I enjoy watching basketball, especially playoff basketball. As the teams move through the playoff rounds toward the championship round, the better teams lose sight of individual players and play as a team. The team works as a highly functional unit passing the ball, defending, and finding open players to take a shot. That type of team work doesn’t just happen. It takes discipline. The players know there is a right way and wrong way to play. They discipline themselves to practice the right way to play. The good teams teach us that discipline counts. When we apply discipline to our lives we discover there is a right way and wrong way to work, live in relationships, be a parent, or a friend. The more we discipline ourselves to apply the right way, the more success and happiness come our way.
Month: June 2022
Today’s Good Word ~ Sight
Sight – Def: the ability to see.
What do you see? Do you see a closed door or is the door open? Do you see a mountain blocking your path or do you see a way to create a new path over the mountain? Do you see a homeless beggar by the side of the road or do you see a human being who’s struggling with life? We see what we want to see. If we want see obstacles and villains, we see them. If we want to see opportunities and good people, we see them. By changing what we want to see, we can discover new opportunities and connections.
Today’s Inspiration ~ A Defense Against Difficulties
“Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” ~ Helen Keller
Today’s Poem ~ Love Song
Love Song
Rainer Maria Rilke
How can I keep my soul in me, so that
it doesn’t touch your soul? How can I raise
it high enough, past you, to other things?
I would like to shelter it, among remote
lost objects, in some dark and silent place
that doesn’t resonate when your depths resound.
Yet everything that touches us, me and you,
takes us together like a violin’s bow,
which draws one voice out of two seperate strings.
Upon what instrument are we two spanned?
And what musician holds us in his hand?
Oh sweetest song.
Today’s Smile
Joe: “I took my girlfriend to a new restaurant called karma.”
Pete: “What did you get?”
Joe: “You get what you deserve.”
Today’s Health Tip ~ The Small Seed that Packs a Healthy Punch
Flaxseed: Little Seed, Big Benefits
- Omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed (its closest friends call it “flax”) is chock-full of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of fatty acid that benefits heart health. Flax happens to be the richest plant source of ALAs in the North American diet, making it a great choice for vegetarians and omnivores alike.
- Lignans. These are a type of phytoestrogen, a group of compounds that are linked to a reduced risk of developing osteoporosis, heart disease and breast cancer. Lignans also have antioxidant properties. “Antioxidants protect cells from damage,” Zumpano explains. A lignan-rich diet may help ward off diseases such as heart disease and cancer. And flax happens to contain 75 to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods.
- Fiber. Flax is an excellent source of soluble fiber, which absorbs water and slows down digestion. Soluble fiber can help lower cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar levels and lower the risk of heart disease.
- Protein. Flaxseed is a good source of high-quality plant protein, comparable to soybeans.
- Potassium. Potassium is a mineral that’s important for cell and muscle function and helps maintain normal blood pressure. Enter flaxseed, which has more potassium than (the famously potassium-rich) bananas.
Today’s Power Thought ~ Who are You Becoming?
The person we become is built slowly one action at a time. What kind of person do you want to become? Are your actions creating this person? The job never ends. Create something great. You are extraordinary. Don’t sell yourself short.
A Better Life ~ Send it to the Landfill
Why do folks get angry over things that don’t mean much? They hold onto grudges. Two weeks later they’re still holding the grudge and can’t remember the reason for the grudge. Think about it, we get upset if people don’t believe the way we believe. We get upset if people don’t agree with our view of the world. We get upset if someone is late, forgot to send an RSVP, or makes a comment that is not well received. Is it worth it? Is it worth pushing people we love away because we got upset? When we get angry and hold grudges, we are the source of our discontent, not someone else or some event. I think it’s time to pack anger and grudges away to be hauled to the landfill. Kindness, compassion, and love leave everyone feeling better.
Today’s Good Word ~ Life
Life – Def: the period between birth and death, or the experience or state of being alive.
Part of the definition for life is “the state of being alive.” What does it mean to be alive? I think it has a lot to do with engagement with the environment in which we find ourselves. When we’re fully alive, we’re fully engaged. What we’re involved with grabs hold of our attention. We may not like the form of engagement, but we know we can’t let go until we’re finished. I recall holding my dad’s hand and standing next to him during his last moments alive. I was experiencing being with someone I loved who was dying. My dad and I shared that experience. There are other times where the experience of being alive is filled with tears of joy. I had tears streaming down my cheeks as a daughter played her clarinet for her doctoral recital. I couldn’t tell where the music was coming from. Was it coming from her or her instrument? I was fully alive that moment. What moments have you had where you felt fully alive?
Today’s Health Tip ~ Do’s for Weight Loss
Do – Eat all meals.
Do – Eat healthy foods.
Do – Drink plenty of water
Do – Switch from sugar desserts to fruit
Do – Be patient with yourself.
Do – Forgo fried foods.
Do – Watch bread consumption (remember, straight from the lips to the hips)
Do – Forgo foods high in saturated foods.
Do – Don’t Quit, Don’t Give Up. You Can Do It
