“Be big enough to admit mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them (John C. Maxwell).”
It takes heaps of courage to admit when we’re wrong. Insecure people, those without a foundation to stand on, have difficulty admitting mistakes and learning from them. Mistakes are our teachers. When we learn from them, we grow in knowledge and wisdom. Mistakes always open new doors for us. They show us which paths are the wrong paths and turn us in new directions.
“Don’t give to anyone the power to put you down. Haters are losers pretending to be winners.”
Dr. Norman Doidge, M.D. in his book, The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, states that our brains are not rigidly mapped out as scientists once thought. Instead, by thinking differently, our brain has the incredible capacity to form new neural pathways (source).
If you’re prone to negative and doomsday thinking why not switch it around and practice for one week thinking optimistic thoughts. Think about how good things have been and how well things you are working on will turn out. All you got to lose by trying a new way of thinking is setting aside negative thinking and a depressing attitude. C’mon, you can do it.
A growing body of evidence suggests that psychological factors are — literally — heartfelt, and can contribute to cardiac risk. Stress from all sorts of challenging situations and events plays a significant role in cardiovascular symptoms and outcome, particularly heart attack risk. The same is true for depression, anxiety, anger, hostility, and social isolation. Acting alone, each of these factors heightens your chances of developing heart problems. But these issues often occur together, for example, psychological stress often leads to anxiety, depression can lead to social isolation, and so on.
Does reducing stress, or changing how you respond to it, actually reduce your chances of developing heart disease or having a heart attack? The answer isn’t entirely clear, but many studies suggest the answer is “yes.” There is much to learn about exactly how. Research indicates that constant stress contributes biologically to heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure and the formation of artery-clogging deposits. Other research finds that chronic stress may make it harder to sleep, eat well, quit smoking, and exercise.
Fortunately, you can learn healthier ways to respond to stress that may help your heart and improve your quality of life. These include relaxation exercises (deep breathing, guided imagery), physical activity (walking, yoga), and staying connected with friends, co-workers, family members.
Source: Harvard Medical School Newsletter: Healthbeat
“We don’t stop playing because we get old. We get old because we stop playing (Satchel Paige).” There comes a point where we lose the child like joy of play. We learn adult rules. We get serious. We’re taught to write goals and chase them as if they hold some kind of treasure. All the while we gradually lose contact with the young boy or girl inside us. Why not waken them up? Why not bring joy and a sense of play to whatever you’re doing. Here’s one way I do it. When I’m cooking my dinner (I enjoy cooking) I pretend I’m on a competitive cooking show. I hear (in my mind) the judges commenting on what I’m doing. I always win the competition at the end – LOL. It makes cooking dinner even more fun.
A Celtic Blessing
May the road rise up
To meet you.
May the wind be always
At your back.
May the sun shine warm
upon your face.
May the rain fall soft
upon your field,
And until we meet again.
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
“The Six W’s: Work will win when wishing won’t.”
Being an “influencer” on social media seems to be a big deal. In many ways we are all “influencers” each day of our lives. We may not be “reaching three million followers, but we are reaching something more important. We are reaching those we love. We are reaching those we work with. We are reaching those we live near. The fact that we are alive and in the presence of other people sets the stage for how we influence them. How do you want to influence those you love? How do you want to influence those you work with? How do you want to influence those you live near? Our actions, much more than our words, determine the direction and content of our influence. Influence for good. Influence for love.
Joe: “I got a new job. I’m working in a mirror factory.”
Pete: “How’s it going?”
Joe: “It’s something I can see myself doing?
Joe: “My ex still misses me.”
Pete: “How can you tell?”
Joe: “Her aim is getting closer.”
