We are what we eat – and that could be quite scary for some of us!!  Is the food industry trying to kill us?  I for one am so-o-o glad that there seems to be a huge movement in the U.S. to encourage people to eat healthier.  I just heard on the news that today’s children might be the first generation that won’t exceed their parents’ lifespan.  Obesity and diabetes seem to be growing in epidemic proportions.  And, in my opinion, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

We are what we eat!  Have you all seen the documentary movie Food, Inc. yet?  If not, I highly recommend it.  You will definitely think twice about some of the foods you put in your mouth again.  These days our lives move at such a fast pace that most of us tend to eat on the run and we really don’t take time to evaluate the ingredients that are in the foods we consume.  It’s also quite challenging to find healthy foods, especially things that will appeal to our children.  And since we’re not having any immediate adverse reactions to the foods, we assume what we’re eating is benefitting us.

But should we be making that assumption?  Well, let’s use some common sense and just think.

Our cars need gas to run.  When we put high octane gas in our car, it will run more efficiently (or so I’m told).  If we were to water down regular gas and put it in our car, we would start to notice the car not responding as well, and after a prolonged period of time, the car would probably need substantial maintenance. 

Our bodies work the same way.  When we eat foods that have additives like aspartame sweeteners, flavor enhancers such as MSG, growth hormones in meat and poultry – “junk” foods with all the glutens and sugars – it’s like putting the watered down gas into our body.  Even though we won’t notice any immediate effects from those foods, they are burdening our bodies and affecting our overall health and vitality.  Over time, the accumulation of these foods will eventually have an adverse affect on our bodies and our health – and we will need substantial maintenance

WE ARE WHAT WE EAT!

So now our bodies are totally out of balance – with our immune system in a weakened state.  Again, if we just think it’s easy to see that we will now be susceptible to ailments such as thyroid issues, liver problems, diabetes, HDD and autism in children, or even the dreaded cancer, just to name a few – all of which are on the rise in recent years.  Unfortunately, most people and/or doctors don’t make the connection between our food intake and the dis-ease.  The doctors usually give you a pill to make the symptoms disappear, and send you on your way – never getting at the root of the problem.  Of course the drug companies are probably thrilled.  The sicker we are, the more money they make.  Hmm – It almost makes me wonder if the food and drug industries have their own little conspiracy going . 

Fortunately, we have choices we can make.  WE ARE WHAT WE EAT!  This is the only body you will get during this life time – be respectful of it and nourish it with healthy foods.  And remember, if a majority of the people stop buying certain products, the companies will be forced to change what they’re trying to sell us.  We have the ultimate power.  So let’s just think of some healthy options we have that give us the opportunity to be role models and help LIGHT UP the world.

1. Eat whole foods.  Eating an orange is so much more beneficial than taking a Vitamin C pill, where they’ve extracted the Vitamin C out of the orange, turned it into a chemical called ascorbic acid and put it in a tablet.  That is not how nature intended us to gain our nourishment.
2. Thoroughly rinse all fresh fruits and vegetables to remove as many toxins as possible.  Try to buy organic produce that is grown locally. 
3. Only eat meats, poultry and eggs from farms where the animals have free range to get proper nourishment.  (Remember, they also are what they eat )
4. Avoid processed foods that come in a box.
5. Avoid items with large amounts of sugar – I’m convinced that our sugar consumption is one of the main things killing us.  And don’t be fooled by the “no sugar” and “low fat” labels, as they usually include many chemical additives that will probably kill you before the sugar or fat will.
6. Read the ingredients on the labels!!
7. Start your own garden.  We had 2 tomato plants, 2 green pepper plants and 3 cucumber plants last year in a 3’ x 3’ space and were very successful in yielding some wonderful vegetables.  This year we intend to increase the garden size.  You could start with one tomato plant in a flower pot – or investigate hydroponics.  Be creative and have fun!!

WE ARE WHAT WE EAT!

NOURISH YOUR BODY – NOURISH YOUR SOUL

Make a difference and LIGHT UP the world!!

Note:  I am a distributor for Sunrider International and have been eating their herbal food supplements for over 22 years.  They are all whole foods of the highest quality that help to nourish and regenerate your body.  Let me know if you’re interested in trying their products.

www.sunrider.com

“Being consciously grateful for anyone or anything in my life is a gift I give to myself.  It opens me up to receiving love.  It protects me from the anger or criticism of others.  It heals me of all negativity that I blame on the outside world.  It brings me love, joy and peace of mind.”

          Paul Gonyea, Sr. Minister – Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta

As we immerse ourselves into this holiday season, it would do us good to take pause and contemplate on that quote.  I was fortunate to have attended the service where Rev. Gonyea discussed the topic of gratitude, and it certainly made a shift in my thinking. 

Choose to have an attitude of gratitude!!

So many are being challenged by the current economic situation – they are frustrated, and forlorn that they can’t buy as many gifts as they would like to this year for family and friends, etc., etc. – many falling into the victim mode of anger and blame, most of it stemming from a place of fear.  So they’re not really feeling very merry.

So let’s just think and see if we can see this from a new perspective. 

Every single day, choose to have an attitude of gratitude.  Not just for the obvious things, but also for the things we tend to take for granted.  Take time to be grateful for the air you breathe; be grateful for your heart pumping life into your body; be grateful for the flowers in your garden; be grateful for the chirping birds perched on your fence.  You could be grateful that you got mostly green lights so you weren’t late for work; or grateful that your alarm worked so you didn’t oversleep.

If you take time to just think, you will realize that there really are SO many things to be grateful for.  And as Rev. Gonyea reminded us at service that morning, when you consistently have an attitude of gratitude, you will automatically attract more things into your life to be grateful for.

So I encourage you not to dwell on any temporary setbacks you might be facing right now and give yourself a gift this season by taking on an attitude of gratitude!!  Perhaps remove some of the stress from your holiday shopping by just thinking about ways you could give gifts from the heart in lieu of spending money – use your imagination (i.e. create your own gift cards stating you’ll give your spouse a back or foot massage each night for 2 wks., or take the kids to the playground on Saturdays for a month).  The people receiving those thoughtful gifts will be ever so grateful to you!!!

And just think – when you take on an attitude of gratitude, you will automatically create a ripple effect to LIGHT UP the world in a positive way!! 

You DO make a difference!

Happy Holidays

Not necessarily the best combination.  I expect our government representatives to have integrity, such that they avoid politics and partisanship when making their decisions regarding the new health care initiatives.  Our politicians should be focused on what’s best for the citizens, not what’s best politically!!  

And how interesting it has been to sit back and watch everyone’s reaction to the government’s attempts to revise our health care system.  What I find most disconcerting is the fear that seems to have permeated the minds of so many – and from those I’ve listened to, it’s as if that fear has challenged their ability to think with common sense.

So let’s regroup and just think.  Here’s what we know for sure – what we think, and what we say, we create (check out Gregg Braden’s books if you doubt that statement).  So if the collective mind is in total fear of the new health care initiatives, we will in fact automatically be assisting in the creation of a program that will not serve our best interests, and will give us reason to continue being fearful.  

Using logic – the opposite would then be true – if the collective mind focuses on a positive outcome for a health care program that will benefit all of us, the odds of that happening will increase dramatically.  I vote for the positive outcome.  So, again, let’s just think and see if we can find some common ground with issues we all would like to see improved regarding our health care.

1. I think it would be fair to say that most people are in agreement that our current health care system is not working as effectively as we would like.  We’ve known that for at least 20 years.  And who’s going to fix it?  The ones profiting from the current system certainly aren’t going to change anything.  If you just think about it, the government is the only entity that can really remedy this.  So instead of getting angry and fearful, let’s support their efforts and work together to make it beneficial for everyone. 
2. I’m guessing most people would prefer to go to a doctor of their choosing rather than being forced to see only doctors that are in their health provider’s network.  Then, like in any business, the doctors might be more conscientious about the care each patient (client) is receiving.
3. Personally, I would like to see health care coverage for alternative health care and increased coverage for chiropractic care.
4. Eliminate the fine print that disallows necessary surgeries, or won’t cover the surgery because they had the operation at the “wrong” hospital, even though transporting the patient to the “correct” hospital would have killed them.  Sadly, I think we all know some horror stories like that.
5. Revamp the coverage for prescription drugs so that everyone can afford medications that they might need.

You get the idea.  Focus on what you want, not on the fear of what you don’t want.

So here are some things you can actively do to help create a health care system you will be happy with.

1. Focus on the positive.  Be mindful of what you think and say.
2. Write to your Representatives and let them know your ideas to improve the health care issues.  Be sure to tell them how you don’t appreciate those allowing politics and partisanship to influence their decisions. 
3. Start a grass roots movement.
4. Take care of yourself – keep yourself healthy so that you won’t require any medical assistance.

 Also, realize that this is a HUGE undertaking that will probably require some patience on our part as it gets tweaked along the way.  Remember that each of us is part of the collective – each of us is important and can truly make a difference to LIGHT UP the world if we just think.

Cheers to your perfect health, my friends!!!

That’s Certainly Me!!!

I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now that I am technologically challenged.  I hate to admit it, but I am part of the “older” generation that is having a difficult time keeping up with all this new “stuff.” 

Since several people notified me that they have not had any success subscribing to my blog, I decided to delay posting another article until I could get it all figured out.  And I think we’ve got it!!!  Yea!!!

 So . . . that being said, I would like to invite you to subscribe to my blog, where now you actually should receive email notifications when I post a new article. 

I will post my next article on Oct. 28^th.  If you don’t receive a notification by Oct. 30^th (don’t forget to check your spam), it would be greatly appreciated if you would let me know so I can beat up my computer tech guy (just kidding ).   

In the meantime, please enjoy the poem below – another opportunity to just think and realize what a huge difference each of us can make to LIGHT UP the world!!

Pebbles 

Drop a pebble in the water, just a splash, and it’s gone;
But there’s half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to sea.
And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be. 

Drop a pebble in the water; in a minute you will forget,
But there’s little waves a-flowing and there’s ripples circling yet,
And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown;
You’ve disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.

Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is gone;
But there’s half a dozen ripples circling on and on and on.
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go,
And there is no way to stop them, once you’ve started the flow.  

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash and it is gone;
But there is half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave,
Till you wouldn’t believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: in a minute you will forget;
But there’s gladness still a swelling, and there’s joy circling yet.
And you’ve rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard,
Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one kind word.

Unknown 

Go Aretha . . .  Respect – A simple word, but oh, so powerful!!

Do you realize that if everyone woke up tomorrow morning and decided they would be 100% respectful to everyone, and everything around them, there would be peace in the world?  Obviously, it would be counterproductive to be respectful towards another, and then do harm by them.  Just remember the Golden Rule – do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

It’s such an easy concept, and yet so difficult to carry out.  Why is that?

Well, if we just think, the answer is also quite simple.  Most of us lack self respect – and you can’t give what you don’t have.

So, that being said, let’s analyze this a bit further.  Regarding self respect, see how you measure up in these categories – and trust me, I’m writing this as much for myself as I am for all of you :

Is the little voice inside your head mean to you?  Do you ever pay attention to what that voice is actually saying to you?  “I look so fat” – “I’ve got an ugly nose” – “I’m so stupid” – “I never get anything right” – etc., etc.  If we said things like that to our friends, we no longer would have any friends.  It’s no wonder we have so little self respect!!!   When your voice is being mean to you, CHANGE THE CHANNEL!!!!

Do you respect your physical body?    Do you smoke, drink, or do drugs?  Do you eat an excess of junk food – with lots of sugar?  Are you a couch potato in front of the TV – or totally sedentary in front of the computer screen the majority of the day, without getting enough exercise?  Do you deprive your body of the proper amount of rest?  This is the only body you will ever have – at least during this lifetime.  NURTURE IT!!!!

What kind of people do you surround yourself with?  Do they treat you with respect, give you encouragement, and have your best interests at heart?  Or do they constantly criticize you, judge you, make you feel unworthy and less than?  If you respect yourself, you will find yourself gravitating away from the negative influences, and towards people who are a positive influence.  Keep relatives who don’t support you at arm’s length, and CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS WISELY!!!!

Is your soul malnourished? Do you take time to meditate, pray, take a walk in the woods and commune with nature?  Is there a place of worship you attend regularly?  Including a regimen of spirituality in your life is important to FEED YOUR SOUL!!

Starting NOW, I invite you to just think, use some common sense , and choose to LOVE yourself – BE KIND to yourself – give yourself permission to believe that you ARE unique, and you have special gifts to share with the world.  That IS the truth about you – and when you choose to embrace that truth, gaining confidence and self respect, you will automatically become a beacon to LIGHT UP the world and help further peace for all. 

Namaste My Friends

Is it a Right or a Privilege?

Or maybe it’s both?  A colleague asked that question about 15 years ago, after an exceptionally long day of attempting to teach while dealing with some rather unruly students.  Several teachers were bemoaning the fact that the private schools had the luxury of telling the parents that the child was not welcome back if they misbehaved, whereas in the public schools we were ‘stuck’ with whoever came through the door.

Personally, I feel that we all do have a right to public education.  However, I strongly believe that having that right is a privilege, and if you are disrespectful or unruly such that the teaching/learning process is continually disrupted, your privileges should be taken away!! 

For those of you who are old enough, remember back in the 50’s and 60’s – when you did something wrong, you knew it would be no picnic when you went to the principal’s office, but you were even more afraid of having your parents find out?  Well, that’s not the case anymore.  Now when a teacher notifies a parent of their child’s unruly behavior, more than likely, the parent calls and informs the principal that their child would never act in that manner, and demands to know why the teacher is so inept in classroom management, and singling out their child.

Attitudes about education have certainly changed over the years.  I think it would be safe to say that in the United States, we take education for granted.  Too many have forgotten what a privilege it is.  No longer is a teacher held in reverence.  No longer does the institution of education demand any respect.  Too many public high schools are literally like war zones.  Even in the elementary schools of “nice neighborhoods,” kindergartners will tell the teacher “You can’t touch me!” or “F*** off!”    And the teachers can’t really do much about it because the schools are in fear of retaliations with lawsuits. Teachers end up spending more time disciplining than they do teaching, and begin to feel like glorified babysitters.   As a result, many phenomenal teachers have opted to leave the profession.  What a loss for the students in their communities!

So how did we get to this point?  Well, let’s just think –

Over the last fifty years, in America, there have been an unbelievable amount of social, economic and political changes.  Stay at home moms have become less and less the norm.  Cash is almost obsolete with the availability of ‘plastic.’  As society has become increasingly litigious, everyone wants to lay blame on others, ignoring the possibility that they might share in the responsibility.    We have become so inundated with violence on the TV, in the movies, and even in the media that we are numb to it now.  New technologies have kids glued to the computer games instead of running around outside, learning how to interact with other children. Respect, integrity and trust are non-existent in politics, and seem to also get lower and lower on people’s personal agendas.  Many people seem to have lost their souls, not taking time to reconnect spiritually, and the list goes on . . .

Those changes have an effect on every single aspect of our lives, including our educational system.  But we can’t use that as an excuse for continuing to let our educational system deteriorate.  We simply need to be aware of how those things affected the system, and then take corrective measures for improvement – at every level – from the government all the way down to each individual student.

From my perspective, the ones who can be the most effective, and truly be the heroes in salvaging our educational system, are the PARENTS.    Time and again it has been shown that students who have ongoing parental support are the ones who excel in their schoolwork.  And if you’re not a parent, you can still be a hero by volunteering to be a Big Brother or Big Sister for a child who has ‘absent’ parents, who for some reason are not willing or able to take sufficient responsibility in raising their child.

So, I invite all of you to read the following suggestions that I feel could truly LIGHT UP our educational system – take time to just think about each item.  If you feel your defenses going up, realize that being honest with yourself is key.  You can’t be a hero if you delude yourself.  

• Discipline your child from the day it’s born – don’t wait until they are 2 or 3 yrs. of age. Note:  Discipline is not to be confused with scolding or spanking.  It’s simply teaching your children the importance of learning self control and self respect.  If your kids have taken over in your house, watch those Nanny shows on TV or read a Dr. Phil book to learn how to take control back.  Out of control behavior from even one student in the classroom is detrimental to all of the students!!
• Ages 0 – 5 are the most important in the development of a child.  So much of their core values, and who they are for the rest of their lives gets programmed into their heads by age five.  So parents, if you both work, be VERY selective about who you choose as the caretaker of your children!!  When the result is happy, disciplined, respectful children, teaching can actually take place in the classroom – gee – what a concept
• On a regular basis, remind your children about how important it is to have an education, and what a privilege it is to have it available for all of us.  The attitudes the adults model for the children has a huge impact on them.
• Let your children know that you expect them to be on their best behavior while at school, and to always be respectful of the teacher.  Be sure they understand the consequences if they don’t meet your expectations (i.e. no computer or TV time, no outdoor playtime, or whatever activity you know is important to them) and make sure you follow through on the consequences!!
• Take time each day to talk to your children about school – be aware of what projects they have, make sure their homework is done, etc., etc.  It’s important the children know you are interested.
• Be sure to attend the parent /teacher conferences – getting to know your child’s teacher is crucial.  Learn their style of classroom management, and specifically what techniques they use with your child.  Share with the teacher the behavior techniques that work best for you at home.  Parents and teachers need to work together as a team.
• If the teacher sends a note home regarding your child’s behavior, talk to your child at length – find out their take on the situation.    If you’re not satisfied with what you’re hearing, talk directly with the teacher until you are comfortable with the situation.  Realize that the teacher needs your support to follow up with your child in helping him/her learn how to act in an acceptable manner.
• Whenever possible, volunteer at your child’s school.  Be a chaperone on field trips; assist the teacher with special classroom activities, etc.
• As adults, we have many roles we play throughout the day – mother/father – wife/husband – employer/employee – son/daughter – caretaker – housekeeper – cook – etc., etc.  It’s no wonder we’re stressed to the hilt, running around like crazy people, trying to be the best we can be in all of these roles.  You probably don’t realize how much of that stress is absorbed by the children.  Commonly, their way of releasing the anxiety they feel from that is to misbehave.  So, see if there are ways you can simplify things to reduce the craziness and stress.  Recently many parents have said that the economic crisis has forced them to stay at home more and think of inexpensive ways to spend family time. They are thrilled with the positive changes it’s made in their lives as they actually interact with each other – happily – wow, another great concept! 
• Also, because we’re so busy playing these many roles, the amount of time in each day that we actually get to spend with our kids is limited – and in that limited time frame, we’re usually exhausted and on edge.  Our patience is worn thin, so there’s a good chance this limited time wouldn’t be considered ‘quality’ time.  So what do we do?  We wallow in GUILT.  This guilt then shows up as a weakness where we give in to every whim our child has – hoping that if we buy all these material things, it will erase the guilt.  But it doesn’t work, does it?  Instead, we create a demanding, obnoxious monster.  Again, simplify your lives.
• Participate in PTA, SAC or School Board meetings to brainstorm ideas that could make positive changes in your school (i.e. – uniform dress codes, community work in lieu of detention, etc.)

The summer vacation is flying by quickly.  I share this with you now so that you have the time to just think and hopefully make some heroic changes that will LIGHT UP your community schools in a positive way in the upcoming year!

THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO BE A HERO

PLEASE SHARE YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING OUR SCHOOLS

ACCIDENT or MURDER?

On the road again . . .  Have you noticed how distracted people are these days when driving?  It used to be they were busy eating or perhaps putting on makeup. Now with all the new technologies, talking and texting on cell phones has become a bigger issue.  States are actually creating laws to ban the use of cell phones while driving because of the amount of accidents they are causing.  And since most drivers won’t admit they were using their cell phone at the time of the accident, the magnitude of this problem is much larger than the statistics show.

So, here’s my question to you on this issue.  If somebody is not using a hands-free device while talking on their cell phone, or they are texting while driving, and they cause a fatal accident, should they be charged with murder?

So – let’s just think and use some common sense -

When you get your driver’s license, you are agreeing to follow all the rules of the road and be a responsible driver.  Every person on the road is counting on you to take that responsibility VERY seriously so that we can all be safe.  ALL of your attention should be focused on the road at all times.  Your eyes should constantly be checking all of your mirrors so that you are aware of the location of every vehicle on the road within your line of vision.  THAT IS YOUR JOB – AND THAT IS YOUR ONLY JOB WHILE BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A CAR!!!

Common sense tells you that if you are holding a cell phone to your ear, with only one hand on the wheel, you have decreased your reaction time should an unexpected incident occur – and as we know, there are always unexpected incidents that occur. Worse yet, when you are texting, there are several seconds at a time when your eyes are not even on the road – and anyone who has ever been in a car accident knows that accidents happen in a split second of time.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, an accident is “an event that takes place without one’s foresight or expectation.”  So, if you choose to do texting while driving, you are making a conscious, deliberate decision NOT to focus your attention on your driving, therefore purposely putting people’s lives (including your own) at risk.  Obviously, at that point, you DO have the foresight AND the expectation that you have increased the odds of a fatal crash to occur.  Shouldn’t the fatal crash, therefore, NOT be considered an accident, but deliberate murder?

I realize the word murder sounds very harsh.  And I also realize that in a court of law it would probably be considered vehicular homicide, because the intent was not to kill anyone.  To me there’s a very fine line here.  If you are deliberately NOT focusing on driving, knowing that the outcome could be fatal, isn’t there intent involved?

More importantly, I want you to understand the gravity of the behavior.  Could you forgive yourself if you were the one who caused someone else’s death simply because you were choosing to be so irresponsible?  

Please – just think when you get behind the wheel of a car.  Use some common sense.  Have respect for your own life as well as other’s.  From a more spiritual perspective, when you are courteous on the road, it will automatically create a chain reaction where other drivers will be courteous.  Help save a life and LIGHT UP the world.

 Here are some more of my pet peeves when driving:

• STOP TAILGATING – especially when driving at high speeds – it’s ridiculous to think that a distance of 5-8 ft. at 75+ mph is safe!
• If you’re not passing anyone, get out of the passing lane!!!
• Use directional signals.
• Give a ‘thank you’ wave when someone is helpful.
• Be courteous to truckers on the highways.
• If you make a mistake and are in the wrong lane, don’t stop in the middle of the road, making everyone else suffer for your error.  Instead, continue with the flow of traffic, turn around at your first opportunity, and correct your mistake.
• Judge how fast the traffic is going before you pull out so that you have time to accelerate to the speed of the car you are pulling in front of.  That way they don’t have to slam on their brakes to prevent hitting you.

 WHAT ARE YOUR PET PEEVES WHILE ON THE ROAD?