We’re in for a stretch of scorching heat in south Texas. Temperature may climb up to 106 F in the city and much hotter in the desert lands to the west. I like the heat. I don’t have much of a choice. There are some things in life you have to roll with if you want to be happy. Why let the little things knock you off balance? Roll with what you can’t change. Focus on the gifts you have and be grateful and you’ll discover today and each day following will be a great day.
Month: June 2023
Health Tip for Today ~ Which is Better: Probiotic Foods or Probiotic Supplements?
Probiotic Foods Get the Edge
Some people prefer probiotic supplements over foods, but Gail Cresci, PhD, RD, notes that probiotic foods are a better choice. In particular, fermented foods — like yogurt, kefir (a yogurt-like beverage), kombucha (fermented black tea), sauerkraut (refrigerated, not shelf-stable), kimchi (made from fermented cabbage) and tempeh and miso (made from fermented soybeans) — provide a nourishing environment in which healthful bacteria thrive and release important byproducts such as short-chain fatty acids. “They have beneficial effects on your immunity, inflammation and cholesterol,” Dr. Cresci adds. “Go for probiotic foods first.”
Inspiring Quote for Today ~ Do You Have a Story?
“Everything is held together with stories. That is all that is holding us together, stories and compassion.”
Thinking Out Loud ~ Know the Why and Bear Almost Any How
Victor Frankl in Man’s Search for Meaning spoke of two prisoners who were considering committing suicide. In talking with the men, he helped them discover meaning in their lives. Tor one man, it was his child who waiting for him in a safe country. And for the other, it was the completion of a scientific book that he hadn’t finished . . . . Frankl said, “A man who becomes conscious all the responsibility he bears towards a human being, who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the “why” of his existence and will be able to bear almost any “how.” Pps. 87-87
NOTE: It takes heaps of courage to stop living for one’s self and to live for others. Once that leap is made and life instantly changes. One becomes an instrument of love, healing, and inspiration. The leap of courage is one of stepping out of one’s silo and daring to engage the world.
Joke of the Day
Joe: “I went to my doctor because I had a suspicious looking mole.”
Pete: “What did your doctor say?”
Joe: “He said, ‘You should have left the mole in the garden.'”
Poem of the Day ~ God’s World
God’s World
Edna St. Vincent Millay
O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!
Thy winds, thy wide grey skies!
Thy mists, that roll and rise!
Thy woods, this autumn day, that ache and sag
And all but cry with colour! That gaunt crag
To crush! To lift the lean of that black bluff!
World, World, I cannot get thee close enough!
Long have I known a glory in it all,
But never knew I this:
Here such a passion is
As stretcheth me apart, – Lord, I do fear
Thou’st made the world too beautiful this year;
My soul is all but out of me, – let fall
No burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call.
Health Tip of the Day ~ Is Cleaning the House Related to Good Mental Health?
Cleaning the House Promotes Good Mental Health
Cleaning results in good mental health through several mechanisms. The absence of clutter can reduce the overstimulation produced by too many visual stimuli, enabling increased focus and the ability to concentrate. In addition, cleaning can enhance mood, particularly when engaged in mindful activity whilst doing the cleaning activity – moreover, the active cleaning itself can result in environmental certainty and controllability, thereby reducing anxiety. . . . When spaces are cleared . . . cleaning can indirectly affect mental health through a reduced pressure to multi-task.
Something to Think About ~ We Can Choose How We Respond
Victor Frankl in Man’s Search for Meaning challenges us to think about life in a way that is far different from what we read and watch in the media. He says, “We had to learn ourselves, and, furthermore, we had to reach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. . . . Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answers to its problems, and to fulfill the task, which it constantly sets for each individual. Pp 85
NOTE: Our lives are not identical but they are similar. We each face moments of challenge. Some face burdens that make me marvel at their inner toughness and how they managed. I think of my grandmother (nonna), widowed with eleven children still at home. There was no welfare in those days. Yet, she knew her responsibility was to serve and protect her eleven children. To her credit, all eleven grew up to be productive citizens. We can’t choose what happens to us, we can choose how we respond to it. Stay strong.
Inspiring Quote for Today ~ Live the Adventurous Life
“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.
May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.”
