connections

Chips, Salsa, and Secret Connections: How Knowing Your Waiter Turns You Into Royalty

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We know you’re smart. You’re reading this and not arguing with strangers on social media about how to pronounce “gyro.” So go ahead, hit that like button — your brain deserves the round of applause.

I enjoy making connections. I know people who make connections for personal gain, e.g., someone who can help them achieve a personal success. That’s a good thing. I like meeting people to hear their stories and perhaps build a friendship. Well, the day I went to a Mexican restaurant with a friend having a connection paid off for me.. Remember, this is San Antonio and the Mexican food is fantastic. I don’t think I’ve met a Mexican or Tex Mex restaurant I did’t like.

My friend and I were seated at our table, before we could open our menus someone brought us chips and salsa. I used all my self discipline to hold off on the chips, if I eat one, I’m done. I’ll go through a basket of those tantalizing devils. The waiters comes to our table. I know this guy. He works out at my gym and we chat when we are working out near each other. We’re on a first name basis.

Miguel asks for our orders. When it’s my turn I ordered parrillada de vegetales. It came with rice and borracho beans. I asked my Miguel to sub a second small bowl of borracho beans for the rice. When my order came, the veggies were overflowing, I got a side of guacamole I didn’t expect and a bowl of borracho beans large enough to swim in.. It pays to have a connection with a waiter.

Health Tips: A Healthy Personality Has Healthy Relationships & Empathy

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Healthy Relationships & Empathy ~ A healthy personality has the capacity to form meaningful, supportive, and balanced relationships. A healthy personality has empathy for others, allowing for deeper connections and mutual understanding. Example: A person who listens actively to a friend in distress rather than immediately offering unsolicited advice.

Source: ChatGPT

Journey from Grief to Healing: Lessons in Patience and Hope ~ Episode 107

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In this special Father’s Day episode of “Journey from Grief to Healing,” I reflect on the importance of connections in the grieving process. My five daughters reached out with loving messages, and neighbors and parishioners also shared their kind wishes. These interactions highlight a key strategy for coping with grief: maintaining connections. While my grief remains present, it no longer dominates my life.

I discuss how turning our focus outward, rather than inward, facilitates healing. Using analogies of wound care and stepping out of a dark closet into light, I illustrate the process of healing. Renowned writer Daniel Goleman emphasizes that self-absorption hinders empathy and compassion, while focusing on others expands our world and diminishes our own problems.

Patience is crucial in this journey. Father Henri Nouwen describes patience as the willingness to stay present and trust that healing will come. Patience, fueled by hope, helps us endure and look forward to a brighter future. Adults often struggle with hope, unlike children who eagerly anticipate life’s milestones. Hope drives us to seek the light, leaving the darkness behind.

Drawing inspiration from poet John Clare, I conclude that nature embodies hope and eternal life. Like nature, we must seek the sunlight, guided by patience and hope, confident that in time, all will be well again. Join me as we explore these themes and find solace in the journey from grief to healing.


You can listen to Episode 107 on your favorite podcasting app or click here for Episode 107  

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.

Feeling Good Tip of the Day ~ Need to Beat the Blues?

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Here are five ways to beat the blues:

    1. Recognize that feeling blue or down from time to time is a common experience.
    2. Get moving: Exercise is a natural mood booster. Physical activity releases endorphins, which are natural feel-good chemicals that help improve your mood. Even a quick walk around the block can help lift your spirits.
    3. Connect with others: Spending time with friends or family members can help you feel connected and supported. Even a quick phone call or text message to someone you care about can help boost your mood.
    4. Practice self-care: Take time to do things you enjoy, such as reading a book, taking a bath, or listening to music. Taking care of yourself can help you feel better both physically and mentally.
    5. Challenge negative thoughts: Negative thoughts can contribute to feeling down. Try to challenge negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. For example, instead of thinking “I can’t do anything right,” try thinking “I am capable of learning and growing.”

If you are experiencing ongoing feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or anxiety, it may be helpful to seek professional help. A mental health professional can provide support and guidance on how to manage your emotions and improve your mood.

Source: ChatGPT

Feeling Good Tip of the Day ~ Let Go Of Hurts & Reconnect with Loved Ones

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The Power of Connection

While connecting with loved ones has been harder — and different to what we’re used to — it holds great power. “One of the most important things for feeling happier is our connections with other people..

“If we can do something that helps us to stay connected, that amplifies the feel-good effect that we get from other people. Feeling connected is so important for our wellbeing. Chronic loneliness can, in severe cases, be as damaging to our health as smoking or obesity. If you’re lonely that’s a signal that you need to connect with people. It’s a bit like if you’re thirsty you go to get a glass of water.”

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Something to Think About

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Life offers opportunity after opportunity to discover our life’s meaning. When life offers an opportunity to find our life’s meaning, it is almost always connected to other people. We find meaning through our interactions and connections to other people We are part of a human community. Our human community may be our family, the neighbors on our street or in our building. Each of our interactions and connections links us to others.The more we reach out to others, the more we learn about ourselves. If we run away from interactions and connections we may be running away from ourselves. Out of these interactions and connections our life’s meaning emerges. If we’re awake, we’ll see it and know it is designed uniquely for us. 

Longevity Tip: Aging Well Is Like Being Tickled

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“Aging successfully, according to Vaillant, is something like being tickled — it’s best achieved with another person. Whether your social connections are with a spouse, offspring, siblings, bridge partners, and/or fellow churchgoers, they’re crucial to good health while growing older.”

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Healthy Living ~ Invite a Friend for Lunch or Coffee

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Strong, healthy relationships are important throughout your life. Your social ties with family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and others impact your mental, emotional, and even physical well-being.“We can’t underestimate the power of a relationship in helping to promote well-being,” says NIH psychologist and relationship expert Dr. Valerie Maholmes. Studies have found that having a variety of social relationships may help reduce stress and heart-related risks. Strong social ties are even linked to a longer life. On the other hand, loneliness and social isolation are linked to poorer health, depression, and increased risk of early death.

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