh,  roll their eyes, tell you they love you, ask if they’re still your favorite, text,

Mom, there's nothing to do! Bored riding at Mormon Lake Arizona.

still no chores!, text, TV, ask what’s for dinner.

Was it like this when we were teenagers?  How did we survive!

The ennui, the drama, the angst, the incessant eating and, the fact that nothing in the closet or pantry is suitable for their needs.

For example, we’ve always needed light, but the incandescent lamp couldn’t be invented until they world was ready! In prehistoric times our caves were lit by fires, then wooden stakes dipped in pitch, then someone realized that certain oils burn and developed a container to hold the oils with a wick only to be replaced by candles and gas lamps backed by polished metal and mirrors and lenses to focus the light. Each idea had its time, its place, a series of events and discoveries which led to the next idea. Every method was honed, refined, added to giving more and more light. When Edison invented the incandescent lamp it was “when the world was ready for his discovery”.  It’s pure supposition on my part, but had someone invented the idea earlier it couldn’t have caught on, a series of other inventions and materials had to be discovered for it to happen.

The Green Movement has been around since the mid 60’s and went ‘viral’ at a little concert called Woodstock (44 years ago) but no one was willing to accept it as anything other than a “Hippy” thing. It wasn’t needed!

Then of course there is the “Renaissance Inventor” himself, Leonardo Da Vinci – whether his ideas would have worked or not remains to be seen but basically they were all dependent on other things being discovered, fuels, propulsion systems. They just hadn’t reached their season.

I watched a TED talk recently by an amazing man ~  Woody Norris, a fascinating guy with a contagious boyish excitement for what he does.  At the time this talk was filmed had 41 Patents and 15 inventions, yet he said he is only “kinda smart” and admits he never finished college.   He said several things that clicked for me:

“As it is ready, the world is ready to accept it” and

“Virtually nothing has been invented yet”.

Norris is now working on ‘focusing sound’, taking our current audio or linear method using the speed of sound back to basics to hyper- sonics, I think I got that right but it was a little beyond me (- hmm “Kinda smart”! ).

Check out his TED Talk here : TED Talks Woody Norris Invents Amazing Things

His TED talk did however give me a couple of (if you’ll forgive my pun) light bulb moments of my own:

You don’t have to wear a suit or be perfectly scripted to appear professional or intelligent.   In fact presentation is like an iceberg with 7/8ths below the water – confidence is part of the uniform. If you are confident what you’re wearing matters less. Even lapses in coherence can make you seem more real as long as you are speaking with total passion and conviction and are willing to laugh at yourself.

It is not what you invent but how you focus it that is important – any item, method, product or service you ‘invent’ is also dependent on the time being right, and other components being in place. Wine has always been popular but Gary Vaynerchuk matched a new market trend in the working class with a newly emerging delivery system and Wine Library TV was born.

So, don’t be deterred! Undoubtedly you saw some need in the world that made you focus on your idea, when you are ready to launch the world will be ready to receive you, be passionate, confident, speak with conviction and your season will come.

In this economy each of us is at least trying to shop wisely, squeezing out maximum effect from minimum expenditure but it isn’t always easy.   While I’m very good at finding the things I need at a good price, I’ve never quite mastered the art of the Coupon and admire those people who are organized enough to use coupons more than occasionally.

This week  I came across two great resources, which literally lead you to the savings without even pulling out your scissors.  Both are free services and available 24/7:

• One is a mobile app, website FaceBook and Twitter account ~ http://www.Cellfire.com , which allows you to browse local offers and then simply show the coupon on your cell phone screen to the cashier.  You can even save coupons to your grocery card!
• The other is a colleague from one of my networking groups Michelle Bank; a Mom of 2, a Special Ed Teacher and Coupon Queen whose family and friends convinced her the world needed her talents so:  http://www.michellebank.com – teaching countless ways to save was born.

Enjoy and share folks ~ A virtual bonanza!  I don’t know about you but I’ve got supplies to buy.

EXTRA:

Following a tip from a  Heidi one of our beloved readers I checked out Groupon ~ just in case I’m not the only one here is the 411.

1. Sign up and check your email, Facebook or Twitter feeds for daily deals on cool local businesses.
2. Share it, Groupons are deals which you can pass only via email or broadcast to your social networks
3. Enjoy it – Print vouchers or pull them up on your mobile device to present it to the business

An eon ago (only two weeks really but it seems much longer) I accepted Brandy Mychals -14 day Blog Challenge. Never having taken part in a blogging challenge before I wasn’t sure what to expect and, since I had not produced any freeform literary endeavor with a deadline other than my own in 3 decades the prospect was mildly terrifying

However since I’ve never been known to back down from a fight, I thought I’d give it a try. In many ways it has been a rite of passage challenging, painful and yet enlightening.

In my final blog of the challenge I decided to look at what I have learned and which ideas  have been reinforced.

We must accept ourselves as we are.

In order to take on any change or growth we must be willing to look honestly at our shortcomings. Starting with our own greatest strength, frequently we can assess our greatest weakness.

We must continue to search and grow

To communicate adequately with our audience we must educate ourselves in ever aspect of our passion and our methods of communication but must be sure that we break the information into edible portions.

We must believe that we belong

Confidence and a sense of belonging come from a belief that we match the criteria everyone expects. That we fit in our audiences perceptions of what an expert, a public speaker or training professional acts and looks. While we can dress the part, mindset also colors the way you present yourself and handle things. If you think you don’t belong you will never belong, but if you are sure you do it doesn’t matter if someone else accepts you because you already have!

Understand your Motives

As Simon Sinek says “It starts with Why”, it matters less what you do as much as why you do it. If you are doing something just to make money, the chances are you will but it is only when you do something because it is your passion that the magic happens. Whether you are making lots of money or not you are happy, and happiness is its own reward. Of course, along with a passionate belief in the right reasons is contempt for those who do things the wrong way.

Maintain your Inspiration

We each assimilate information in a different way; by hearing it, by seeing it, by reading it, by feeling it. It is important that you surround yourself with the things and people that inspire you. We should each attempt to cultivate interactions with people who challenge us and push us to push ourselves, those who encourage us or act as a catalyst. We should also aspire to inspire others, it often happens that our best clarity comes while we are teaching or expounding our theories to others.

Aim High

There is a saying “why would we aim for the moon when beyond it is the stars” – don’t set limitations on yourself by being too modest. Set goals which can be adjusted or amended.

You must commit totally

Whether you decide that your relationship or you business is everything, you must be prepared to follow through and maintain it or it is all for naught.

Even brilliance has its moment

Ideas are like fruit on a vine, they do not reach fruition until the world is ready to accept them. The trick is to develop and nurture them and be ready to take advantage, when you are ready for the world the world will be ready for you.

Make the most of your time

Life is short and we only get one go around (well one that we are aware of). Make the most of the time you have and live life to the fullest , commit to facing your fears and living the dream instead of dreaming the life.

Take Care of Yourself

Look after your health no one else can, to do all of these amazing things you need to be healthy physically and mentally. You owe it to yourself but also those who depend on you. Keep your brain sharp to make sure you are emotionally and spiritually ready for all the world has to offer, many of the things we fear offer us the best opportunities.

Add Value to Others

Reach out to those around you, treating them with respect and kindness. Even when someone is born from the same gene pool they do not automatically know who you are. Our true treasure lies in the connections we forge with family, friends and strangers. Believe in the kindness of strangers, reciprocity is an amazing thing and what kindness you give away will come back in unexpected forms.

If we are to reinvent ourselves, to match our dream with a new reality we must face challenges and come out renewed with a stronger sense of certainty and power.  Thanks to the generosity and reciprocity of  friends old and new this challenge gave me a new appreciation and belief in my abilities and the strength of my passion.

Thank you!

At this time of year giving becomes an important topic,  but in this case I’m not talking about the bait and switch of Black Friday or the ubiquitous buy one get 10 free which clogs our society.

Challenge

Instead, I want to raise the topic of adding value, and to challenge you to see what ripples you make in the pond that make people  better for you being around!

What do you do to make people feel special?

Stop for a moment and think about your last shopping trip,  or visit to the bank……

What did you do to make people seek you out, because you made them feel  appreciated or special? It can be as simple as greeting them by name!  No, I’m not suggesting you are David Blaine and can magically pull their name out of the air, to be honest,  I hadn’t realized I do it until my daughters asked “how do you know his name Mum?”  It’s pretty easy, I read it off his employee tag  (this time or the time before) or I ask!  A habit I think from life as a squadron wife.

Just visiting

Making an effort to remember someone’s name makes them feel special, ask how their toddlers ear infection is and you’re a family friend.   Lets face it, you see the same people every Saturday as you go through the line at Costco. You hear the interaction between the cashier and the helper,  It’s so easy to ask how the fishing trip went next time you’re in!  Plus it makes the process go so much more smoothly it suddenly becomes  like a visit with friends rather than a weekend hassle.

Turning the tables

As a case in point, this weekend I was loaded down in the check out line without my teens to help with the conveyor belt, and Abbie (the stately Ethiopia cashier)  swooped in and diverted me to her line complaining  that I hadn’t been to see her in a while and asking “where are your beautiful girls?”  She leaned over and said “I love that you let people with just a couple of items go ahead of you”, her colleague in the next aisle suddenly added “she always makes a point to hang up her cell or apologizes if she can’t when she’s in my line”,  they were literally jostling over who I had been nicer to almost as a point of pride.  Suddenly I was the person feeling special, celebrated.  See how it works!

Connect

Making a connection is what we talk about on social media. Why doesn’t it cross over to our offline world?  Perhaps having an accent helps, it’s certainly a conversation starter, but even the most truculent of people just need a reason to say Hi.  The truth is most people feel isolated by the hustle and bustle.  I find that it becomes a kind of game, not in a negative manner but rather a way to turn a bad day or a lonely day into something else for both of us.

This weekend I:

Swiped my membership card at the gas pump for a lady who had lost her club id and couldn’t catch the eye of the attendant to do an override, it cost me nothing, got the line moving and made 2 people smile.

Distracted a fretful toddler by playing peek a boo while his harried Mom paid for their snack

Asked how Shandi’s 6 month old baby and his big brother are doing? (Shandi just came back from Maternity leave and was amazed I remembered how old the baby was).

Held the cart still while someone loaded a big screen TV.

Asked Jon in Returns his opinion on the best big screen TV’s,  he said but I don’t work in sales I just process returns.  He was flattered when I said ” who would know better then!”

It doesn’t take much effort … What are you doing to add value?

My friend Miriam suggested I write an article on this topic, she touched me when she said that I’ve added value to her life, but I know for sure it’s been reciprocal.

Borderline is classified as  200mg/dL to 239 mg/dL

According to the American Heart Association a cholesterol level of more than 200 mg/dL raises your risk of coronary heart disease.

There are many people who have high cholesterol due to bad diet but there are also many who are just genetically predisposed to it.  Since the prospect of dying of coronary heart disease sucks at any age but even more so at a young age, what can you do without resorting to a long term medication?  Obviously if you suck down fried food every day of the week, taking a look at your diet is a must,  but here are some additional options.

A warm bowl of porridge / oatmeal gets you off to a great start.

Yes, Grandma was right ~ it does fill you up but also studies show that the soluble fiber in Oats actually blocks the absorption of cholesterol  and you can reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides by 10-30 percent.

Nothing fishy about that

Fish, particularly the fattier cold water fish  like Salmon, Mackerel, Lake Trout, Herring, Sardines, Albacore Tuna, Halibut if eaten twice a week are know to have a positive effect on heart health, lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of sudden death or blood clots.  Don’t deep fry them though, try baking or grilling.

Can’t face fish – try some ground Flax seed in your oatmeal or you can take a Omega 3 or Fish Oil supplement, although they wont give you  additional nutrients like selenium.

Go nuts

Walnuts, Almonds and other nuts particularly those high in polyunsaturated fatty acids can reduce Cholesterol.  According to the FDA a handful a day (1.5 ounces) of an unsalted unsweetened nut like Hazlenuts, pine nuts, peanuts, pistachios or pecans may reduce your chance of developing heart disease.  Just because they’re good for you doesn’t mean the calories don’t kick in though, limit your intake and counter the high fat by cutting back in other areas.

One step at a time

Exercise as simple as spending 2 minutes dashing up the stairs 5 times a day can make a difference.  One study carried out over an 8 week period showed cholesterol levels lowered by 8 percent.

But slow can work too

If you’re not into running there is an more meditative approach.  Men who de-stressed by regularly practicing yoga showed a 6-25% decrease in their total numbers.

Or a good laugh can do it

In a year long study on two groups of diabetic patients receiving standard drug therapy compared who spent 1/2 hour ever day watching a funny show with those who just took the drugs.  Twenty Six percent of those who watched TV had higher levels of HDL (good cholesterol) versus 3% in the other group.

Have a glass of wine

Studies have found that the combination of HDL- boosting ethanol and the antioxidant resveratrol may help protect your heart.

If you haven’t been tested – maybe its time!

As the holidays approach, I’m more aware than ever of the need to stretch. When I say stretch, I really mean s-t-r-e-t-c-h in every sense of the word.

Stretch Yourself

As a single Mum, my time is at a premium and everyone requires a piece of me.

Obviously my boss requires me to earn my pay, and being a friend he confuses the line between working and not: calling me at any time – day, night, weekday, and weekend.  When I started my blog, I knew I needed to understand social media in order to pay it forward to people who needed encouragement to reinvent themselves.  I was  very busy, but a friend asked if I could do him a favor and brief his company on the topic.   Within weeks  my work hours were cut, thank goodness my friends company was  so enthused by my presentation they hired me to run their social media.   He still calls me all hours, frequently to tell me to stop work because the day is finished and my bonus just arrived – a couple of  Flat Screen TVs and an entertainment console.

Stretch Time

My children expect me to be their chauffeur, cook, maid, coach, personal assistant /social secretary, personal shopper and general factotum. Plus with the holidays we have end of season functions, for charity, school ‘holiday’ events and more. Since we live on a different continent from our family there is only me so it’s a stretch trying to be everywhere. Of course, I don’t have to worry where they are, or what they are doing I’m there.

Then of course there is my personal life, OMG  I’m so funny… did you read that, personal life – yeah right working on that one..

Stretch Body

I practice Pilates several times a week, a stretch that helps tone and strengthen without bulking up, a serious tendency for anyone who has spent time in a wheel chair or on crutches.

Stretch Emotionally

Being a Volleyball coach for my daughter’s team has also stretched me physically, mentally and emotionally, working with a team of 12 girls ages 12-14 (oh dear Lord what possessed me) that is waaayyy too many hormones in one room. Learning to communicate has been interesting – like the Chinese curse “May you live in interesting times”.  How can they hug you one moment and give you the look of death the next?  I’m now realizing that everyone has these issues with their kids and as such its ‘normal’. Today was our final game of the season; we won the game 3-0 and our age bracket, and a fitter, slightly slimmer Laine was asked to coach next season.

Stretch Mind

Then there is the challenge, Brandy Mychals -14 day blog challenge,  I’ve been getting nagged about blogging more so the challenge was just what I needed although joining on the fly, and without anything prepared was a wee bit daunting. The beginning was totally frantic but as I opened up, possibilities flooded in and a change occurred.  I’ve never really considered myself to be a writer but rather someone who writes as a means to an end, in my own hyperbolic wordy style.  the lack of prep time made my blog posts more reactive and less composed finding a positive response, people  I respect and admire are complimenting my writing and better still  connected with my subject matter and words on and off the challenge.

Asked to do too much

I recently read a quote “just because someone throws you the ball doesn’t mean you have to catch it” meaning: when too many people are asking you to do too many things — step back and decide what you really want to do.

I realize that I have a problem saying  “NO”,  I know it’s possible to say “I’m sorry” or “oh dear” but that wouldn’t be me.   

Choose to Stretch Yourself

Take it as an opportunity that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. In my case it’s allowed me to grow, stretch and be more than I was before.

Do yourself a favor, stretch beyond what is comfortable, push yourself to a place you don’t normally go – the benefits can be amazing.

When winter greets you with a cold or flu, its hard to get ready for the holiday season. Here are some common myths debunked to make sure you’re getting the right treatment.

Feed a cold and starve a fever

False. Colds and Flu can each have symptoms of fever and congestion which benefit from increasing your fluid intake to hydrate and help you decongest plus you need to eat to keep up your strength.

clinical thermometers coutesy of Wikipedia

If the reading isn’t 98.6 you’re sick.

False. Actually everyone’s internal temperature varies with adults 60 and over running slightly cooler by up to a degree and a child’s frequently runs higher.  Our temperature varies from hour to hour based on activity level, health, age and surroundings. 98.6 Fahrenheit became the ‘standard’ in a study over a 100 years ago when thermometers were much more primitive and not as accurate.

Temperatures of 98.6 – 100 degrees Fahrenheit equal a low grade fever.

False. As above, that range is fairly normal, depending on age, surroundings and activity level. A low grade fever would be an internal temperature of 100 – 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can take someone’s  temperature by touching their skin

False. Your sense of touch is not an accurate measure of fever since your perception is affected by how hot or cold your own temperature is. The only way to get an accurate measurement is with a reliable thermometer.

If you don’t treat a fever it will get higher and higher.

False. The brain has its own internal temperature ceiling, and Fevers from infections like Flu rarely go higher than 103 – 104 degrees although it is possible.

Fevers over 104 degrees are dangerous, and all fevers can cause brain damage.

False. Fevers from infection are unlikely to go over 104 and don’t cause brain damage. Only very rare internal body temperatures in excess of 108 degrees can cause brain damage.

Getting in a cold bath will reduce a fever.

False. Actually the opposite is true, the body’s response to being put in cold water is to shiver which would raise your internal temperature.

So treat your symptoms, keep warm, hydrated, eat and get plenty of rest plus call your Doctor if symptoms persist.