Travel is the power to change our world. Whether we physically travel or mentally explore our options, putting ourselves in another location is the goal of traveling. Either method can be used as a tool for change. Kobe Bryant stated in a 2010 interview during the NBA finals – “Your sad, bad feelings can be used as an energy tool for your motivation to move you forward in life. Learn to focus them to achieve what you want.” (L.A. Lakers,…..
This is a season for change not only in earth’s color scheme but the nourishing power of regrowth. Gardner’s till the ground with intention and might just as the moon cycles through phases of its equinox as though both are preparing for the birth of equal division of day and night. Earth’s sun gives equal attention to the power of growing and serenity of sleeping as though the divided courtesy reminds us to ready ourselves for the upcoming hibernation of…..
Communication can be verbal or non-verbal – broadcast or silent. The backbone of our information exchange is words. We use words to impart love, hate, fear, intensity, and an untold variety of human emotions. During this time of intensity maybe we should make an effort to use our words to receive information in a calm manner and disseminate knowledge with intelligent instruction.
Families and communities are built and sustained by people working together toward a common goal. During this current COVID-19 epidemic it is vitally important we all take a moment to remember that our children and youth are watching us the adults of our community. Children listen to not only the words that we use but the tone and texture of our words. Even young babies can tell if a word is spoken in love or hate, fear or anger. A…..
Just like our bodies are made to move, being healthy is dynamic. When was the last time that you made a health mistake? Did you correct yourself harshly or grant yourself a free pass? Often when we’re trying to achieve our healthiest selves we hold ourselves to a level of perfection that’s impossible to reach. Imagine that you’re a work in progress – you’re not done with yourself!!! Medical literature and research give us some measurable goals to observe along…..
A poem from my life experience. Her desperate voice: Mom, it’s burning Mom, it’s gone Assistance, immediate Life, gutted Repairs, hard Mourn Rebuild Smile Rest
A Generational Saga My recent book of fiction ‘Ripples in the Generations’ is a generational saga that explores the delicate process of blending the heart-lifting joy of a life-long high school friendship with a soul-searching genetic relationship. Two factions of the Henry family share a common interest; Williams’ indiscretions, yet each is unaware of just how much they have in common. The next generation of William’s family share his DNA, but William has divided his legacy. Even though this novel…..
Why don’t people report abuse? Three basic reasons SOCIAL PROOF – Victims decide about reporting or revealing abuse when they feel safe about the reporting. They do this after they watch to see how others are treated when they report. They then ask themselves. Will I be treated like that when I disclose my abuse? PERPETRATORS – This defines someone who initiates, continues, fulfills or enacts a crime and continues the code of silence. A perpetrator usually has a set…..
Dirty cellphones. That seems to be a popular subject these days. Initial I think about germs that live on the exterior of cellphones that cause disease. We use our cellphones in every facet of our lives including in health care settings both as family members and health medical providers which increase the incidence of the alarming trend of cellphone contamination – according to a recent editorial in American Nurse Today (Vol. 14, No.3) it may be up to 74.4.%. Are…..
‘Having a capacity for adaptive change‘ is Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary definition for malleable. This remolding can be accomplished either by beating with a hammer or intentional pressure from an internal force. However, both of these methods require that the shape being changed is flexible, elastic, fluid, adjustable and adaptable. Gee! That sounds like a shapeshifter. Yet everyone can do it. It simply takes desire, planning, and routine. Sounds easy I know but these 3 steps are the basis of any change,…..
Reaching centenarian status is a real possibility. A study in PLOS One indicates that adults who perceive aging in a positive light have a nearly 44% lower risk of developing dementia (WebMD.com, Sept./2018). Extensive studies by WebMD provide interesting statistics: 14 million, # of adults 65 and older with chronic health problems 67%, adults older than 65 with high blood pressure 88%, drop in dementia risk for women who are physically fit in middle age 1 in 4, adults 65…..
While driving I noticed an unattended bicycle lying on a public sidewalk. The cycle was discarded along the side of a busy public street. A well-worn black baseball hat hung from the handlebars and the dirty strap of a battered red water bottle languished on the bike’s universal bar. This bike had a story. My nursing instinct urged me to approach to see if the rider had fallen and was lying nearby on the pavement in need of help. But…..
Storing critical information in your brain takes a three-prong strategy: saying the words, reading the words and most importantly writing the words. There’s power in the simple act of writing words. Writing locks into your memory the information that you need to remember and it’s more likely to stick in your long-term memory (WebMD June 2019). You will remember the items on your shopping list. Technology provides modern-day options such as cell phone apps and pictures sent to us on…..
The doctor’s office is a logical place to be barraged with health questions. “Have you signed in? Do you have your insurance card? Has your health changed?” We freely give out personal information in a public setting to a stranger who may or may not be a trusted confidant assuming that our health will be improved by their interventions. Imagine how effective it is to ask those same intimate questions of someone who really cares about you, someone who you…..
People who are diagnosed with a chronic, painful, inflammatory disease, i.e. Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, etc., may experience pain even when their inflammation is well controlled. Dealing with constant pain is exhausting, debilitating, physically draining, nutritionally challenging, fatiguing and can interfering with a person’s mood and memory ability. Centralized pain signals arise from distress changes in the central nervous system CNS which is comprised of the brain and spinal cord where pain alerts are processed according to a September/October 2018 article…..
A variety of talents and abilities are needed to maintain a healthy body. Systems working together maintain homeostasis ensuring a disease-free body. Your lungs breathe, your blood flows, your heart pumps, your veins and arteries integrate fluid throughout your muscles which in turn deliver movement energy to all parts of your body. You move, you think, you breathe, you digest, you interact – you’re an integral part of the world. Integrating these individual talents into a cohesive team is also…..
Writing is and can be an exhilarating pass time, fascination and/or profession. I appreciate my friend sharing this professionally created door marker. The insignia surely is not my creation but inspires me when I get a writing block. I took a short break from public writing which turned out for me to be a restless time because as we all know – ‘writers, write.’ The writing bug is beginning to buzz just like all of the busy birds and bees of…..
UNDENIABLE I was watching an interview between Dan Patrick and Ray Anthony Lewis. Ray Lewis completed a distinguished 16-year career as a middle linebacker with the Baltimore Ravens wearing #52 and is inducted into the Football Hall of Fame. Ray mentioned many inspiring quotes during the process of the conversation but one particular thought remains with me: “If you stay ready then you ain’t never got to get ready.” This seems to be his mantra for success. Even though Ray…..
Vitrification is a process of converting a material into a glass-like amorphous solid that is free from any crystalline structure, either by the quick removal or addition of heat or by mixing with an additive. So, what does this mean and why am I writing about it? Well, your most recognizable example of this process occurs as you walk along the beach and you find a solid form of light-brown tinted glass lying in the sand. When lightning strikes enough…..
As we enter the month of December the feeling of free-floating anxiety is rising. There seems to be an unwritten rule that we must perform unusual social activities with our friends and casual acquaintances for the next few weeks in order to fulfill an invisible cultural norm. This duty requires our appearance at social functions that are often scheduled to include potluck meals prepared with high-calorie foods that we prepare late at night with ingredients we normally wouldn’t purchase. We…..
I was listening to an interview with a prominent sports marketing and memorabilia entrepreneur. This person has overcome multiple challenges in his life to become successful. These struggles facing humiliation and embarrassment solidified his purpose at a young age. His focus which was forged into a purpose centers around developing healthy relationships. It’s obvious that this person is a prominent figure in today’s sports arena. He has strategically developed business relationships throughout his tenuous career. Therefore, he enjoys conversational dialogues…..
Grandma’s experiences influence our DNA structure. The science of Epigenetics studies the chemical modification of genes and how the information in our genes is expressed and used by our cells. The reason this concept of weight is important is that if grandma is obese that tendency is imprinted on her DNA and can be genetically passed to her descendants. (DiscoverMagazine.com) Epigenetics doesn’t alter the sequence but influences our gene expression. A Redbook article (Wrangle Your Stress, Sept.2018) relates that when…..
How do we define disease? How do we define health? These seem like easy questions to answer. We know when someone is sick or when they’re without illness; it’s obvious. We can tell when our body isn’t working “up to par.” CLUES are interesting little bits of information that swirl around our everyday lives guiding us through the intricate maze of evidence that can lead us to a solution to our problems. Often these little, sometimes annoying, indicators lead us…..
Maybe where a person lives determines their health status. Maybe where a person lives influences the factors that cause disease? In the book “Social Determinates of Health – A Comparative Approach” Alan Davidson states “the extent to which something poses a risk to us depends on our level of susceptibility or our resilience.” Maybe our health depends on the combination of where we live and the choices that we make. Leah Curtin, RN, ScD(h) FAAN in her article in American…..
The month of March is a good time to check-in to see how New Year’s Resolutions are progressing. Everyone has had a few weeks to work out some kinks in their firmness and dedication. There has been time to refine a schedule and determine a routine so that we all should now be fairly well set into a regular cycle of activity. So, how are things going? Obviously, there have been a few bumps and detours along the path with…..
The penniless widow sat in her dark, dingy apartment shivering. Her few resources include a well-worn shawl, home-made candles, her favorite rocking chair, companion books and an unused wooden match. Most of her elderly friends are unable to climb the wooden stairs to her second-floor lodgings. A knock at the door startles her and pierces the silence of the secluded room. “Martha, why are you sitting here in the dark. If you would just light the candle, the room would…..
The comedian Eddie Izzard once said, “CAESAR – did he ever think that he would end up as a salad?” Well, did any of us when we graduated from high school ever believe that we would change from the youthful, energetic, hopeful teenager that we were on that fateful day of our high school graduation? Probably not. However, William H. McRaven, a retired U.S. Navy admiral, said “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”…..
I recently read an article about a women shopping in retail stores for clothes that fit. This woman is a “real woman” who possesses all the curves and crevices that women possess. I’m not talking about an overly large woman or an obese female just an average woman in today’s society. You guessed it. Most of the retail stores possess a wide variety of the latest chic attire posed in the most alluring positions. However, the majority of sizes range from “0” through “10.” These clothes are…..
We all kept our New Year’s resolutions. Well, that statement hopefully got someone’s attention. Wouldn’t it be great if we could answer in the affirmative? Just think of it… One month ago we all put energy and thought into devising a plan that would help us make our lives better. Was it more exercise? Was it a better diet? Possibly we were going to be kinder to people? Or maybe, just maybe, we were going to make more money and…..
Soon, I may not need my car keys. Now you may think that I have made a healthy new year’s commitment to begin a walking routine which includes increasing my physical ambulation. Well, I have but the focus of this article is a little different. When new cars are sold these days they don’t come with a car key. The buyer is presented with a car “bob.” It resembles a child-size deck of cards embedded with an imprint of the dealership. Having the “bob” within a close vicinity of…..