Trigruence

Health Tip

Messy, unorganized spaces can drain your energy. 

For a quick energy pick up, set a timer for 15 minutes, clean, and organize your space during that time, like a race.

Creative Thinking - Earl Nightingale

I just dug out an old CD - a recording from Earl Nightingale that is probably 50 years old and as relevant today as it ever was. Earl discusses the characteristics of highly creative people: Socrates, da Vinci, Einstein, Shakespeare, etc. He lists 25 characteristics, suggests you write one each on a card, arrange them in order from weakest to strongest, and for the next 25 weeks you focus on one characteristic for an entire week; starting with the weakest one for you. Cool exercise - anyone else willing to play?

1. Drive
2. Courage
3. Goals
4. Knowledge (a thirst for more)
5. Good health (physical and mental)
6. Honesty - integrity
7. Optimism
8. Judgment - gathering facts first and understanding them
9. Enthusiasm
10. Chance taker
11. Dynamic - energetic
12. Enterprising - opportunity seeker
13. Persuasive
14. Outgoing
15. Good communicator - verbally skilled
16. Perceptive
17. Patient with others - impatient with self
18. Adaptable
19. Perfection - seeking highest quality from self
20. Sense of humor
21. Versatile
22. Curious
23. Individualistic - do it their own way
24. Realist/Idealist - grounded in reality - driven by ideals
25. Imaginative

In 25 weeks we will each be 25 weeks older. We can be just 25 weeks older or we can be 25 weeks older and a little better and wiser...

The Only Thing Constant is Change - part 1 of 7

“The only thing constant is change” is widely credited to Heraclitus of Ephesus, a Greek philosopher who lived about 100 years before Plato.

 

Most people, it seems, have at least one aspect of their life they want to change. It might not be a major overhaul… it may just be a tweak; but it is a change. Consider for a moment all the aspects of your life; relationships, health, career, family, spirituality, personal development, fun and recreation, physical environment, etc. And consider how interdependent they are upon each other. In other words, if you are very dissatisfied in your career, for example, how does that affect your family, your relationships, your fun and recreation, and all the other areas of life?

 

To clearly see the interrelation of all the areas of your life try this simple exercise. On a blank piece of paper draw a circle. Make it five or six inches in diameter so you have room to write in it and around it. Divide the circle into eight sections by drawing an “X” and a vertical and horizontal line thru it. Your circle should now be divided like a pizza. We call this exercise the “Wheel of Life”, you’ll understand why in just a few moments.

 

Label each of the eight sections to represent one area of your life. Use the list in the first paragraph as a guide (relationships, career, family, etc.) or create your own list of eight. Now, imagine the center of the circle where all the dividing lines cross to represent “0” or “completely dissatisfied” and the circle itself to represent “10” or “completely satisfied”. Looking at your circle now you can estimate half way between the center and the wheel would be a “5” – feeling “neutral”. As you move towards the center your satisfaction decreases and as you move toward the outside it increases.

 

Now go ahead and give a rating for each of the eight areas of your life – as you feel about them right now. Don’t rate them the way they used to be or the way you wish they were… rate them as they are right now. Be honest with yourself. Put a dot and a number for each rating. So, if you feel really good about your career you might call it a “9” and put a dot near the outer edge of the circle; and if your health is a problem area now, you might rate it a “3” and put a dot near the center of the circle. Make sense?

 

You should now have a dot and a number in each section of your circle. Next, connect all the dots o form a new shape inside the circle. You will notice it is not even…

 

The questions to ask yourself are: If this was a real wheel, how well would it roll? What area of your life is most satisfying? Which is least? Which area, if it were to improve would have the most impact on the others?

 

Sometimes improving the area with the lowest rating (most dissatisfied) is not the best place to start. Give some thought to the last question above, which area, if it were to improve would have the most impact on the others?

 

Now the question is - how ready are you to make a change in that area? You may be in the information gathering stage or you may be ready to jump in and take major action to change your life. Or, you may not have even realized this was a problem area until just now… and maybe you still don’t view it as a problem.

 

Well meaning friends, relatives, or coworkers may be encouraging you to take actions to change this aspect of you. Don’t be mad at them. It is easier to see things in others than it is to see them in yourself, isn’t it? So, remember their prodding is out of concern. What they probably don’t know is that taking action is the fourth of six steps to making a change. And you might still be deep in the first step.

 

Jumping into action before you are ready is a recipe for disaster. Making a change for the sake of someone else is a temporary modification of behaviors at best. Making a change for you, because you are ready and you have gone through all six stages is the way to make your change permanent.

 

What are the six stages? Where are you in the process? How do you identify them and what can you do to change? All these questions and more will be answered in this seven part series.

 

Next: “Pre-contemplation” the “I can’t” stage.

 

For a Free Coaching session to determine where you are now as well as give you guidance on how to move to the next step so you will succeed, contact George Gillas at George@ChangeForWellness.com. 

The Four D's of Organization

Messy, unorganized spaces can drain your energy.  For a quick energy pick up, set a timer for 15 minutes, clean, and organize your space during that time, like a race.

 

Some people are naturally more inclined to organize than others. I work from piles… always have. I’ve taken time management and organization courses – I could probably teach those courses; I simply will  not use the systems over the long run.

 

Others (and you know who you are) are so organized they can find a paper they wrote in college 15 years ago. It’s neatly filed in a three-ring binder and organized brilliantly. I admire those folks but don’t want to be one… I don’t want to dedicate the time and effort to working against my natural set, but I do realize the importance of having some sort of a system.

 

A (relatively) neat workspace is important to productivity and if that is all you need to be productive, don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. If you need to complete a task and file it away before you begin the next one; then don’t let those “crazy multi-taskers” convince you to do several things at once. That system will not work for you either.

 

When I was in the corporate world and we had cleaners come thru our offices nightly; I used to put a “Do Not Touch This Pile” note on my piles. That drove my assistant nuts, but I knew where everything was. Being self-employed now I can get by without the note.

 

If the piles get too out of control try this exercise. Make one pile. One. Even if it makes it to the ceiling (I’d be proud of that if it was me…) Then get yourself a big trash can and go thru the pile one piece at a time and:

 

Do It – execute what you need to do for that piece of paper – NOW

Delegate it – give it to the appropriate staffer

Delay it – be careful here… put it in a system (tickle file) if you can get to it later

Delete it – piece by piece into the trash

 

This is a great quarterly exercise if you are a pile person who would like to at least demonstrate your desire to organize. If you do it four times a year, you’ll probably have a pretty good sized pile. Have at it – and if you get a pile that does go floor to ceiling, please send a pic!

Floss for health

According to the Academy of General Dentistry, flossing is just as important as brushing for teeth and gum health.

 

Flossing helps remove the debris and plaque that stick to teeth and gums in between the teeth. It also helps control bad breath and polishes the tooth's surface. Water picks and electric flossing are not as effective as manual flossing.

 

Floss at least once a day.

Today's health tip

Did you know that Alfalfa sprouts contain every essential amino acid? They are also a great source of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, carotenes, chlorophyll, folic acid, and phytoestrogens. Alfalfa sprouts make a great addition to salad, sandwiches, and wraps, or you can just enjoy them by themselves.

Remember GIGO?

Garbage In – Garbage Out. If memory serves me, this was a basic tenant of computer programming; what you put in you get out. Then the personal development industry grabbed the concept to describe what happens with negative or positive thoughts.

 

What do you feed yourself daily? Do you eat for momentary satisfaction or for longevity and health? Fats and sugars to satiate the taste buds or lean proteins and fresh fruits & vegetables to nourish your body?

 

What about the things you feed your mind? I recently worked with a client who was mildly obsessed with the TV show “24.” He was watching old episodes on streaming video… 3, 4, 5 episodes at a time. Sometimes starting at 10 pm and finally crawling into bed at 2:30 in the morning. The next day he felt anxious and tired, unable to focus on work and overwhelmed with a feeling of worry.

 

No kidding… what is “24” about anyway. Hey, I like the show too; and if you feed your mind a high dose of tension-filled, terrorist-crazed fantasy for 3 or 4 hours a night – and then go to bed so your sub-conscious can further develop those scenes; how would you expect to feel the next morning?

 

What about the books you read? How many books do you read? Do you read for escape and fantasy or to challenge your thinking and expand your competencies?

 

What about radio? Are you a talk radio junkie? Do you listen to music in your car or are you playing CDs that will stretch you vocabulary, your thinking, and your knowledge?

 

What types of conversations do you have? Do you associate with people who inspire you or are your conversations nothing more than inspired gripe sessions about the economy, the world, politics, etc.?

 

And now for a little practical reality. Restrictive diets don’t work in the long run because deprivation is not a healthy or viable way to live… we occasionally want and need the cherry pie or extra loaded pizza. A good move or an hour of “garbage TV” can help to reduce stress by letting the day fade to fantasy – just don’t watch too much and certainly not right before you go to bed.

 

Reading fiction can improve your vocabulary and your ability to paint compelling pictures with words; so, find a balance between fun fiction and books that will elucidate your world.

 

Talk radio and music will entertain you for a little while and may also numb your ability to think on your own. Are your thoughts your own when having political discussions or are they the talking points of the radio host? Be careful to whom you give control of your mind. When you listen to good recorded information from a source you trust and want to emulate; at least you are in control of what food you are feeding your mind.

 

“Here’s how we will save the world” conversations over a hot coffee or cold beer can certainly stimulate your mind and help you realize and verbalize your core convictions about important topics. And conversations about philosophy, spirituality, your purpose in life, etc., will stretch you in ways that political debates cannot.

 

So, like most things in life, it comes down to balance. A little spicy with the sweet… a little rock ‘n roll with the inspirational… a little sports with the spiritual. And as always, it is your choice… and it is your mind and your life. So choose wisely.

 

 

 

 

Today's health tip

A key to getting in shape is determination and consistency. 

Notice how your body responds to exercise and truly enjoy all the benefits of exercise.  The more you focus on the benefits the easier it will be to motivate yourself to stick with your fitness plan.

Today's health tip

Do NOT postpone JOY! What you think about and how you feel has a profound effect on your body and immune system.

 

Joy can come in small doses. When you see, hear, taste, smell, feel or think something that causes you to smile... to feel uplifted; take just a moment and enjoy the joy.

 

Then, you will be likely to find more occassions like that one.

Today's health tip

A sign of healthy skin is not a lack of wrinkles but a good elasticity. As we age, we lose collagen and elasticity. Use natural products so that skin pores will not become clogged.

 

To improve skin elasticity and look younger, ensure you are well hydrated with fresh water, consume healthy fats such as fish oil or olive oil and do daily facial movements (move all the muscles of your face).

Today's Health Tip

One clove of garlic daily can decrease LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke by 38%.

 

Or... try a great product: Kyolic Garlic Aged Garlic Extract (Formula 104). All the benefits of garlic... and you can still meet you clients and kiss your spouse!