See? Anyone can be a thought leader in 10 minutes with a little bit of tech. The Joy of Tech comic… The Internet’s got your back..
Great ideas
GoComics.com – Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson via Tuesday, June 19, 2012.
Gay pride parade?
Some things never change — my ‘straight’ sons never call either! :-D
The New Yorker via A Sunday morning cartoon. For more: http://nyr.kr/KwizX3.
Summer schedule?
GoComics.com – Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson via Saturday, June 23, 2012.
Tolerance
We have found tolerance to be a principle that no only strengthens our own recovery, but also our relationships with individuals who are a source of irritation to us. It becomes easier to accept other members’ frailties when we remember that we ourselves rarely turn over our own character defects until we become painfully aware of them.
Just for Today: I will strive to accept others as they are. I will try not to judge others. I will focus on the principles of love and acceptance.” via Just for Today Meditation.
Owning Our Power
More goodness for my spirit from Melody Beattie:
We don’t have to give others so much power and ourselves so little. We don’t have to give others so much credit and ourselves so little. In recovery from codependency, we learn there’s a big difference between humility and discounting ourselves.
When others act irresponsibly and attempt to blame their problems on us, we no longer feel guilty. We let them face their own consequences.
When others talk nonsense, we don’t question our own thinking.
When others try to manipulate or exploit us, we know it’s okay to feel anger and distrust and to say no to the plan.
When others tell us that we want something that we really don’t want, or someone tells us that we don’t want something that we really do want, we trust ourselves. When others tell us things we don’t believe, we know it’s okay to trust our instincts.
We can even change our mind later.
We don’t have to give up our personal power to anyone: strangers, friends, spouses, children, authority figures, or those over whom we’re in authority. People may have things to teach us. They may have more information than we have, and may appear more confident or forceful than we feel. But we are equals. Our magic is not in them. Our magic, our light, is in us. And it is as bright a light as theirs.
We are not second-class citizens. By owning our power, we don’t have to become aggressive or controlling. We don’t have to discount others. But we don’t discount ourselves either.
Today, I will own my power with people. I will let myself know what I know, feel what I feel, believe what 1 believe, and see what I see. I will be open to changing and learning from others and experience, but I will trust and validate myself too. I will stand in my own truth.” via June 24: Owning Our Power.
Good time management
Dilbert Daily Strip via Comic for May 30, 2012.
Skip The Gym: Health Benefits Of Outdoor Exercise
This article got me thinking about exercise…
Some people swear by the treadmill. Others can’t wait for the warm weather and the opportunities for outdoor exercise that come with it. But while you might think it comes down to personal preference, there’s a small body of research that suggests outdoor exercise might have even more health benefits than a trip to the gym.
The most recent study polled nearly 2,000 active participants in the 2008 Scottish Health Survey and found that outdoor physical activity had a 50 percent greater positive effect on mental health than going to the gym. The researchers, from Glasgow University, found that walking, running, biking and other outdoor activities through green space lowered stress, The Telegraph reported.
It’s not the first study to suggest outdoor exercise boosts mental health, but lead researcher Richard Mitchell, Ph.D., told The Telegraph that while the results themselves aren’t surprising, the extent to which outdoor exercise beats out indoor activity is. “I wasn’t surprised by the findings that exercise in natural environments is good for your mental health, but I was surprised by just how much better it is for your mental health to exercise in a green place like a forest, than in other places like the gym,” he said. “The message to doctors, planners and policy makers is that these places need protecting and promoting.”
A 2011 study found that outdoor exercise was associated with greater decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression when compared to indoor activity. And a 2010 study found that even just five minutes of exercise in a green space can improve mood and self-esteem, the BBC reported.
But there are other reasons to take your next sweat session outside. Click through the benefits below, then add your personal reasons for exercising outside in the comments!
For more on fitness and exercise, click here.” via Skip The Gym: Health Benefits Of Outdoor Exercise.
You don’t see this kind of stuff on the elliptical at the Y:
Here’s part of my story; for years I blamed my fat ass on the ‘fact’ that the Y was 18 miles away and I couldn’t afford an elliptical machine. I used to be a runner until I herniated a disc in 1990 and since then, I let myself get overweight because nothing else matched the benefits I got from running. Enter an inexpensive application for my Android called Endomondo Pro. People get motivated to exercise in different ways. I need to compete against myself and I need to see that I’m making progress; Endomondo helps with both and more…
Back in March, I was 15 lbs. heavier and had a waist size that was two inches bigger. I turned to exercises that I could do anywhere at any time instead of relying on the elliptical machine far away up in Sturgeon Bay. Later, when the weather got better I added biking to power walking and thanks to Endomondo I know that since I’ve started, I’ve had 99 exercise bouts and my workout time and distance [thanks to the bike] is steadily increasing:
Endomondo challenges me by giving me details stats of my workouts like this, too:
Thanks to Endomondo, I know I’m making progress; yesterday I shattered my PR for a 10 mile bike ride by almost 5 minutes which is more than a 10% reduction in time. This, for reasons I don’t really understand because of the way I’m wired helps ME to stay motivated and looking forward to exercise every day. Thanks to Endomondo, I’ve also learned that it takes me only 3-4 minutes longer to get to work by bike than by car, so why not take the bike? I show up more alert anyway!!!
It made me laugh this morning to know that at least one other person I know is using Endomondo well. David Kanigan writes about his challenges with Mr. Endomondo over at his blog:
3 miles out. Mr. Endomondo tells me I’m 8 seconds ahead of yesterday’s pace. (OK, momentum is now shifting. I fumble around to find AC-DC on a playlist. No more shuffling or fumbling around. AC-DC is going to bring me home the last 2.5 miles.)
4 miles out. Mr. Endomondo tells me that I’m 45 seconds ahead. (AC-DCs Back in Black comes on.
‘Cause I’m back
Yes, I’m back
Well, I’m back
Yes, I’m back
Well, I’m back, back
(Well) I’m back in black
Yes, I’m back in black
5 miles out. Mr. Endomondo tells me that I’m 65 seconds ahead. (I think I’ve broken Endomondo’s spirit. He didn’t seem to have the same confident tone with this time check. Teach you to go messing with me)
David, I’m going to suggest you either use Pandora or Spotify to get a more upbeat workout playlist! Oh, and I use the female voice so she’s Ms. Endomondo to me… :-D
Sometime today, I’ll take my 100th trip with Endomondo. Those trips — and the behaviors that surround them — have changed my life for good and for Good…
btw, thanks to David Kanigan for the walk video, too…
Motivation
Isn’t this usually what happens when we give our power over to other people? Find your own motivation! Dilbert Daily Strip via Comic for June 4, 2012.
Monarch of the Meadow
I don’t know how Bill does it — comes up with stunning shot after stunning shot. See more at Pops Digital via Monarch of the Meadow.
4 Seasonal Super Foods & 4 Easy Summer Recipes
Summer is upon us (unless you’re in parts of the world where it’s summer all year long – hurrah!), and we’re not just looking forward to the sun, the pool parties, the festivals, the backyard barbeques and cold beers at the beach – we’re also excited that some power foods are in season. Yup, we’re hip like that.
Like the anticipation of a new TV show season, these guys only grace the headlining shelves at supermarkets a few times a year, so we’ve selected four nutritious and flavorful foods that should be the star of your next culinary venture.” via 4 Seasonal Super Foods & 4 Easy Summer Recipes | FinerMinds.
What You Put Up With You END UP With!
The Daily Love via Visual Inspiration: What You Put Up With You END UP With!.
Detachment
Melody Beattie writes:
Detachment doesn’t come naturally for many of us. But once we realize
the value of this recovery principle, we understand how vital detachment
is. The following story illustrates how a woman came to understand
detachment.“The first time I practiced detachment was when I let go of my alcoholic
husband. He had been drinking for seven years, since I had married him.
For that long, I had been denying his alcoholism and trying to make him
stop drinking.“I did outrageous things to make him stop drinking, to make him see the
light, to make him realize how much he was hurting me. I really thought
I was doing things right by trying to control him.“One night, I saw things clearly. I realized that my attempts to control
him would never solve the problem. I also saw that my life was
unmanageable. I couldn’t make him do anything he didn’t want to do. His
alcoholism was controlling me, even though I wasn’t drinking.“I set him free, to do as he chose. The truth is, he did as he pleased
anyway. Things changed the night I detached. He could feel it, and so
could I. When I set him free, I set myself free to live my own life.
“I’ve had to practice the principle of detachment many times since then.
I’ve had to detach from unhealthy people and healthy people. It’s never
failed. Detachment works.”Detachment is a gift. It will be given to us when we’re ready for it.
When we set the other person free, we are set free….
Learning healthy detachment has been one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. I knew how to be attached in an unhealthy way; it’s called codependency. I knew how to be detached in an unhealthy way; it’s called “Eff you — I’m leaving!”. Healthy detachment for me looks a lot like interdependence without giving over control or response-ability to my partner but I can’t say that I’ve mastered it yet or that I will in this lifetime. It may come naturally to some people but it does not come naturally to me — I have to work hard at it every day. I don’t claim perfection — only progress — but I know that learning healthy detachment is one of the best investments I can make in myself…
Related articles
- Codepedence is not just an issue for partners of addicts (toddlohenry.com)
- Choices (toddlohenry.com)
- Sadness (toddlohenry.com)
- Recognizing Choices (toddlohenry.com)
- Directness (toddlohenry.com)
- …on Control (toddlohenry.com)
Jon Michaud looks at the War of 1812
The New Yorker via Jon Michaud looks at why the War of 1812, which commenced 200….
How to Clean a Rifle or Shotgun Faster Than Private Pyle
Anybody who knows his rifle from his gun can tell you how essential it is to keep a firearm cleaned and lubricated. So after a long day at the range (or at the top of a clock tower), here’s how to keep your rifle in perfect working order.” Get the answer here: How to Clean a Rifle or Shotgun Faster Than Private Pyle.
The Easiest Way to Get Rid of Weeds Without Harsh, Synthetic Chemicals
Every summer we wage a war on weeds. Instead of using commercial weed killer to eliminate those pesky weeds, we looked for more eco-friendly and cheap solutions and put them to the test to see which was best. Here are the results.
In this experiment, I tried 3 solutions: boiling water, white vinegar, and vinegar with some salt mixed in, and sprayed these to two areas with different kinds of weeds.” Get more here: The Easiest Way to Get Rid of Weeds Without Harsh, Synthetic Chemicals.
Bright, shiny objects! 
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