Joe: “I’m sure my girlfriend is shoplifting.”
Pete: “Are you going to confront her?”
Joe: “Yah, but I’m going to wait until after my birthday.”
Month: March 2024
Today’s Inspiring Quote: The Path to Love
To know each other is the best way to understand each other. To understand each other is the only way to love each other. ~ Michelangelo
It’s Time to Exercise Your Brain – Take the Anagram Challenge
Today’s mind sharpening anagram is a two or three word phrase. Can you unscramble the anagram to discover the two or three word phrase? It’s time to exercise your brain!
Today’s Anagram:
Today’s Thought: Choose Life-Giving Attitudes
The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives. ~ William James
NOTE: The choice is ours, it’s always ours. We can choose to be happy. Or, we can choose to be sad. We can choose to love. Or, we can choose to wear anger closer than our shadow. When we choose uplifting, life-giving attitudes, the change is not easy. There will be a struggle with attitudes that seek to repress and keep us in bondage. The expression, ‘fake it till you make it’ goes a long way in this struggle. We can ‘feel’ sad and simultaneously act happy. I think our natural state is one in which we’re happy and excited about life. This isn’t something we can buy online, on a street corner, or at a market. It’s something we have to claim and work hard to retain. Choose life-giving attitudes and states of mind.
It’s Time to Exercise Your Brain – Take the Anagram Challenge
Today’s mind sharpening anagram is a two or three word phrase. Can you unscramble the anagram to discover the two or three word phrase? It’s time to exercise your brain!
Today’s Anagram:
Get Healthy: The Pros and Cons of Taking Creatine
Creatine is a popular dietary supplement often used to enhance athletic performance, increase muscle mass, and improve strength. Here’s a breakdown of its benefits and detriments:
Benefits
- Enhanced Muscle Energy: Creatine helps regenerate ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the primary source of energy for muscle contractions, potentially leading to improved performance in high-intensity activities.
- Increased Muscle Mass: Supplementing with creatine can lead to muscle hypertrophy (growth) by increasing the water content in muscle cells and possibly through hormonal changes that promote muscle growth.
- Improved Strength and Power: Numerous studies have shown that creatine supplementation can lead to significant improvements in strength and power output.
- Enhanced Recovery: Creatine may reduce muscle damage and inflammation, leading to faster recovery from exercise.
- Brain Health: Some research suggests that creatine may benefit cognitive function, especially in tasks that require quick bursts of energy or in populations with naturally lower creatine levels (e.g., vegetarians or the elderly).
Detriments
- Water Retention: One of the most common side effects of creatine supplementation is increased water retention in the muscles, which can lead to weight gain.
- Digestive Issues: Some individuals may experience digestive issues such as bloating, stomach pain, or diarrhea, especially when consuming high doses.
- Kidney and Liver Health Concerns: Although there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that creatine adversely affects kidney or liver function in healthy individuals, there is still concern about its long-term effects, particularly for those with preexisting kidney or liver conditions.
- Drug Interactions: Creatine may interact with certain medications, such as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), diuretics, or medications affecting kidney function, potentially increasing the risk of side effects.
- Unregulated Supplements: The supplement industry is not tightly regulated, so the purity and quality of creatine products can vary. It’s important to purchase from reputable sources.
It’s essential to note that while creatine is generally considered safe for healthy individuals, it’s always a good idea to consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen, especially for those with preexisting health conditions or those taking medications that might interact with creatine.
Source: ChatGPT
I ~ A Poem by Rabindranath Tagore
I
Rabindranath Tagore
I wonder if I know him
In whose speech is my voice,
In whose movement is my being,
Whose skill is in my lines,
Whose melody is in my songs
In joy and sorrow.
I thought he was chained within me,
Contained by tears and laughter,
Work and play.
I thought he was my very self
Coming to an end with my death.
Why then in a flood of joy do I feel him
In the sight and touch of my beloved?
This ‘I’ beyond self I found
On the shores of the shining sea.
Therefore I know
This ‘I’ is not imprisoned within my bounds.
Losing myself, I find him
Beyond the borders of time and space.
Through the Ages
I come to know his Shining Self
In the life of the seeker,
In the voice of the poet.
From the dark clouds pour the rains.
I sit and think:
Bearing so many forms, so many names,
I come down, crossing the threshold
Of countless births and deaths.
The Supreme undivided, complete in himself,
Embracing past and present,
Dwells in Man.
Within Him I shall find myself –
The ‘I’ that reaches everywhere.
Today’s Joke: Joe’s Always a Step Ahead
Joe: “I met my girlfriend while I was on jury duty.”
Pete: “How did that happen?”
Joe: “I was the reason she was acquitted.”
Understanding The Brain’s Neural Pathways Through The Healing Process
Welcome to episode 76 of Dr. Ray Calabrese’s podcast, “Journey from Grief to Healing.” In this enlightening and supportive episode, Dr. Ray delves deep into the process of grieving the loss of a spouse or partner and explains the neurological perspective.
Dr. Ray depicts the struggle of brain in adapting to the harsh reality of loss and the painstaking process of forming new neural pathways. Drawing upon an analogy of construction work, Dr. Ray distinguishes passive, informal learning from active learning and explains how applying what we learn helps our brains to reinforce the new pathways more swiftly.
Underlining the importance of patience during this significant phase, he implores us to continue learning, both passively and actively, at our own pace. Taking inspiration from renowned poet, Rainier Maria Relki, the episode emphasizes that patience is everything.
Moving towards a more healing approach, Dr. Ray suggests an incremental journey towards healing and self-reflection. Using the analogy of a swimming pool, the episode encourages listeners not to rush the process and instead take small, constitutive steps towards healing.
The episode concludes on a hopeful note, promising listeners that healing is indeed possible while navigating grief,. Dr. Ray Calabrese’s podcast offers a beacon of hope and positivism.
Listeners are also invited to connect with Dr. Ray through his blog and email (ray.brese@gmail.com), emphasizing the importance of communal strength in the face of traumatic life events.
You can listen to Episode 76 on your favorite podcasting app or click here for Episode 76.
Don’t forget to hit the subscribe button to receive notifications of future episodes
Today’s Thought: It’s Still Okay Even if it’s Not Perfect
Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things. It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out – it’s the grain of sand in your shoe. ~ Robert W. Service
NOTE: I have a neighbor who gets wound up tight over small annoyances. She seldom smiles. Weeds in her lawn bother her. A dog’s barking bothers her. Kids playing their music too loud bother her. Then there are the community rules and regulations that others sometimes ignore, this bothers her. She has a lot on her plate. Our world isn’t perfect. People are not perfect. Dogs are going to poop on your lawn. If we don’t learn to roll with the annoyances in our lives we create our own unhappiness. When we see ourselves and our lives as imperfect it helps us to accept and maybe enjoy other imperfections into our life.
