The Best Cure

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best
cures in the doctor's book.

- Irish Proverb

Be Yourself!

To be nobody but yourself--in a world which is doing
its best, night and day, to make you everybody else--
means to fight the hardest battle which any human being
can fight; and never stop fighting.

- EE Cummings, poet

Job Loss

How to Cope
Call it what you want — being laid off or downsized,
getting dismissed or fired, receiving your pink slip
or your walking papers, losing your job hurts. Among
a variety of life-altering events, such as death in
the family, divorce, and serious illness, losing your
job ranks among the highest in stress-causing situations.

Job loss can have a profound effect on your emotional
well being. There is a typical cycle that most people
experience. This cycle includes denial, anger,
frustration, and eventually adaptation.

Dealing With It
As you can see, being separated from one's job is
extremely difficult. Many of us closely identify
ourselves by what we do for a living. When the job is
taken away, we can lose track of who we are and even
why we are.

Emotional issues aside, a number of practical issues
must be addressed. We must determine how long our
financial resources will sustain us. We must also
decide if a career change is in order. Then we must
begin to plan for the future.

Taking Care of the Practical Stuff
A major issue most people must deal with is providing
for themselves and their families. Finding out if one
qualifies for unemployment compensation should be the
first thing that is taken care of. The next thing is
applying for this benefit. There are certain criteria
that must be met. In the United States, your local
Employment Service Center will be able to help you. The
Web Site of the U.S. Department of Labor has information
on unemployment compensation in the United States. This
includes links to the individual sites of many states.

The next issue to deal with is health insurance. In the
U.S. the majority of people who have health insurance
are covered under a group plan through their employer.
When a job is lost, that coverage is as well. That is
why The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act
(COBRA) was passed some time ago. This law allows those
separated from their jobs to purchase health insurance
at a group rate for a limited time.

Moving On
Once we have come to terms with all matters emotional and
practical, it is time to move on. We must decide where to go
from here. First you must look at why you lost your job. Was
the company downsizing? If so, is this a trend in the industry?
Do you want to stay in the same field? Is a career change in
order? If not, maybe this is a good time to spruce up some skills
in order to make yourself more marketable.

Rather than looking at a job loss as a horrible thing, it
might be better to consider the positive implications of this
situation. Take the time to make some changes — switch careers
or industries, learn some new skills and improve upon the ones
you already have, or perhaps consider relocating. Look forward
to your next opportunity. You never know what doors this turn
of events may open for you.

6 Tips to Deal with the Time Change

Time-Tested Ways to Cope with Daylight Saving Time

It's that time of year again, when we reset our clocks
and try to readjust to the time change associated with
Daylight Saving Time (DST). Some of us breeze through
the change seamlessly, yet others feel out of sorts for
days. If you have trouble dealing with this sudden
disruption in your routine, it is for good reason.

Even though your brain knows that the time on the clock
has changed, your body's internal clock does not. In the
fall, you'll gain an hour of sleep. And although you might
not feel tired, you may get cranky when you have to wait
an extra hour before your lunch break or when it feels
like work should have ended an hour ago...

Another Fitness Myth Debunked

Somewhere along your journey to fitness, whether
in the gym, reading the latest books, or talking
with your friends, you'll hear a lot of advice
about exercise--not all of which is true.

Fitness Myth
If you can't exercise hard and often, there's
really no point.

Truth
Even moderate activity is shown to reduce your
risk for heart disease and stroke. If you don't
have 30 minutes in your day to exercise, try
splitting it up into 10-minute segments instead.
Everyone can find 10 minutes to spare sometime
during the day! There are simple things you can
do to increase your activity without having to
go to the gym: take the stairs instead of the
elevator, jump rope or do body weight exercises
push ups, crunches) at commercial breaks, take
a short walk after lunch. Remember that any
exercise is better than none!

Exercise Extra: Clip on a pedometer and aim for
10,000 steps daily, which equals about 5 miles.

Lose Weight for Better Sex: There's a lesser-
known fringe benefit of shedding excess pounds:
Being trimmer bolsters your self-esteem, and
when you feel good about yourself, you are more
likely to desire and enjoy sex. I really feel
good about myself.

DREAMS

Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a
broken-winged bird that cannot fly. Hold fast to
dreams, for if dreams go, life is a barren field,
covered with snow.

- Langston Hughes

BECOMING GREAT

Keep away from people who try to belittle
your ambitions. Small people always do that,
but the really great ones make you feel that
you, too, can become great.

- Mark Twain, writer and satirist

Ways to Expand Your Life

1. Decide to run a marathon. The physical discipline required will allow you to experience the immediate benefits of daily training.
2. Give more. You may set a goal of giving 20% rather than 10%. The extra stretch here will loosen up the blindness that greed causes and make you see new ways of generating income.
3. Commit to spending one hour a day for personal growth. Choose positive materials for meditation, go to workshops, or sign up for teleseminars. There are many opportunities for stretching yourself in this area.
4. Read at least one new book a month. This will accelerate your ability to increase your “preparation” and to see new ways to grow. Remember, “Luck” is when “preparation” meets “opportunity.”
5. Design a break in your normal schedule. Getting away from a routine is one of the best ways I know of unlocking creativity and innovation. I have spent 3-4 days at a monastery, just as an attempt to tap into new insights and inspiration. (The Abbey of Gethsemani)
6. Create your own timelines. If you want to write a book, decide when you will have the chapter outline completed. If you need to update your resume, decide now to have that completed in two weeks. Whatever it is you want to accomplish, set your timelines to propel you on.

WHERE IS YOUR ANCHOR?

I attended campmeeting this weekend and the theme was on the subject of this post. The preacher asked where is your anchor? If it's in Jesus, which Jesus? Professed christians say they believe in Jesus, but one's actions express more than words who is the anchor.

My life hasn't really expressed my trust in Jesus Christ to the fullest extent. It's very schetchy and I'm afraid quite in a dangerous condition. I'll have to make a final, consistent choice if I'm to remain in the family of God. This is not a laughing matter nor a light situation. It's a matter of life or death.

Will I truly have Jesus Christ as my anchor forever or the other guy? That is the question my decisions will answer for me from this day forward. I want eternal life and it's worth fighting for in this life. However, I'll need the power outside of myself to keep up the fight and be victorious in the end.

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER - MAY 1

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble
themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from
their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and
will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
II Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

The National Day of Prayer is an annual event in
which millions of American unite to pray for our
country and leaders. As we continue to see our
society decay, both spiritually and morally, many
of us can't help but ask, "Is there hope for America?"

One day I realized God feels the same way about me,
only hundreds of times more, because I'm his child
(John 1:12)! Whether I'm walking, driving across town,
or sending a prayer heavenward from my computer,
he delights in hearing from me—not just once a day,
but throughout the day. Scripture says he "inclines
his ear" and is "open to hear" my prayers (Psalm 40:134:15).

Feeding Your Emotions

Do you eat when you're not hungry? Do you have
a problem controlling the amount of food you
eat? Do you use food as a way to procrastinate?

Do you use food to ease your stress? Calm your
anger? Relieve your boredom? Celebrate your
successes?

If you answer "yes" to more than one of these
questions, you most likely eat and select certain
foods for the emotional responses they give you.
One way to learn how to take control of your
emotional eating is to use the method that most
12-step programs use, the HALT (Hungry, Angry,
Lonely and Tired) method.

Being too hungry, angry, lonely or tired are
conditions that can leave you more vulnerable
to using food as a crutch. The HALT acronym can
help you remember that when you feel certain
emotions that trigger you to eat, stop and
substitute the eating with something that will
actually allow you to experience your emotion.

If you're lonely, call someone. If you want to
celebrate a success, reward yourself with a
non-food gift. Whatever emotion drives you to eat,
remember there is a better way to feed it than
with food.

Order in My Universe

Certainly, our relationship with Him is the ultimate "sun"
around which everything else is just a "planet." We can't
make any choice that will adversely affect this anchor
relationship. There are other non-negotiables God wants you
to make the center of your choices: what's best for your
marriage, your children, sticking to His calling, His
life-mission for you, uncompromised integrity, your
responsibility to show the people around you what Jesus is
like, and your responsibility to spread the Jesus message
to people who will die without it.

See, life's choices are a lot less confusing when you know
your non-negotiables. Then you decide based on everything
else having to revolve around those non-negotiables.
Actually, you have to be sure you know God's non-negotiables
as you re-clarify them with Him each new day. There are just
too many noble detours that you just can't afford to take.
Your personal universe is in order when the sun is in the
center, and then everything else is where it's supposed to be
- planets taking their place around a sun that never, never
moves.

- Ron Hutchcraft 'AWWY'

Is Your Music Still In You?

Oliver Wendall Holmes once said “Many people die with their music still in them.” I think that captures the fear of about 99% of the people I see who come in for career coaching. Either they know exactly what gift or talent they have that they are not using or they are just afraid they have somehow missed finding their real authentic and fulfilling path.

What is that area that is lying dormant for you? I recently had a pharmacist approach me at the end of a short presentation I titled Hold Fast to Dreams. He said he had been in his profession for 17 years and could not think of any dreams he had. In his description of his “responsible, predictable” life it became clear to both of us that his dreams had become buried along the way. All those childhood passions had been put aside as one responsibility led to another. At this point he was so desensitized that he couldn’t even bring them to mind anymore. He began weeping in the 3 minutes of our conversation as he identified his current life.

You know the symptoms: as a child you loved singing but now you haven’t sung in 20 years. Or every time you see a news item about the starving people in Africa it brings you to tears - but you’ve never done anything to help. Or when you see a beautiful painting you remember how much you loved that second grade art class. You may recognize that whenever you are around old people you are energized by the compassion and wisdom they have - but you only go there once or twice a year.

Change - even when unwelcome or unexpected, often wakes
up those dormant dreams. I have seen physicians move to
the country to take up organic gardening, pastors who
switched to fulfilling careers as artists, and housewives
who emerged from the years of raising children to release
their gifts in writing and counseling.

“Many people die with their music still in them. Too often
it is because they are always getting ready to live…Before
they know it….time runs out.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

Check out this 7 year-old singing the National Anthem.
He’s getting his “music” out. It will be interesting to
see where he is 30 years from now. Will he be enjoying
singing as he does today? Or will the realities of life
have him push that down as “unrealistic” as he goes off
to his cubicle each day?
- 48days To The Work You Love, Dan Miller

Yes We Can!

There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?
Robert Kennedy

Such a wonder and inspiration that depicts promise and giving hope of change in my lifetime. With God's help I know we can.

Healthy Reflection

Experience is not what happens to a man. It is what a man does with what happens to him.

- Aldous Huxley, writer

Head-to-Toe Healthy

Dry, Tired Eyes
Infuse a bag of chamomile tea in 4 to 6 ounces hot water,
cool in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, then apply
as a compress on eyes for 10 minutes, until it comes to
room temp. Chamomile has a mild anti-inflammatory effect.
The Expert: Paul S. Anderson, ND, associate professor of
naturopathic medicine at Bastyr University

Bad Breath
Drink up to 1/4 cup pure aloe vera gel dissolved in about
half a cup of water or apple juice. Aloe vera contains an
anti-inflammatory compound called B-sitosterol that
soothes acid indigestion, a common cause of bad breath.
But go easy; in large doses, aloe vera can work like a
laxative.
The Expert: New York-based herbalist Letha Hadady, DAc,
author of Healthy Beauty

Nasal Congestion
Irrigate the nose with contact lens saline solution, using
a Neti Pot. Or try: putting a few drops of eucalyptus oil
on the floor of a hot, running shower and inhaling the
steam that accumulates. (Note: The room may be too hot
for children.)
The Expert: Benjamin Kligler, MD, MPH, research director
at the Continuum Center for Health and Healing in New York City

Handy Hints

A small amount of lemon juice pour onto minor wounds can
help stop bleeding and disinfect the injury (it will sting
a bit). Lemon juice applied to itches, poison ivy rashes
and wasp stings is said to relieve discomfort.

Healthy Reflections

And then the day came, when the risk to remain tight
in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

- Anais Nin, Danish diarist

New Star Wars Inspired "Hovering Chair" Coming

The Lounger, a hovering chair inspired by
the land speeders from the "Star Wars" science
fiction movies, is set to go on sale in Britain
in March. The furniture hovers above the ground
using three strong magnets to give a feeling of
weightlessness, the Sunday Times of London
reported. Keith Dixon, 40, of Middleton said he
has already gotten response about his invention
from around the world. "Sitting on it is an
incredible sensation," he said. "You are defying
gravity." The chair is comprised of a base and a
see-through acrylic seat all with magnets repelling
each other, forcing the seat to float up to 14 inches
above the base. A pair of connecting rods stops the
seat shooting off sideways but allows it to move up
and down. "The lounger moves when you sit down, but
then it finds its own level," said Dixon, adding that
it can hold up to 266 pounds.

The saying is so true that what you can dream, you can achieve.

Humanity Concern

"An individual has not started living until
he can rise above the narrow confines of his
individualistic concerns to the broader
concerns of all humanity."
-- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Time Wise

Be wise in the use of time.
The question in life is not
how much time do we have.
The question is what shall
we do with it.

Anna Robertson Brown, author

Warm Up and Stretch

A low impact exercise, such as biking, walking,
an elliptical machine, a rowing machine, etc. is
the best way to warm up. There are many reasons
why you should warm up and stretch before working
out - the main one is injury prevention. A warm up
and stretch help increase the elasticity of your
muscles and connective tissues prior to putting them
under stress. Increased elasticity simply means muscle
and tissues are more relaxed and flexible.

The End Is Near - Really

A priest and pastor from the local parishes were
standing by the side of the road holding up a sign
that read, "The End is Near! Turn around now before
it's too late!" They planned to hold up the sign to
each passing car. As the first driver sped past,
he yelled, "Leave us alone, you religious nuts!"
From around the curve they heard screeching tires
and a big splash. The pastor said to the priest,
"Do you think we should just put up a sign that says,
'Bridge Out' instead?"

It really pays to be very clear in your testimony
about Jesus and your faith in him.

Quality of Life

You can't do anything
about the length of your life,
but you can do something
about its width and depth.

- Shira Tehrani

New Year Resolutions

According to Dr. Stephen Kraus, a Harvard-trained social
psychologist who has done extensive research on resolutions,
only 15 percent of people who make resolutions adhere to
them over the long-term. Of the 85 percent who abandon
their resolutions, says Kraus, 20 percent break them
within a week.If you want to improve yourself, the best
time to start is immediately.

If 85 percent of people abandon their New Year's
resolutions, that means 15 percent complete them.
And when those people succeed, they feel good about
themselves. And they put themselves in a position
to set and achieve higher-level goals.
Studies show that people who set goals achieve more
in life than those who don't. Those same studies
confirm that when people write down their goals
and refer to them regularly they achieve even more.

To believe that by increasing my knowledge,
developing my skills, sharpening my thinking,
and ruling my emotions, I can accomplish a great
deal. And the only way I know of to do that is
to set goals and pursue them, one small step at a time.

It's like building a sand castle. If you amass just
enough sand to sustain a single onrush of waves, it
will be gone in a few hours. But if you build a
larger castle - make the walls higher and thicker
and stronger - then you'll have something to build
on the next day.
It won't look like much in the beginning. Just the
half-wrecked foundation of a wall. But with every
passing day, it will become more substantial.
Eventually, it will be a massive structure - taller,
wider, and stronger, by far, than all the other
sand castles people have tried to build around it.
And yet, it will have been built by a person of
equal talents using the same tools. The only
difference: the extra effort it took to add
something new and better every day.