Gratitude is good for your mind and body. A healthy mind = a healthy body.
Research shows that gratitude and kindness not only lifts your spirits and warms your hearts, but, it can also aid in fighting off, healing and sometimes even curing illnesses.
Acts of kindness and feelings of gratitude flood your brains with a chemical called dopamine.
When you are truly grateful for something (or someone) your brains reward you by giving you a natural high. Because this feeling (or natural high) is so good, you are motivated to feel it again and become more inclined to give thanks, to show appreciation and to do good for others.
Research on gratitude benefits shows that these neurological effects open the doors to many health and emotional well-being benefits.
— American College of Lifestyle Medicine (@ACLifeMed) December 7, 2019
Additionally, in the hypothalamus, which is the part of your brain that regulates a number of your bodily functions including your appetites, sleep, temperature, metabolism and growth, a 2009 National Institutes of Health (NIH) study showed that your hypothalamus is activated when you feel gratitude, or display acts of kindness.
This research on gratitude means that your existential bodily functions operate better with grace. That is a powerful thought.
The health of Americans is on a bad trajectory, it is declining. Things such as: obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and like health epidemics are growing at a feverish pace.
Healthcare — both preventive and reactive — is becoming harder to obtain. And, unfortunately, the industry focuses more on reactive approaches to disease and pushing pharmaceuticals than preventative approaches to treating diseases.
It’s important to know think proactively about all of the things you spend money on. Some things are critical to living such as food, a roof over your head, and clothes to wear.
However, as a whole, many people tend to spend money on some things that are unnecessary like a new luxury vehicle or a glamorous vacation, and then think that they don’t have enough money to invest in our health.
The biggest and most obvious reason that you should invest in your health is that you only get one body, mind and life! If you fail to take care of your body and mind, sooner or later you will suffer the consequences and they will fail you at a great cost at a later date and time. Thus, you must regularly invest in your health. The several types of investments to make regularly are:
Sleep – 7-8 hrs/night
Food – 50-70% good fats, 20-30% healthy proteins and less than 20% carbohydrates from organic, non-gmo, non-processed and non-added sugar sources
Hydration – Half your body weight in ounces per day, no more than 3 quarts
Exercise – 30 minutes per day of some type of exercise/movement
Stress – Daily stress-reducing and relaxation techniques
Gratitude– Being grateful for your daily blessings and the joy in your life
Spiritual/Mindfulness – Spending time nurturing your faith daily
If you’re not, then you’re spending time regularly neglecting your health.
You’re either getting quality sleep or you’re not.
You’re either eating foods that will nourish and fuel your body or you’re not.
You’re either properly hydrating on a regular basis, or not.
You’re either exercising in some way daily, or you’re not.
You’re either working to reduce stress on a daily basis or you’re not.
You’re either focusing on all of the good in your life and working towards your goals, or not.
You should do something daily to invest back in your health. If not, some day you’re going to wish you had made different choices along the way.
Optimal health is not something you can buy; however, it might just be the most valuable investment you can ever make.
Today be thankful and think of how rich you really are. Your family and friends are priceless, your time is gold, and your health is wealth.
February is American Heart Month, an opportunity to raise awareness to the fact that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S.
American Heart Month is observed to raise awareness on the importance of a healthy heart and to encourage healthy habits that help reduce the risk of heart disease. It is an ideal time to remind Americans to focus on their heart health and encourage them to get their families, friends and communities involved.
Heart disease affects all ages, genders, and ethnicities.
Despite the significant progress researchers have made in understanding of heart disease risk factors. (such as high blood pressure, bad cholesterol, smoking, being overweight or obese, and type 2 diabetes), heart disease affects all ages, genders, and ethnicities. Moreover, heart disease continues to exact a heartbreaking toll — a burden disproportionately carried by Black and Brown Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and people who live in rural communities.
Every year, 1 in 4 deaths in the U.S. is attributable to heart disease, and the vast majority of those deaths can be prevented. By taking preventive measures, you can lower your risk of developing heart disease and also improve your overall health and well-being.
Heart Disease, Stroke and other Cardiovascular Diseases
The human heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout our body, supplying oxygen and nutrients and removing toxins and waste. Weighing between 8 and 12 ounces, the heart is a mighty organ divided into four chambers that work together to pump blood in and out. The heart gets oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it throughout the rest of the body.
Heart disease occurs when the arteries leading to the heart become clogged. Although heart disease has been around for thousands of years, health experts do know that many aspects of modern life exacerbate risk factors and make people more prone to heart disease and heart failure. Heart disease can affect everyone, but taking stock of your prior health risks, activities and diet can help you reduce your risk.
Even in a pandemic, Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, and mortality rates are on the rise among younger demographic within the population. For example:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), listed as the underlying cause of death, accounted for 874,613 deaths in the United States in calendar year 2019.
CVD claim more lives each year in the United States than all forms of cancer and Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease (CLRD) combined.
In 2015 to 2018 in the United States, 58.8% of non-Hispanic (NH) Black females and 60.1% of NH Black males had some form of CVD. This race category had the highest prevalence of CVD.
CVD accounted for approximately 19.05 million global deaths in 2020
Heart disease can often be prevented when you make healthy choices and manage your health conditions. The warning signs for heart disease have been known to appear when people are as young as 18. Red flags such as high blood pressure should be taken seriously and healthy habits should be adopted.
You can take steps to protect your heart. Additionally, you can work with your doctor to make a plan and your doctor can help by:
Checking your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers — and teaching you how to check your numbers at home
Sharing advice for healthy eating and physical activity
Supporting you in other heart-healthy changes, like quitting smoking
Connecting you with specialists to treat heart problems and other conditions
Prescribing medicines if you need them
If you haven’t been keeping up with regular doctor visits, you’re not alone. Many people have postponed doctor visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. But now’s the time to get back on track! Don’t wait — schedule an appointment today.
Heart Healthy Steps
Engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet and weight, managing stress, avoiding smoking and vaping, and getting quality sleep each night can all reduce the risk of heart disease and help people live longer, healthier lives.
While it is essential to see a health care professional if you have symptoms or risk factors related to heart disease, research shows that taking a little time each day to promote a healthy lifestyle can help improve your long-term heart health.
Subsequently, you can prevent heart disease and stroke by taking small, healthy steps like moving your body and eating healthy.
Simple Ways to Get Active – Physical activity is key to a healthy heart. And when you’re active, it’s easier to keep doing all the things you love — like traveling, seeing friends, and walking around the neighborhood.
Tips for Healthy Eating – Small changes in your eating habits make a big difference in your heart health — and there’s no one right way to eat healthy! You can find healthy eating habits that work for you.
Heart-Health Role Model – Kids love to imitate their parents — so show your family how you’re taking steps to protect your heart.
Continuing the fight against cardiovascular disease is crucial to improving the Americans health. During American Heart Month, we must recommit ourselves to ensuring a healthier future for all Americans.
How to observe American Heart Month:
Take up a heart-healthy habit — Staying active, eating healthy, and watching our weight are all important parts of maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system. Pick a new heart-healthy habit like jogging or substituting sodas with water and try to stick to it for a whole month.
Educate yourself — Learn about the risk factors for heart disease, the ways you can prevent them, and the lifestyle choices that can help you stay healthy.
Get your cholesterol tested — If you’re worried you might be at risk for heart disease, ask your doctor to perform a simple cholesterol test to let you know if you’re at risk and should make adjustments to your diet.
Movement is Medicine: ‘We can use our bodies as a tool to affect the way we think and feel, like a hotline to the mind.” Caroline Williams, researcher and author of ‘Move: How the New Science of Body Movement Can Set Your Mind Free’
“Movement affects your brain; but your brain also affects movement.”
Regular physical activity is an important part of a healthy mind, body and lifestyle. Not only is exercise good for your muscles and bones, but it is also an important part of keeping your brain healthy too. Exercise doesn’t only mean working out or playing sports, it just means moving your body and being active. A few other examples of exercise are: dancing, walking, biking, swimming, or throwing a Frisbee.
What happens in the body and brain during exercise: As your heart rate increases during exercise, blood flow to the brain increases. As blood flow increases, your brain is exposed to more oxygen and nutrients. Exercise also induces the release of beneficial proteins in the brain. These nourishing proteins keep brain cells (also known as neurons) healthy, and promote the growth of new neurons. Neurons are the working building blocks of the brain. As a result, individual neuron health is important to overall brain health.
Studies have shown that the connection between your brain and your body is a “two-way street” and that means physical movement can effectively change your brain for the better, explains Srini Pillay, M.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
Your brain plays a major role in your physical and emotional well-being, and it directly affects your ability to exercise. Your brain was designed for survival and avoiding danger (fight, flight or freeze). Regular aerobic exercise can reduce anxiety by making your brain’s “fight, flight or freeze” system less reactive.
One way to trick your brain is doing a Gatorade swish, which misleads your brain into thinking your body is getting a jolt of energy from a sugary beverage, even if it isn’t. The act triggers the brain, which naturally wants to preserve energy for survival, into releasing dopamine to help jump start exercise based on the false promise is sugar, Dr. Jennifer Heisz, explains in Move Your Body; Heal Your Mind.
Movement can improve your cognitive functions and mental health. Regular physical activity and movement benefit more than just the body. They actually augment brain function. Movement supplies brain cells with oxygen, promotes the production of new brain cells, and aids in creating new synapses.
Regular exercise such as aerobic, resistance, flexibility, and balance exercises can reduce depressive symptoms. Exercise can be as effective as medication and psychotherapies.
Regular exercise may boost mood by increasing a brain protein called BDNF that helps nerve fibers grow.
Mindfulness during exercises and workout.
“A 12 minute walk alters metabolites in our blood, molecules that affect the beating of our heart, the breath in our lungs, the neurons in our brain.” explains Annabel Streets, “52,ways to Walk: The Surprising Science of Walking for Wellness and Joy, One Week at a Time.
Physical activity is ignored by experts who are too focused on addressing mental health issues from the neck up. “It’s low hanging fruit,” she says, “brain chemist, thought, behaviors might take years to address on the couch.” Dr. Ellen Vora, a New York psychiatrist.
“The brain is always working against you to not expend energy, but we can override it,” says Dr. Heisz.
Exercise can be turned into a powerful meditation practice states Anita Sweeney, author of “Make Every Move a Meditation: Mindful Movement for Mental Health, Well-Being, and Insight”. Exercise can be turned into a powerful meditative practice by focusing the mind on a single thought, object or sensation during exercise can help bring clarity and peace of mind. For example, focusing on your left foot hitting the pavement can help you focus.
Exercise is essential for those seeking better emotional well-being and better mental health. Both physical exercise and meditative movement are activities that you can do to improve the way you feel.
Studies have found that people who exercise daily are at greatly reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Rudolph Tanzi, Kennedy professor of neurology and cofounder of the McCance Center for Brain Health at MGH, states, “It’s hard to imagine anything better for brain health than daily exercise, and our findings shed new light on the mechanism involved: protecting against neuroinflammation, perhaps the biggest killer of brain neurons as we age.”
“The key to a happy life . . . is a healthy brain.” Wendy Suzuki
Exercise is the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain, says neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki, professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University.
Dr. Suzuki discovered through research and self examination that there is a biological connection between exercise, mindfulness, and action. With exercise, she believes that your body feels more alive and your brain actually performs better. And, Dr. Suzuki states that “you can make yourself smarter. Exercising is one of the most transformative things you can do to improve cognitive abilities, such as learning, thinking, memory, focus and reasoning — all of which can help you become smarter and live longer.”
Dr. Wendy Suzuki, explains the best way to exercise in order to improve brain function pic.twitter.com/MG6pPLU7UM
The way exercise boosts your brain health includes:
It decreases feelings of anxiety – Studies have shown that every time your move your body, a number of beneficial neurotransmitters, including dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin and acetylcholine, gets released into your brain. These substances can decrease feelings of anxiety and depression. And, It only takes between 10 and 30 minutes of daily physical activity to instantly lift your mood.
It improves your focus and concentration – A single workout can help improve your ability to shift and focus attention. This is an immediate benefit that can last for at least two hours after 30 minutes of exercise. Activities that increase your heart rate, such as brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling, playing tennis or jumping rope are recommended.
It promotes the growth of new brain cells – One of the most significant benefits of exercise, scientists have found, is that it promotes neurogenesis, or the birth of new brain cells. This is essential to improving cognitive function. Exercise also can improve the health and function of the synapses between neurons in this region, allowing brain cells to better communicate.
It protects your brain from aging and neurodegenerative diseases – Imagine your brain as a muscle: the more workout you put into it, the stronger and bigger it gets. Longitudinal studies in humans suggest that regular exercise can increase the size of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, both of which are susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. So while exercising won’t completely prevent or cure normal cognitive decline in aging, doing it consistently can help reduce or delay the onset of it.
So, get up and start your brain transformation journey.
Dr. Suzuki encourages people to get active and go to the gym since the science clearly demonstrates how working out boosts your mood and memory — and protects your brain against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
To get the brain-changing benefits of exercise, you should do at least three to four 30-minute workout sessions a week, explains Dr. Suzuki. You’ll also get the most benefits out of aerobic exercise, which increases the heart rate and pumps more oxygen into the brain.
Essentially, exercise can improve your brain functions today and protect your brain from neurodegenerative diseases as you age.
It’s essential to look ahead with optimism and a positive outlook as you age.
With advance aging, you should adopt an optimistic and positive mind-set and focus on new discoveries and experiences. It’s more important than ever as you age to follow a healthy lifestyle, remain positive and passionate about life, stay connected with family and friends, and look forward to better days ahead.
You must consistently attempt to find things that continue to be meaningful and engaging. These meaningful activities can include traveling around the world, spiritual pursuits, hobbies such as reading or painting, lifelong learning, or spending more time with loved ones. Experts suggest planning for purposeful activities before transitioning to retirement, and to embrace this change and follow where their passions lie.
Try to keep the mind active by challenging yourself to learn something new every week or month, or try something you’ve always wanted to.
Embrace thoughts such as, “As I age, I’ll keep learning,” says Vonetta Dotson, an associate professor of psychology and gerontology at Georgia State University. Feeding yourself a rich diet of positive messages can in itself brighten your outlook.
“Anytime we do something and try new things, it helps to reinforce this feeling of positivity,” Dotson said. “And keep those social connections. When you socialize, your focus is diverted. When you’re by yourself, you may ruminate” about your current and future physical and mental deterioration.”
Better yet, learning something new enables your brain to form new pathways. This helps you stave off gloomy thoughts about the aging process.
“By engaging in rewarding and meaningful activities and staying mentally active, we can retrain our brains,” said Kevin Manning, a neuropsychologist and associate professor of psychiatry at UConn Health. “These activities can enhance our self-efficacy, lessen fears of decline and sharpen our cognitive functioning.”
Ideally, passion drives you to take action. Why sign up for a course on current events or foreign affairs if you find the state of the world dispiriting and you dread consuming the news?
To channel your activity in a more uplifting direction, set short-term goals. If you’re learning a musical instrument, aim to perform a simple piece in one month.
When you embrace a purpose that gives you something to do that’s meaningful,” it focuses your efforts and displaces fears of aging. It’s one of several keys to healthy aging.
The key to healthy aging is a physically, socially, mentally and spiritually active lifestyle and mindset.
“Making a plan to eat healthy can keep you healthy and active for longer.” National Institute on Health
“Aging—not cancer or heart disease—is the world’s leading cause of death and suffering. In spite of this, we accept the aging process as inevitable”, writes Dr. Andrew Steel, longevity expert and author of “Ageless: The new science of getting older without getting old“.
Dr. Steel suggest a list of proven life-extenders, such as don’t smoke, exercise, get vaccinated, take care of your teeth.
Strauss Zelnick, author of Becoming Ageless, and who successfully rejuvenated his metabolic health believes that, “You can eat to be younger.” He implores his readers to focus on what He calls “Forever Fuel.” He suggests that you do not have to forego eating your favorite foods; you’re just getting the best versions of them.
Unlimited Foods—Lean Protein, Salads, and Vegetables—eat as much as you want. I love bison, light tuna, chicken, eggs, grass-fed beef.
Limited Foods—Some fruits and dried fruits, nuts, and cheese—in moderation.
Highly restricted foods—no processed foods, fried foods, or added sugars. Processed foods account for 70% of the calories that Americans take in. They don’t just make you fat; they age you.
While humans wither and become frail after a mere seven or so decades, capturing the trait known as ‘negligible senescence ‘ has become the holy grail of aging research. A 2015 study, published by the Mayo Clinic, found that using a combination of existing drugs reversed a number of signs of aging, including improving heart function”, according to the Guardian.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN, adds that, “During medical school we were taught that aging is a natural process and that people can simply die of old age. The thinking was that age wasn’t just a turning of the clock but an accumulation of mutations, cancer, arthritis, heart disease and dementia. Have you ever wondered, however, if it was possible to address those diseases not just individually, but collectively, by addressing the underlying process of aging itself.”
The role of carbs and added sugars
When you have sugar molecules in your system, they bombard the body’s cells like a meteor shower—glomming onto fats and proteins in a process known as glycation. This forms advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which cause protein fibers to become stiff and malformed. The connective-tissue damage and chronic inflammation resulting from sustained high blood sugar can lead to debilitating conditions, such as cataracts, Alzheimer’s, vascular tightening, and diseases of the pancreas and liver.
From a dietary standpoint, forswearing white sugar, high-fructose corn syrup—which studies have shown increases the rate of glycation by 10 times, compared with glucose—and simple carbs is a no-brainer. “Even though all carbs get converted into sugar, when you eat the good ones, like brown rice and whole-grain bread, you get less glucose, and you get it more slowly,” Karcher says.
Carbohydrates (Carbs) — like fiber, starches, and sugars — are important for your health. They are your body’s main source of energy and are a basic nutrient your body turns into glucose, or blood sugar, to make energy for your body to work. But eating too many carbs can cause your body to store the excess as fat.
The fruit, vegetables, dairy, and grain food groups all contain carbohydrates. Sweeteners like sugar, honey, and syrup and foods with added sugars like candy, soft drinks, and cookies also contain carbohydrates.
You should try to get most of your carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, dairy, and whole grains rather than added sugars or refined grains.
Nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, and fats can help you stay healthy as you age.
Many foods with carbohydrates also supply fiber. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body cannot digest. It is found in many foods that come from plants, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains. Eating food with fiber can help prevent stomach or intestinal problems, such as constipation. It might also help lower cholesterol and blood sugar.
A very low-carb diet, like keto, triggers your body into nutritional ketosis. This stored energy is released in the form of chemicals called ketones. Your liver starts to make ketones — a fuel that kicks in when your body uses up glucose and glycogen, and doesn’t have enough sugar to run on. It does this by breaking down the energy reserves stored in fat.
These chemicals, ketones, help cells—especially brain cells—keep working at full capacity. Some researchers think that because ketones are a more efficient energy source than glucose, they may protect against aging-related decline in the central nervous system that might cause dementia and other disorders.
Ketones also may inhibit the development of cancer because malignant cells cannot effectively obtain energy from ketones. In addition, studies show that ketones may help protect against inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. Ketones also reduce the level of insulin in the blood, which could protect against type 2 diabetes.
But too many ketones in the blood can have harmful health effects.
While there’s insufficient evidence to recommend any type of calorie-restriction or fasting diet. A lot more needs to be learned about their effectiveness and safety, especially in older adults. In the meanwhile, there’s plenty of evidence for other actions you can take to stay healthy as you age:
Eat a balanced diet with nutritious food in moderate amounts. Avoid or limit consuming refined sugars and carbs, and processed foods.
Engage in regular physical exercise (150 minutes per week).
Drink alcohol in moderation or not at all.
Don’t smoke or take illegal drugs.
Maintain an active social lifestyle and build close relationships.
Get a good night’s sleep.
Finally, older adults may have different vitamin and mineral needs than younger adults. Find recommended amounts and information on calcium, sodium, vitamin D, and more.
“People are living longer, staying healthier longer and accomplishing things late in life that once seemed possible only at younger ages.” –David Brooks, The New York Times
The American Heart Association recommends no more than six teaspoons of added sugar a day. The sugar found in whole foods like fruits and veggies, says Kimber Stanhope, PhD, a nutritional biologist at the University of California, Davis. “These naturally occurring sugars come packaged with good-for-you vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients.” Eliminating or reducing your intake of added sugar and carbs can result in you gaining some significant healthy aging benefits, according to the American Heart Association.
“Exercise is the most important activity we can do to keep our brains healthy, it’s important to simply move, whether that be casual walking or a workout.” Sanjay Gumpta
It important to understand that you can proactively take steps to avoid, delay, and mitigate dementia and mental decline as you age. Just thirty minutes daily of moderate physical activity, such as walking around the block, can make a significant difference in improving your brain health.
In the process of neurogenesis, creating brain cells does not stop when you age and get older. Neuroscientific research shows that the brain can make new brain cells, and forge new neural connections, at any age.
Additionally, adequate sleep also has a major effect on brain health. Recent research has shown that your brain remains very active while you sleep, because it can make full use of the energy that is diverted elsewhere when you are awake.
When you sleep, the brain turns information into knowledge, consolidates your memories, and cleans itself. This is why everyone needs at least eight hours of sleep, states Gumpta and you shouldn’t convince yourself that you don’t.
“There is a rinse cycle that happens in your brain when you sleep,” says Gumpta. “You are basically clearing out metabolic waste. That happens when you are awake, but the process is close to 60 per cent more efficient when you are asleep.
Key takeaway is that staying physically active, proper diet. adequate sleep and social interaction are all key to longer life.
Calculating net worth involves adding up all your assets and subtracting all your liabilities. The resulting sum is your net worth.
The value of your primary residence is not included in your net worth calculation. In addition, any mortgage or other loan on the residence does not count as a liability up to the fair market value of the residence. If the loan is for more than the fair market value of the residence (i.e., if your mortgage is underwater), then the loan amount that is over the fair market value counts as a liability under the net worth test.
Further, any increase in the loan amount in the 60 days prior to your purchase of the securities (even if the loan amount does not exceed the value of the residence) will count as a liability as well. The reason for this is to prevent net worth from being artificially inflated through converting home equity into cash or other assets.
The following table sets forth examples of calculations under the net worth test for being an accredited investor:
“As you get older, the days go by quicker and you need to make the time count.” Mary Peachin, Octogenarian
As you age, it becomes more important to “live each day right to the limit”, states octogenarian Mary Peachin, in Costco Connection magazine, September 2021, Members Connection. Peachin has “walk the talk” and lived her life as a self proclaim world-traveling, deep sea diving adrenaline junkie. “If your body aches, you ignore it and keep on trucking”, she preaches.
When it comes to going after what you love in life, do not take no for an answer. You should expect and intend to live a life well lived and always believe the best is yet to come
“Life is too short not to enjoy it.”
Make your life happen and take action today. Be amongst the few who dared to live their dreams. Live your life in such a way that there is no regret.
Time is short; live every day for a higher purpose. Let’s invest the limited time we have on your life’s purpose and mission. Do not focus on your problems and challenges; instead focus on purpose and destination.
Life is brief and it passes quickly. The average American male lives to be 70 years 4 months. The average American female lives 70 years 4 months. To live life to its fullest, it is not the quantity of your life, but the quality.
Time is running out for all of us.
“Your job will not take care of you when your elderly and sick, your friends and family will.”
Select a few friends to be close to in your life and communicate and strengthen your relationship with them
Get over those who disappoint you and refuse to let those people steal your joy
Lift up and encourage those who are recovering from failure. Treat people with Grace.
Ignore your critics. Decide to see the good in the experience and growth, the lessons you learned and the relationships you made.
Stay fully focused on your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Believe the best! Christ teaches us to believe the best…faith, hope and love. Remember to rejoice and be glad. If God is for us, who can be against us!
The most effective way to live life on the edge is to “find an edge and Live there”, states Peachin. And, you can start to “find an edge” by writing down your dreams and priorities in life, and then focusing on fulfilling those written dreams and priorities. It starts with knowing what you want, and it ends with getting what you wanted. It’s often that simple.
Save for and invest in the things that matter most!
In every positive or negative situation, there are always options. Remember you are the one pulling the strings, and when things look hopeless, it’s because you’re choosing not look at the things that truly matter. You’re choosing to see the the bad stuff, and they have little to do with your ability to change your circumstances. The trick is that you have to see the ocean of opportunity, not that little bucket of water (problems) that you tripped over.
We must decide to see the good and not dwell on the failure, but instead focus on the positives from the experience. Limits do not exist. You have weaknesses of course and we all do, but focus on your strengths. Remember if you’re feeling scared and fearful, it means you’re trying something new.
People don’t run marathons because it feels good.
When you feel bad about your situation, you’re thinking about the mistakes of yesterday, and not the opportunity of right now and the hope for tomorrow. You’re thinking about what has and what can go wrong, and not what can go right.
When you’re feeling defeated and discouraged, ascertain what you’re really focusing on. It important to focus on how far you’ve come, the opportunities that lie ahead, and the resources available you have to go forward.
“What you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it.” Oprah Winfrey
Always think bigger and focus on your purpose. Build the world as you want it to be.
References:
Costco Connection, September 2021, Vol. 36, No. 9, pg. 119
“Those who are the happiest are not necessarily those for whom life has been easiest. Emotional stability results from an attitude. It is refusing to yield to depression and fear, even when black clouds float overhead. It is improving that which can be improved and accepting that which is inevitable.” ― James C. Dobson, Life on the Edge: The Next Generation’s Guide to a Meaningful Future
