Tag Archives: choices

Heroes

28 May

Who is a hero?

What is a hero?

What picture comes to mind when I ask you what a hero looks like?

Do we think of men in capes who fly through the air?

Do we think of men and women in uniforms with lots of medals?

Do we think of ourselves as heroes? (I’d say that most of us do NOT think of ourselves as a hero).

Well, guess what?  Each person is a hero to someone…each of us impact a life – sometimes we have no idea how we impact someone’s day…we may not even know the person…it may be that we took time to chat with someone or that we held the door open for someone or that we smiled at someone.

There are all kinds of ways to be a hero…it doesn’t always involve rescuing someone from a burning fire or pulling a car off of someone (although, those are very heroic deeds).  If we wait around for the BIG heroic deeds where we will be recognized in the news, in the paper, or with a medal, we will miss out on countless opportunities throughout the day to be someone’s hero.

~  Mowing the yard of your next door neighbor who is a single mom or widow

~  Going into a nursing home and spending time with a senior who is lonely and has no visitors

~  Going to the local hospital to sit and hold a newborn who is going through withdrawals because the mom was taking drugs while she was pregnant

~  Giving of your time to a local charity

~  Mentoring a young person

~  Volunteering

There are many, many ways to be someone’s hero….what will you do?  What choices will you make to be a hero?

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Let’s Get It Started!

20 May

Mornings…….

Some people have a love/hate relationship with them.

Some people wish mornings didn’t start until noon.

Some people love the pre-dawn hours and get all of their work accomplished by noon.

Some people drag out of bed  – others bounce right out and start at full speed.

No matter which category you fall into….mornings WILL happen 🙂

The choices you make in the morning will affect the rest of your day, so it is very important to choose wisely.

It all starts with a good night’s sleep – it’s important to be rested when you are facing another day.  If you have to be up at 5, you might want to go to bed before midnight.  Study after study is showing that 7-8 hours of sleep is vital for our wellbeing, weight loss, metabolism, etc. It’s been shown that sleep-deprived people eat up to 550 calories more per day and aren’t as likely to burn those calories off. (http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/articles/53-diabetes-news/12409–less-sleep-means-more-eating )

It’s also good to give yourself enough time to get everything done that you need to do before walking out of the house….yes, walking out….not madly, frantically running here and there trying to get everything together and find keys, papers, etc. while making a mad dash out of the door.  If your day starts calm, you feel more like facing any challenge that may arise.  If your day starts frantic and in a frenzy, one stressful moment may push you over the edge!  So, no pushing the snooze button multiple times…..

Drink – start your day with a glass of water.  Your body needs water and your metabolism needs it, as well.  First thing I do after waking up is to go to the kitchen and get a glass of water and drink it all!

Get the body moving – I’m not suggesting that you have to do an intense workout first thing in the morning….especially for those of you who aren’t morning people 🙂  A walk outside in the yard, walking your dog, some stretching, some yoga poses, push ups, Pilates, etc. can help wake you up and energize you.

Eat!!!! – Breakfast is THE most important meal of the day – DON’T skip it!!!!  Food is fuel and your body needs fuel to get through the day.  I’ve had some clients tell me they don’t eat because they don’t like breakfast foods (oatmeal, cereal, etc) – I say, then don’t eat typical breakfast foods…..just make sure you include protein, complex carbs, good fats.  In order to rev up your metabolism, you must eat.

Make time for meditation, prayer, inspirational reading, writing in your journal, words of affirmation, etc.  Don’t forget your spirit – remember that you are here for a reason and that is to make a difference in the world, in someone’s life, in your day.

Each day is a gift….life is precious….each moment counts. The way you start your day determines the way you handle your day and the things that happen during the day.  Your start can set you up for success…..or set you up for failure.  Which will you choose?

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Let’s Ride

18 May

Do you remember the thrill of learning to ride your bicycle without training wheels?  There was nothing like the feeling of pedaling down the road with the wind blowing through your hair and leaving your Dad behind as he proudly cheered you on.

I remember my first “big girl” bike…my parents took me to Sears and I picked out a purple bike with a white banana seat.  I was not the flashy girl so I didn’t have all the streamers and decorations – I also liked to play it safe so I didn’t perform all kinds of crazy tricks…i think my fanciest trick was to take one hand off the handlebars 🙂

May is National Bike Month and it’s a great excuse to get the bike out, put on your helmet and hit the road, the sidewalk, or the bicycle trail.  This is a great activity that the whole family can do…it’s a great way to get fresh air, move the body, and make memories.

The Bike League has a great website with tips, rules of the road, bike month activities, the history of bicycles, how to find local resources, and more.

http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/

Sears is still a great place for bicycles and accessories – http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/

Or support your local businesses and find a locally owned bicycle shop in your area that can recommend the right bike for you and fit you properly to your bike, teach you how to do repairs on your bike, provide all kinds of cool clothes and shoes, and accessorize you!

Today is Bike to Work day – it would be nice if all of us lived in areas that were conducive to biking to work.  Unfortunately for me, the distances that I have to drive in Knox County, the narrow roads AND the drivers in my area can make biking a hazard to my health/life.  If you do not have safe paths to bike, maybe it’s something you can research and help your community with.

So, let’s celebrate – help the environment – help our health – and let’s RIDE!

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Man, I feel like a woman :)

14 May

I’m glad I feel like a woman and I’m glad that I AM a woman!!!  🙂 Here In the United States, the focus is on women for a few days.  We celebrated Mother’s Day yesterday, and today we begin National Women’s Health Week.

Women are usually so busy giving care and nurturing others that we can neglect our health and even ignore symptoms.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services want women to make their health a priority so they initiated this weeklong campaign to empower and educate women to do this.

One way to be a healthy woman is to make good eating choices and put physical activity into your day. What you put into your mouth can determine your health.  Fruits, Vegetables, Whole grains, lean protein, and water are all great choices to make for your health.  Becoming active can help prolong your live, increase your wellbeing, and help prevent diseases.  We should move more than we sit.  Including activity in our daily lives is one of the best things we can do…even for our mental health.  Working out can help you feel better, look better, BE better!!  You can join the 2012 Woman Challenge by going to this link:

http://www.womenshealth.gov/whw/woman-challenge/

To find an event in you area: http://www.womenshealth.gov/whw/events/

Today is National Women’s Checkup Day….when is the last time you were at your family doctor? What about your ObGyn? This is soooo important!! mammograms and Pap Smears can save lives – it can find diseases and cancer early.  Don’t put it off! If you have not been, call right now and make an appointment.  If you don’t have health care, check with your local health department, sometimes there are health care providers in your community that will offer them at a lower rate.  These screenings are vital to your wellbeing. Go to this link for a wealth of information: http://www.womenshealth.gov/whw/check-up-day/

Cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer in women and, most of the time, in its early stages has no symptoms; however, it can be detected in a Pap Smear.  For more information on cervical cancer, its treatment, its prevention, etc.:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001895/

If you are a woman, celebrate being a woman by taking part in this women’s health week – involve mothers, daughters, friends!!!

If you are a man, make sure the women in your life are taking care of themselves and make them aware of the emphasis on women’s health this week.

Let’s make good choices to be WELL!!

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Broken Sunglasses

21 Apr

Broken….frame twisted…lens popped out.

I was at the park with some personal training clients and it was time for stretching.  I laid down on my mat and put my sunglasses beside me – and forgot the glasses were there as I wrapped up the session.  I stood up and felt something give under my foot – yep, it was the sunglasses.

So, what’s the big deal….just broken sunglasses.  All I need to do is buy another pair, right?  We’ve all had mishaps with sunglasses (which is why I never spend a lot of money on sunglasses!) so no need to write about it.

However, the broken, twisted sunglasses represented a relationship that became broken and twisted, as well.  They were purchased for me last May as an early birthday present by a new friend whom seemed like she was going to become a close, dear friend that would be part of my life from then til death.

Instead, the “friend” made choices to betray trust, friendship and to get in the middle of another very important relationship. Consequently, I made the choice to end the “friendship” (I use quotes because I don’t really think the word, friendship, applies to the relationship….a friend would not do what this person did) because it was not good for my wellbeing.

But, I still had the sunglasses and continued to wear them….

As I look at my broken sunglasses, I am sad because I did like them and they were part of my life and they did serve a purpose…but I think I’m saddened even more because it’s concrete evidence in my hand of all the “could have been” and “what ifs” that this person broke and the relationships that became twisted as choices were made….

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Go Green

14 Apr

 

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Through the eyes of a child

9 Apr

I approached my boarding gate and saw that there were lots of children – some traveling with their parents, some traveling solo.  Of course, I was getting ready to board a flight that was going to Orlando; so lots of families were going to spend a few days at one of the theme parks….Disney being the most popular choice 🙂  Some travellers would dread getting on a flight with so many children – but not I.  Children always bring a new perspective and see things in a different way.  I was privileged to sit in front of a Mom and her two children – a boy and a girl….probably 5 or 6 years old.  It sounded like it was their first time flying where they were aware of what was going on (their first time being when they were infants or toddlers).  Listening to their excitement and their observations I couldn’t help but smile and even laugh a few times.  The little girl got to sit by the window during takeoff…..she was sooooo excited and when we were just a few feet off the ground, she proclaimed, “We’re flying….I’m flying!!!!”  She didn’t miss a thing – she was giggling and noticing everything on the ground.  A little while later I heard her exclaim to her mom, “Oh, Mom, it’s soooo beautiful!!”  Then they were excited to see the clouds and proclaimed which Disney character each cloud looked like.  Halfway through the flight, the little girl changed seats with her brother so he could sit by the window.  We began our descent and went through some clouds.  While we were in the clouds, he was stating, “I think it’s the most magical thing to be flying in the clouds!” Then they began discussing who they were going to visit first when they arrived at Disney World. The joy and excitement of these two children were very contagious and it was so much fun to experience my flight through the eyes of this brother and sister.  Yes, I had work to do….I had a book I needed to finish reading….I had a Zumba playlist to work on – all the deadlines and to-do lists that engulf my life as an adult and that, so often, cause me to miss out on the little, simple joys of life.  However, I put everything back in my carry-on and chose to just “be” in the moment and experience the flight with the wonder and awe of a child.

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Is your food providing nourishment for your body?

5 Mar

March is National Nutrition Month and according to www.eatright.org   “National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. NNM also promotes the Academy and its members to the public and the media as the most valuable and credible source of timely, scientifically based food and nutrition information.”

The Free Dictionary defines nutrition as:  1.)   The process of nourishing or being nourished, especially the process by which a living organism assimilates food and uses it for growth and replacement of tissues.  2.)  The science or study that deals with food and nourishment, especially in humans.  3.)   A source of nourishment: food

The Medical Dictionary, The Free Dictionary says: Good nutrition can help prevent disease and promote health. There are six categories of nutrients that the body needs to acquire from food: protein, carbohydrates, fat, fibers, vitamins, minerals, and water.

After reading these definitions, I would venture to say that a lot of people do not think of all this when making food and drink choices.  Food is supposed to be what fuels your body to perform its tasks and at its best while staying healthy and providing you with quality of life.  When one begins to think of food as fuel, it can help one to make better choices.  We are what we eat – and we have the power to choose life or death by what we put into our mouths. 

As I’m sitting on my couch and typing this blog, I see a commercial for cookies that are being advertised as having more calcium than a glass of milk, as much Vitamin C as a cup of blueberries, as much fiber as a bowl of oatmeal, etc.  Do you know where those nutrients are coming from????  A chemical!!! The cookie does not grow on a plant or tree and naturally have those vitamins, minerals, etc….. I’m sorry but it’s better to get your nutrients from the glass of milk, the cup of blueberries, and the oatmeal.  You will feel much fuller if you eat all that versus eating one cookie. 

Point One – get your nutrients from a source that grows on a plant, a tree, a vine.  Packaged, processed food usually means vitamins and minerals that are “sprayed” on them. 

The theme this year for National Nutrition Month is to “Eat Right With Color – Splash Some Color on Your Plate.” The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics wants you to make healthy choices by incorporating a colorful variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and dairy into your meals every day.

Point Two – When you stick to foods that grow on a plant, a tree or a vine, color is ABUNDANT.  The dark greens of leafy vegetables and certain herbs – the deep rich hues of berries and grapes – the bright sunny colors of citrus fruits – the choices are endless.

Point Three – Be adventurous….don’t stay stuck in a rut!!! Try a fruit or vegetable that you have never eaten before. Try a new item every day….31 days of adventure.  Discovered a great blog written by another Angela (great name, right???) and she’s written a blog about her 31-day adventures in produce.  Check it out and try it for yourself.  http://thecouponproject.com/adventures-in-produce-the-series

The Internet is an abundant resource of ideas, recipes, information – use it to your advantage.  Sit down with a glass of water or a cup of hot tea and plan how you will participate in National Nutrition Month.  Let me know how you do and the discoveries you make while making healthy choices to nourish your body, mind, and spirit.

I am going to continue my Vegetarian lifestyle that I began on January 2nd and will try some bok choy, kale, goji berries, and pomelo.

Join in me in splashing some color into your day and on your plate!

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Daily reminder

28 Feb

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Every day when I leave the nursing home, this is what I see…..the Veteran’s Cemetary. I’m reminded daily that life is fleeting and I need to focus on what really matters & determine what kind of legacy I will leave behind. I would like to think that this visual reminder is making me a better person & helping me to live in every moment with passion, purpose, & focus. I only get one chance at this; and, prayerfully & hopefully, I live it to the fullest!

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Hope

27 Feb

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This is one of the blessings after a cold, gray, barren winter. The sun is out today – the robins are singing their happy songs of warmth & sunshine. Flowers are beginning to bloom….some trees are starting to bud. Gives me renewed purpose & hope for the spring season of my life. Today, I’m choosing life, hope, & happiness.

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