“Let him that would move the world first move himself.” Socrates. via Let him that would move the world first move himself. – Socrates.
Let him that would move the world first move himself
Eat More Dirt
A farmer in West Virginia blogs:
My morning routine gets me moving and my brain awakening. After I get my coffee and breakfast prepared, I carry it to my desk where the computer is first turned to email. I was happy to see today that this blog has a new subscriber who lives in the Philappines. We can safely assume she will not be shopping our farmers markets but something I wrote struck a cord for her and she signed on. Welcome! The local food movement is growing!
As I wandered down my email I came to my daily subscription for the New York Times. One of the op-ed pieces caught my eye and I want to share it with you: Dirtying Up Our Diets was written by Jeff D. Leach, a science and archaeology writer and founder of the Human Food Project. In the New York Times piece Leach poses one benefit to the increase in farmers market participation that I had not considered: we will be eating more dirt!
During the 20th century more Americans moved off the farm into the cities and no longer grew a good percentage of their own food. As food distribution industrialized, packaging of fresh produce became more prevalent and now we can get prewashed plastic bags of salads, vegetables all cut up ready for stir frying, and even prepared trays of fruit to bring to the next office party.
That popular time saving package saves you germs too. Sounds good, right?
Well, Leach says it is not all good. While he is not truly suggesting that we actually go eat some dirt and therefore ingest some harmful bacteria, he does say that all this washing has resulted in a reduction of the GOOD bacteria that our guts need.” Get more here: Eat More Dirt « wvfarm2u.
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
BrainyQuote via Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. – Dalai Lama.
It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether…
Here in the Green Bay area, we’re pretty much obliged to curate everything we come across from ‘The Vince’. BrainyQuote via It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether….
Any idea, plan, or purpose…
Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought. – Napoleon Hill
via Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through….
Related articles
- On Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Chapter 4, Auto-Suggestion, The Medium For Influencing The Subconscious Mind (vanessaharts.wordpress.com)
- From The Words Of A Legend (ron-robinson.typepad.com)
- Don’t Just Plan….Follow Through! (emdfx.wordpress.com)
- On Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Chapter 1, Thoughts Are Things (vanessaharts.wordpress.com)
- Daily Word: Check Your Desires!!! (allhiphop.com)
Friendship is always a sweet responsibility
Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity. – Khalil Gibran
Workin’ your body weight…
David Kanigan shared this great video as part of his morning workout schedule…
It’s a great reminder for me! I live in rural Wisconsin where we don’t have health clubs or fitness centers. For years, I’ve let myself go to hell physically because the nearest YMCA is 18 miles away in Sturgeon Bay — after all, how could I workout without an elliptical machine?
Lately I’ve made a couple of important changes that are helping me quite a bit;
- Eating mostly live or unprocessed foods [no more cheddarwurst, David!] — Brussels Sprouts ROCK!!! Try this recipe.
- Drinking mostly water and tea, although I’m still addicted to my morning ‘red eye’ [coffee with two shots of espresso] and the occasional beer from Titletown Brewing Company in Green Bay. I don’t drink with meals — doesn’t help the digestion at all and food/beverage pairings have been the death of me; ie, cookies and milk, pizza and beer, cheddarwurst and diet soda. Some things that go together just shouldn’t go together in your body…
- Walking every day. I used to be a runner until I had back surgery in 1990. I thought walking was for wusses — it was, the way I was doing it. I use Endomondo on my smartphone to compete against myself and walk miles in less than 14 minutes. Doing it that way, walking helps! NOT walking or exercising is for wusses. I bike, also and Endomondo has a website that shows me how all my efforts are adding up, too…
- Yoga. Yup, Yoga. I have a couple of apps on my smartphone like Daily Yoga for Back Buildup and Sworkit that are really useful for toning my almost 54 year old body. Clients like Jackie Dumaine have been instrumental in changing my mindset around tools like yoga, too…
- Last? I threw out my scale. In the past, I’ve lost 50lbs. three times; once using running in college, twice using Atkins. Atkins sucked for me — it was painful and the weight came back because the lifestyle is not sustainable. But, I wanted the instant gratification from the scale. This time around, I don’t let the scale tell me if I’m having a good day. I know if I’m doing the work or not and that if I do the right things, the right results will follow. I’m also not in it for a quick fix — I’m in it for the long haul; I want to live the rest of my life fit and healthy, not letting a mechanical device tell me if I’ve been good or bad.
You might be thinking to yourself at this point that I’m Captain Obvious but this stuff is just dawning on me now. David’s video got me thinking about the good decisions I’ve been making lately and the difference they are making in EVERYTHING I do and it’s encouragement to dig down deeper and do even more. Thanks, buddy! Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration: Workin’ your body weight… – Lead.Learn.Live..
Related articles
- Random Workouts from Sworkit (coolbusinessideas.com)
- Backup Workout Plan – Yoga at Home (sohohealthy.wordpress.com)
- Get Moving and Keep Moving… (gypsynurs.wordpress.com)
- How Yoga Is Great for Runners and Cyclists, Too (washingtonian.com)
- This Is Your Brain on Diet Soda: How Fake Sugar Makes You Overeat (theatlantic.com)
- Brussels Sprout Salad (thenourishedseed.wordpress.com)
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither. – C. S. Lewis
via Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and….
ParadoxicalProductivity: The Director’s Cut, the first 17
Nicholas Bate offers these tips:
1: Send Less E-Mail. Get less e-mail.
2: Tidy Up. Gain clarity.
3: Fewer People. Faster, focused and easier.
4: Use A Wall Planner Not Your Phone To Plan. The future, not just today.
5: You KNOW the problem: (1) Wake Up (2) Look Up (3) Get Real
6: Stand Up. Gain determination.
7: You Don’t Need To Be Nice. Polite, loyal and on time definitely. But this ain’t kindergarten.
8: Put the work in at the start. For an easy life later on.
9: Take A Break. It activates higher brain where the best work is always done.
10: Start at the end. Start with the result you want and work backwards.
11: Work Hard To Maintain The Relationship. Productive business needs trusting relationships.
12: Make Small, Big. And Big, Small. Get perspective/get a plan.
13: Know Your Rhythm. Follow your rhythm rather than just the Siren’s call of pure urgency.
14: Re-claim your unique advantage. Stop & Think.
15: Hands & Heart. Engage both.
16: Be Here Now. Once you have decided, give it 110%
17: Love Mondays. It sets the tone for the week.
The detail here.
Bonus 1: Professionalism 101
Bonus 2: How To Be Brilliant
Bonus 3: How To Be Brilliant at Business
via ParadoxicalProductivity: The Director’s Cut, the first 17.
Sadly, no mention of exercise and healthy eating. Perhaps those things are so obvious that Nicholas didn’t think it was necessary to put on this list. So, call me ‘master of the obvious’, but you’ll not likely be able to even touch this list if you aren’t eating healthily and exercising every day. Reference this post from yesterday…
If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there,…
BrainyQuote via If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there,….
Own Your Day With A Morning Ritual
Curated from FinerMinds:
Morning Rituals are not difficult to define – it’s basically something you do every morning after you wake up, as part of your daily schedule. This alone may sound trivial, but you’d be amazed at how a simple ritual could impact the rest of your day, and ultimately – your life.
What’s awesome about morning rituals is that you’re in control of whatever you choose to incorporate into it. What matters is deciding why you want to add a ritual into your morning and how doing it repeatedly will boost your spirit. See it as the opening credits to your day’s TV show starring you as the main character. Are you a stage owner like X-Factor, quirky but witty like 30 Rock or part of a lively bunch like Modern Family?
Morning Rituals give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and helps to prepare you mentally and physically for the day’s tasks and challenges. It also plays as the more tolerable (and likable) sidekick to your alarm clock, helping you to develop the habit of waking up at a certain time every day and going through an enjoyable routine until you leave your house.
Morning rituals are about you, and, depending on how well you’ve allocated your time for it – are also about indulging in the luxury of not having to rush to work or wherever it is you have to be. Organization is key!
Don’t have a morning ritual yet? To develop your own and stick to it firstly pick an appropriate wake-up time. How long would you need before you have to surrender yourself to reality? Next, pick your objective for your ritual – do you want to use it as a mood lifter, as a mean to improve your health, an opportunity to catch up with or a hobby, or extra quality time with your family?
Test your new ritual for a week or two to make sure if it sits with your personality and your schedule, and if you are able to practice it consistently. Allow time to experiment with what works best. Here are some great ideas we found online for a little inspiration:
1. Welcome the day at sunrise. Even if you don’t have to be up that early, just drag yourself out of bed and watch the sunrise whilst absorbing the stillness around you. Use this opportunity to have your alone time with you and the universe. The first break of light, the slow wakening of traffic, the morning dew – bask in the moment and breathe in this start to a positive day.
2. Start the day healthy. Take advantage of the morning quiet to meditate, which will help you connect with yourself to better prepare your body and mind for the day. Or break into a quick sweat with some yoga or exercise. Morning exercise jumpstarts your metabolism and will instantly energize you, not to mention regulate your appetite so you can make better food choices and not fall to the hands of irregular eating and bad snacking. In fact, exercise can improve brain power and protect against memory loss as you age. And who said you needed a whole hour to meditate or exercise? 15 minutes is all you need!
3. Include your loved ones in the ritual. Snuggle up together with your children and exchange dreams from the night before. Engage in a loving or relaxing chat with your partner (you may need to encourage them to participate but it will be worth it!). Open the door and let your cat or dog in; they are always happy to greet you in the morning! Or even spend 10 minutes mentally planning the day ahead and ensuring that all family members and tasks are accounted for (we recently read Victoria Beckham left her son Brooklyn at home as she drove to his school to drop him off…)
4. Dance the grogginess away. Pick an anthem for yourself, put it on and dance around in your bedroom or anywhere in the house. Even if you don’t dance or sing along, a little background music is sure to put a little bounce or pep in your steps as you prepare for your day.
5. Take breakfast outside. Or by the window. Or wherever you can get a decent view. Sink your feet into the grass as you walk around your garden, sipping on a mug of coffee. Have your cereal on the porch. Walk to the nearest cafe to get a freshly baked pastry or a smoothie. Watch your neighborhood come to life, and you will come to life too ;)
Do you already have a morning ritual? If yes – share it with us! If you don’t have one yet, what do you think yours could be, and would you be willing to start it soon? We’re all ears, and eyes!” via FinerMinds
Five Best Internet Radio Services
I love to listen to Baroque music while I blog [stimulates the brain, other physical benefits, etc.];
“Streaming music sites are a dime-a-dozen, but internet radio services—the kind where you press play, sit back, and enjoy music that you know you’ll love and only interact if you hear something you don’t—are a rarer breed. Sometimes you’re in the mood to just listen to music, not be a DJ. This week we’re going to take a look at five of the best internet radio services, based on your nominations.
For those times when you don’t feel like searching for something to hear or curating a playlist, internet radio services deliver on the promise to press play on a genre or song-based radio station and know you’re going to hear something you like. Sometimes you can interact with the station, other times you can’t. We asked you which internet radio services you thought were the best, you weighed in with dozens of nominations, and now we’re back to look at the top five.” Get more here: Five Best Internet Radio Services.
I usually use Pandora but lately, I’ve been trending toward Spotify because it’s more social and it integrates well with WordPress when I want to share music [although I do feel it’s too high priced!]. Follow the link to get the rundown on the top five — my recommendation? Pandora is the best value…
Trouble Maker
The Meta Picture via Trouble Maker.
Attack shame!
Melody Beattie writes:
“Shame can hold us back, hold us down, and keep us staring at our feet.” Beyond Codependency
Watch out for shame.
Many systems and people reek of shame. They are controlled by shame and may want us to play their game with them. They may be hoping to hook us and control us through shame.
We dont have to fall into their shame. Instead, we’ll take the good feelings self, acceptance, love, and nurturing.
Compulsive behaviors, sexually addictive behaviors, overeating, chemical abuse, and addictive gambling are shame-based behaviors. If we participate in them, we will feel ashamed. Its inevitable. We need to watch out for addictive and other compulsive behaviors because those will immerse us in shame.
Our past, and the brainwashing we may have had that imposed original shame upon us, may try to put shame on us. This can happen when were all alone, walking through the grocery store or just quietly going about living our life. Dont think. Dont feel. Dont grow or change. Dont be alive. Dont live life. Be ashamed!
Be done with shame. Attack shame. Go to war with it. Learn to recognize it and avoid it like the plague.
Today, I will deliberately refuse to get caught up in the shame floating around in the world. If I cannot resist it, I will feel it, accept it, then be done with it as quickly as possible. God, help me know that its OK to love myself and help me refuse to submit to shame. If I get off course, help me learn to change shame into guilt, correct the behavior, and move forward with my life in immediate self-love.” via Adult Children Anonymous.
Related articles
- Shame is a Useless Emotion (tinagilbertson.wordpress.com)
- To different people a criminal may be a… (quotingtanay.wordpress.com)
- self-sabotage and shame (heartjunky.wordpress.com)
- Gambling (ffeirio.wordpress.com)
- Codepedence is not just an issue for partners of addicts (toddlohenry.com)
ParadoxicalProductivity: The First 14
Nicholas Bate writes…
“1: Send Less E-Mail. Get less e-mail.
2: Tidy Up. Gain clarity.
3: Fewer People. Faster, focused and easier.
4: Use A Wall Planner Not Your Phone To Plan. The future, not just today.
5: You KNOW the problem: (1) Wake Up (2) Look Up (3) Get Real
6: Stand Up. Gain determination.
7: You Don’t Need To Be Nice. Polite, loyal and on time definitely. But this ain’t kindergarten.
8: Put the work in at the start. For an easy life later on.
9: Take A Break. It activates higher brain where the best work is always done.
10: Start at the end. Start with the result you want and work backwards.
11: Work Hard To Maintain The Relationship. Productive business needs trusting relationships.
12: Make Small, Big. And Big, Small. Get perspective/get a plan.
13: Know Your Rhythm. Follow your rhythm rather than just the Siren’s call of pure urgency.
14: Re-claim your unique advantage. Stop & Think.
The detail here.
Bonus 1: Professionalism 101
Bonus 2: How To Be Brilliant
Bonus 3: How To Be Brilliant at Business” via ParadoxicalProductivity, Director’s Cut: The First 14.
Dealing with ‘negativity overwhelm’
Words of wisdom from one of my favorite psychologists and clients, Gemma Stone…
Your brain is continually looking for bad news and for scary situations. As soon as it finds the scariest news, it fixates on it and shoots that information into memory storage. Later, it reactivates that information as soon as a similar situation or signal arises.
Here’s another interesting little fact: once the amydala sounds the alarm that it’s found a negative event, this negative event will immediately be stored in long-term memory. On the other hand, when a positive event is experienced, we need to pay attention to it for at least a dozen seconds before it transfers from short-term memory into long-term memory.” Get more here: dealing with negativity overwhelm | Gemma Stone.
I love helping people like her get her thoughts published!
Bright, shiny objects! 
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