Relationship

Feel Good Tip ~ It’s Going to Turn Out Right

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Optimists Are Healthier

A recent Harvard School of Public Health study found that positive psychological well-being, which includes self-acceptance and positive relations with others, is linked to improved heart health. However, having an optimistic attitude was the biggest predictor of all: People who tend to look on the bright side have fewer heart problems, such as cardiovascular disease. They also have better cholesterol readings: In a separate survey of nearly 1,000 middle aged men and women, those who reported higher levels of optimism had lower levels of triglycerides, or less fat in the blood.

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Note: We didn’t have much materially when I grew up. I did experience lots of love. I also experienced a mom and dad who worked in low blue-collar jobs encouraging my brother and me to learn and go to college. They didn’t complain about the cold winters in an unheated cold water flat. They didn’t complain when they got laid off from the factories. They knew they’d make it. I didn’t know it at the time, but they were passing on their sense of optimism to me. They taught me to keep plugging and sooner or later it’s all going to turn out right. What a great inheritance. Thanks Mom and Dad

Poem for Today ~ Songs for the People

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Songs for the People

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Let me make the songs for the people,
   Songs for the old and young;
Songs to stir like a battle-cry
   Wherever they are sung.

Not for the clashing of sabres,
   For carnage nor for strife;
But songs to thrill the hearts of men
   With more abundant life.

Let me make the songs for the weary,
   Amid life’s fever and fret,
Till hearts shall relax their tension,
   And careworn brows forget.

Let me sing for little children,
   Before their footsteps stray,
Sweet anthems of love and duty,
   To float o’er life’s highway.

I would sing for the poor and aged,
   When shadows dim their sight;
Of the bright and restful mansions,
   Where there shall be no night.

Our world, so worn and weary,
   Needs music, pure and strong,
To hush the jangle and discords
   Of sorrow, pain, and wrong.

Music to soothe all its sorrow,
   Till war and crime shall cease; 
And the hearts of men grown tender
   Girdle the world with peace.

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Thinking Out loud ~ Happiness is Contagious

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Let Your Shine Brighten the World

James Allen in his book, As a Man Thinketh, writes, “There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with goodwill for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow. To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self-made prison-hole. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all—such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor.” Pps. 32-33

As a Man Thinketh is available online at gutenberg.org under the Harvard Classics.

NOTE: I’ve read if you’re in a poor mood and force yourself to smile and continue to smile your mood changes. You can’t be in a bad mood if you’re smiling. There is a lot of truth to that saying. Turn on TV. Watch any of the news programs and count how many people you see smiling and happy. They all look unhappy to me. It could be because of the news they’re reporting, the stress they’re under, or the people they work with. Unhappiness is as contagious as COVID. I also believe that happiness is equally contagious. One of the best ways to remain in an upbeat, optimistic, and happy mood is to surround ourselves with like people. Sunshine suddenly flows into our lives.

Feel Good Tip ~ It’s All So Simple

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You’ll Feel Better

In my experience, the answer seems simple. We can eliminate much of the angst we feel today simply by making an effort to connect. I understand it’s difficult if you’re shy or an introvert or too busy. I understand it’s easy for extroverts and folks who easily move into relationships. When things are difficult for us, that is a a great sign. It is a challenge to learn, grow, and become more adept at something that was once difficult. When we connect with others, the world is a bit more friendly. When we connect with others, we gain an understanding of the other person and his/her struggles, beliefs, and dreams. When we connect with others, we discover we’re all in it together on a grand adventure on our trip around the sun. Connect, connect, connect. You’ll feel better.

Feel Good Tip – Staying Connected with Loved Ones is Important

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Make the Call

Every once in a while I’ll hear the complaint, “My kids never call me.” Where I hear the complaint, I ask, “Do you call them?” The answer I get is, “No, they’re suppose to call me.” Ah, I think, I see the problem. Whether it’s children or a friend or someone else who is close, we can’t read their minds. We don’t know their struggles. All we get is a glimpse and it is a fast one at that. If staying in touch with folks you love is important (it’s important for me). Make the effort to make the call. Take responsibility for nurturing the relationships. You’ll be surprised how fast it will grow.

Poem of the Day ~ An Adieu

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An Adieu

Florence Earle Coates

Sorrow, quit me for a while!
    Wintry days are over;
Hope again, with April smile,
    Violets sows and clover.

Pleasure follows in her path,
    Love itself flies after,
And the brook a music hath
    Sweet as childhood’s laughter.

Not a bird upon the bough
    Can repress its rapture,
Not a bud that blossoms now
    But doth beauty capture.

Sorrow, thou art Winter’s mate,
    Spring cannot regret thee;
Yet, ah, yet—my friend of late—
    I shall not forget thee!

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Feel Good Tip ~ There is a Better Way

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Staying Angry is Not a Pathway to Happiness

Folks who enjoy finding fault and criticizing other are seldom happy. Check out the angry talking heads on the political cable news channels. I think most forgot how to smile.  The happier folks are those who don’t let anger dominate their lives. They recognize their own imperfections, avoid condemning others, and seek to discover peaceful and constructive ways to interact with all who pass through their life. I\

Feeling Good Tip ~ A Pleasant Surprise at the Supermarket

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Taking Time to Connect

I went to the supermarket today. While I was pushing my cart through the produce section, this guy comes up and taps me on the shoulder. I look at him. He looks familiar. My brain is racing for a name and location. Fortunately, my brain didn’t have to race to far. It stopped at A. I said, “Hi, Al. How are you?” Al said, “You remembered me. I recognized you, but I don’t remember you name.” From there we blocked the area in front of the jalapeños and avocados and had a nice conversation. Ten minutes later we split. Taking time to have a catch up conversation is always a good thing. I felt good after talking with Al and I hope I he felt the same after speaking with me.

Feeling Good Tip ~ Looking for the Good in Each Other

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I was talking to a friend at the gym today. My friend also lives in my neighborhood. I mentioned another neighbor who was doing some landscaping. My gym friend went off on her and told me why he didn’t like her. His take was much different than min. I viewed her as kind and compassionate. She was there for me during my two hip operations. Two different takes on the same person. When we overlook another’s faults, there’s a good chance they’ll overlook our faults. The world is always a bit better when we see the good in each other.

Daughter and Dad Podcast Episode #7

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Enjoy Episode 7: Daughter and Dad Podcast.

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The Daughter and Dad Podcast Episode 7 is also available on all podcasting venues.

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