What are your dreams? Do you have big dreams? Or, have you forgot how to dream? Have your dreams turned into bucket or wish lists? It’s not too late to rekindle the dreams you once had. The world is full of examples of people whose dreams were delayed but the embers still glowed. When their life situation changed, they fanned the embers of their dreams and turned the embers into a roaring blaze. In a world where everything possible, what dream would you have? If you can dream it, it is possible. Commit yourself to taking the first step toward your dream and then another and another. Dream on, dream big, your possibilities are endless.
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Today’s Health Tip ~ Are You Familiar with Polyphenols?
Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that can be found in a variety of foods. Some of the highest sources of polyphenols include:
- Tea and coffee — One study showed that polyphenols in coffee and green tea could help prevent photoaging and hyperpigmentation. Just be mindful of how much caffeine your system can handle, or choose decaf when you can.
- Grapes — Grape seeds, grape skin and grape juice contain polyphenols like resveratrol, phenolic acids, anthocyanins and flavonoids.
- Chocolate — Beside antioxidants and vitamins, chocolate (especially dark chocolate) contains flavanols, or a type of polyphenol. They reduce rough texture in your skin and protect against sun damage. So, rejoice in knowing that you can have a few ounces of chocolate a day! Just make sure it contains 60% to 70% cocoa.
A Better Life ~ Take the Time
Take the time to call a friend and ask how he/she is doing.
Take the time to tell the people in your life that you love them.
Take the Time to relax.
Take the time to be grateful.
Take the time to tell co-workers how much you appreciate them.
Take the time to listen to your children (they grow up fast).
Take the time to do small acts of kindness.
You never know when you won’t have anymore time.
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A Better Life ~ C’mon, Chill!
Take time today to chill. Go on, turn the smart phone off. Walk away from the desktop, laptop, and TV. Play feel good, make me dance music. Go to a coffee shop with a friend or lover and kick back. Look at the laundry basket and tell it to wait until tomorrow. Sip a cold drink and read a good book. C’mon, chill, you’ll feel better. The world will take on a brighter hue. You will find yourself refreshed and renewed.
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A Better Life ~ Small Acts of Kindness
A friend shared the following story with me. She runs every morning. When she runs she takes her Brittany Spaniel with her. Half way into her run she crossed through a large park. She came across two dogs with leashes but no one was near them. She stopped and called to the dogs. One dog came over and made friends with her Brittany. The other watched and then came over. She checked their collars and found a phone number. She called the number. An elderly woman answered. The elderly woman said her husband died a few weeks earlier and she had given the dogs to her daughter. The runner asked for the daughter’s number and continued to speak with the woman for ten minutes. The runner called the woman’s daughter. An hour later there was a reunion of dogs and the elderly woman’s daughter. The runner never completed the distance she wanted to complete, but she made an elderly woman and her daughter happy. Small acts of kindness go a long, long, way.
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A Better Life ~ What Kind of Life are You Creating?
We create our lives moment by moment. We can ask ourselves, ‘What kind of life am I creating?’ Is it a life I will look back upon and be proud? Is it a life I will look back upon with regrets? It’s never too late to change the trajectory of one’s life. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming to create a well lived life. We can look at each sunrise and become the authors of a new life’s chapter. When we take it a chapter (day) at a time, we create the building blocks of the edifice we are creating. At the end of the day, if we reflect on our day we can see the places that need course corrections or places that we want to repeat. Create a magnificent life worthy of you. You are unique, one of a kind, and you have something special to offer to life.
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A Better Life ~ Get Excited About Life
Take time out for a personal checkup. Are you excited about who you are and the future that lies ahead of you? No matter your age, you are capable of moving far beyond of where you are at the moment. Think of it this way, when a plant stops growing it starts dying. You’ve got lots of growing to do. There are so many things to learn, so many places to see, so many potential challenges to test us. The only thing that stops us from growing is are the excuses we’ll make so we can take it easy and let someone else do it. Don’t wave the white flag. There’s an exciting journey waiting for you. All you have to do is jump aboard and enjoy the ride.
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A Better Life ~ Remembering Names
I wasn’t always good at remembering names. Sometimes I would speak with a person and never ask them their name. I was too embarrassed to ask. I decided I would learn how to remember names. I studied different memory strategies and became good at it. I learned people like being called by their name. Our names are personal. It’s who we are. They are assigned to us at birth. A record begins and our names are on it. The simple act of asking someone their name is a sign of respect. It says, I care enough about you to know who you are. When I forget a name I’m no longer embarrassed to say, “I forgot your name.”, This morning I saw someone I hadn’t seen in a while. I remembered his name. I said, “Hi, Juan, how are you?” Juan wasn’t quite sure of my name. He said, “It’s Ray, right?” I nodded. After a brief conversation, we wished each other a great day. Make an effort to remember names. You’ll make lots of new friends and make people feel good when you greet them by name.
Listen to The Audio Version of A Better Life
Listen to The Audio Version of A Better Life
A Better Life ~ Our Shared Experiences
Teardrops and laughter are a shared experience of every human being. To love and be loved are a shared experience of every human being. There are many other experiences we all share. Our shared experiences are reasons to cooperate and act compassionately toward each other. When we build each up we are also building ourselves. We’re all sharing this great ride on planet Earth, why not work with each other, build each other, and celebrate together at day’s end? It will make all the difference.
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A Better Life ~ Wait and See – It’s All Going to Work Out
Yesterday, the high temperature was nearly 100 F (38C) in south Texas. A line of thunderstorms came through in the middle of night bringing much needed rain. A brisk, cooling wind stayed around for most of the morning. Today, the high temperature is 76F (24.4C). What a pleasant difference. The weather provides a good life’s lesson. If we don’t quit, things will change. Chances are, they’ll change for the better. If we let negative thinking take hold we begin catastrophizing assuming the worst possible outcome. It’s better to take a wait and see attitude and continue to grind, holding on to hope that it will all work out. It will. Hang in there.
