Yogis have known for centuries that a yoga practice makes us feel calm and centered. But science is finally catching up with what we've all experienced on the mat and the cushion: yoga changes our brain chemistry, which in turn helps improve mood and decrease anxiety.
A new study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary medicine reports that yoga triggers the release of the brain chemical gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, a chemical in the brain that helps to regulate nerve activity. The findings establish a new link between yoga, higher levels of GABA, and improved mood.
The study, led by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine (the lead researcher is a yogi!), brings us one step closer toward harnessing yoga's power of prevention and relaxation. Who knows: maybe this can lead to a wider acceptance of yoga in the medical community as a tool to help people struggling with anxiety and depression. Prescription for yoga, anyone?
http://blogs.yogajournal.com/yogabuzz/2010/11/new-research-says-yoga-changes-brain-chemistry.html
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Gratitude
Blessed day all ~
Hoping this day finds you full of grace, peace and gratitude for all that you have in your life - possessions, people, health, faith and love. I want to share some information that a dear friend, Roz Usheroff, passed along as it is poignant this time of year as we celebrate and give thanks.
“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” – 13th century German philosopher Meister Eckhart.
Gratitude is not a new concept for any of us. To this day, leadership books echo Eckhart’s advice. I invite you to consider gratitude from three perspectives: a way to increase joy in good times; a way to lessen pain in bad times; and a way to build your brand by giving voice to the gratitude you naturally feel in your heart. Because as novelist GB Stern said, “Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.”
Be grateful in good times.
Thankfulness is a great equalizer. In good times, it leads us to acknowledge that our success does not belong to us alone. See your success and good fortune in the context of the support, love and encouragement you have received over the years. Gratitude does not take away anything from you. Instead, I believe, it increases the joy you can gain from your success.
It is easy to see who understands the role of others in their success when listening to acceptance speeches at an awards dinner or watching the Academy Awards.
Compare James Cameron’s declaration he was, “king of the world,” when he received the Oscar for the movie ”Titanic,” with Jamie Foxx’seloquent and moving speech of gratitude when he won an Oscar for his performance as Ray Charles in “Ray”, which ended with a tearful tribute to his grandmother. Both speeches are on YouTube and are worth the study in contrast.
Those who are genuine in their gratitude toward family, friends and mentors move us when they speak. And in that moment, a connection is created.
Be grateful in difficult times.
Gratitude helps us maintain perspective when we are faced with adversity. In the face of losing a job, a promotion or a contract, we can still be grateful for the family, friends and loved ones who are part of our lives. In the face of personal loss due to illness, death or another tragedy, we can be grateful for those around us or a job that gives us structure and meaning during a difficult time.
Just as you have a professional network, you must also be part of a resiliency circle of close family and friends who are there for each other when things are good or not so good. Once on the other side of personal or professional tragedy, be sure to go back and thank those who stood by you on your darkest days.
Giving voice to gratitude.
There are many ways to give voice to your gratitude. Before doing so, think about the person you are thanking. Is he a private person? Would she appreciate public praise? Would a nice lunch together be appreciated or awkward for them? Observe how they thank others, as that is likely how they would prefer to be thanked.
Think about some of the nicest, most meaningful “thank you's” you have received in your life. What made them memorable?
Without prescribing any one way to say thank you, here are some ideas to consider:
• Make it personal. Hand-written notes - No matter how virtual the world becomes, there is something deeply personal about a note penned in one’s own handwriting on personal stationary.
• Choose your words. Don't just dash off the first thing that comes to your head. Take some time to craft your words – whether spoken or written – in a way that will hold meaning for the recipient.
• Pick up the phone. Ah, the telephone -- that semi-useless instrument on your desk beside your computer. It can be easier to impart sincerity and emotion with your voice than with a keyboard.
• Get creative. There are many online tools that can help you create personalized mementos from photos of a shared event or create some other symbolic way to memorialize a victory or milestone.
• Give a small gift. It is important that any thank-you gifts be appropriate and larger in meaning than in actual dollar value. You don't want your recipient to mistake a token of your thanks with payment for services rendered. For example, a Starbucks card for a devoted coffee drinker along with a personal note might be a winning combination.
• Give the gift of time. Two friends of mine stopped exchanging gifts a few years ago and started spending a day together on their birthdays. It has evolved into a tradition they both cherish.
There are as many ways to say thank you as there are reasons to say it. This holiday season, let family, friends and colleagues know how much you care. Live your life with gratitude; not with regrets because today is what truly counts.
With blessings and gratitude,
Dawn
Hoping this day finds you full of grace, peace and gratitude for all that you have in your life - possessions, people, health, faith and love. I want to share some information that a dear friend, Roz Usheroff, passed along as it is poignant this time of year as we celebrate and give thanks.
“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” – 13th century German philosopher Meister Eckhart.
Gratitude is not a new concept for any of us. To this day, leadership books echo Eckhart’s advice. I invite you to consider gratitude from three perspectives: a way to increase joy in good times; a way to lessen pain in bad times; and a way to build your brand by giving voice to the gratitude you naturally feel in your heart. Because as novelist GB Stern said, “Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.”
Be grateful in good times.
Thankfulness is a great equalizer. In good times, it leads us to acknowledge that our success does not belong to us alone. See your success and good fortune in the context of the support, love and encouragement you have received over the years. Gratitude does not take away anything from you. Instead, I believe, it increases the joy you can gain from your success.
It is easy to see who understands the role of others in their success when listening to acceptance speeches at an awards dinner or watching the Academy Awards.
Compare James Cameron’s declaration he was, “king of the world,” when he received the Oscar for the movie ”Titanic,” with Jamie Foxx’seloquent and moving speech of gratitude when he won an Oscar for his performance as Ray Charles in “Ray”, which ended with a tearful tribute to his grandmother. Both speeches are on YouTube and are worth the study in contrast.
Those who are genuine in their gratitude toward family, friends and mentors move us when they speak. And in that moment, a connection is created.
Be grateful in difficult times.
Gratitude helps us maintain perspective when we are faced with adversity. In the face of losing a job, a promotion or a contract, we can still be grateful for the family, friends and loved ones who are part of our lives. In the face of personal loss due to illness, death or another tragedy, we can be grateful for those around us or a job that gives us structure and meaning during a difficult time.
Just as you have a professional network, you must also be part of a resiliency circle of close family and friends who are there for each other when things are good or not so good. Once on the other side of personal or professional tragedy, be sure to go back and thank those who stood by you on your darkest days.
Giving voice to gratitude.
There are many ways to give voice to your gratitude. Before doing so, think about the person you are thanking. Is he a private person? Would she appreciate public praise? Would a nice lunch together be appreciated or awkward for them? Observe how they thank others, as that is likely how they would prefer to be thanked.
Think about some of the nicest, most meaningful “thank you's” you have received in your life. What made them memorable?
Without prescribing any one way to say thank you, here are some ideas to consider:
• Make it personal. Hand-written notes - No matter how virtual the world becomes, there is something deeply personal about a note penned in one’s own handwriting on personal stationary.
• Choose your words. Don't just dash off the first thing that comes to your head. Take some time to craft your words – whether spoken or written – in a way that will hold meaning for the recipient.
• Pick up the phone. Ah, the telephone -- that semi-useless instrument on your desk beside your computer. It can be easier to impart sincerity and emotion with your voice than with a keyboard.
• Get creative. There are many online tools that can help you create personalized mementos from photos of a shared event or create some other symbolic way to memorialize a victory or milestone.
• Give a small gift. It is important that any thank-you gifts be appropriate and larger in meaning than in actual dollar value. You don't want your recipient to mistake a token of your thanks with payment for services rendered. For example, a Starbucks card for a devoted coffee drinker along with a personal note might be a winning combination.
• Give the gift of time. Two friends of mine stopped exchanging gifts a few years ago and started spending a day together on their birthdays. It has evolved into a tradition they both cherish.
There are as many ways to say thank you as there are reasons to say it. This holiday season, let family, friends and colleagues know how much you care. Live your life with gratitude; not with regrets because today is what truly counts.
With blessings and gratitude,
Dawn
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Integrity - the Glue that Binds
Today I listened to a woman business leader in the insurance industry who spoke at the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) Indiana Chapter event regarding the importance of balancing family and career. Lori Beer is the executive vice president of Enterprise Business Services for WellPoint, Inc., a mother of 3 and and spouse to a loving husband. Great talk with some key takeaways I wanted to share:
- Your integrity is key in all aspects of life. Lead with integrity and hard work, and your intentions become clearer.
- Lead with integrity during the hard times when everything and everyone seems to be against you. It keeps you centered and on track.
- Prioritize the important things at work and home. Let go of the little things that don't really matter when it comes to the big picture.
- Put the oxygen mask on yourself first, then tend to others. We often hear this directive given on airplanes when traveling with children, however, the deeper meaning behind it is poignant - give yourself a break so you have the energy to be a better mother, spouse and leader to others.
- Be present; be here and now whether at home or work. It is all about your full attention more than time. Put down the Blackberry. Listen and engage with others, at home and work.
- Embrace change. You will be defined as a leader by how much you embrace change.
- Attitude is key in how you embrace change. Check it - often.
- Only you can define what works for you.
- Community Service and giving back - define what it means to you to give back, and involve your children in the experience.
- Follow your shadow as a leader - walk the talk.
"......Leadership is about taking people where they need to go." - Roselyn Carter
Blessings ~
- Your integrity is key in all aspects of life. Lead with integrity and hard work, and your intentions become clearer.
- Lead with integrity during the hard times when everything and everyone seems to be against you. It keeps you centered and on track.
- Prioritize the important things at work and home. Let go of the little things that don't really matter when it comes to the big picture.
- Put the oxygen mask on yourself first, then tend to others. We often hear this directive given on airplanes when traveling with children, however, the deeper meaning behind it is poignant - give yourself a break so you have the energy to be a better mother, spouse and leader to others.
- Be present; be here and now whether at home or work. It is all about your full attention more than time. Put down the Blackberry. Listen and engage with others, at home and work.
- Embrace change. You will be defined as a leader by how much you embrace change.
- Attitude is key in how you embrace change. Check it - often.
- Only you can define what works for you.
- Community Service and giving back - define what it means to you to give back, and involve your children in the experience.
- Follow your shadow as a leader - walk the talk.
"......Leadership is about taking people where they need to go." - Roselyn Carter
Blessings ~
Friday, November 5, 2010
Life is a journey, not a destination.
Hoping this day gives you patience for the gifts that will come and develop over time. While answers and direction are often provided, they may not reveal themselves when we want them to.
Great thoughts from a loving, supportive, charismatic, and dynamic mentor - Roz Usheroff. I had the privilege of meeting her this past week at a leadership conference in Philadelphia for the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association. It is a must share:
• Be true to your true talents. If your natural gifts are not a focal point of your career, then you must reassess your strategies and focus.
• Surround yourself with people who will champion you. This includes coaches, mentors, role models, and good friends.
• Adopt an attitude of gratitude and true humility. No one gets ahead without the help of others and without helping others.
• Look at failure as an opportunity to get a free education. Learn how to rise above the obstacles.
• Take time to celebrate all the small things. Your character isnot defined during the happy times but rather during those times when the roadblocks seem permanent.
• Leave a legacy that honors you as a person, a colleague, a friend, a loved one, a parent, a humanitarian, and a person of substance.
• If you only measure yourself by the money you make and your job title, you will always shortchange your fulfillment.
The Usheroff Institute is committed to making a difference in your industry. If you are interested in learning more about tapping into being remarkable or our other programs, please contact Jan at jan@usheroff.com or visit their website at www.usheroff.com for an extensive overview of program offerings.
Blessings and Namaste,
Dawn
Great thoughts from a loving, supportive, charismatic, and dynamic mentor - Roz Usheroff. I had the privilege of meeting her this past week at a leadership conference in Philadelphia for the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association. It is a must share:
• Be true to your true talents. If your natural gifts are not a focal point of your career, then you must reassess your strategies and focus.
• Surround yourself with people who will champion you. This includes coaches, mentors, role models, and good friends.
• Adopt an attitude of gratitude and true humility. No one gets ahead without the help of others and without helping others.
• Look at failure as an opportunity to get a free education. Learn how to rise above the obstacles.
• Take time to celebrate all the small things. Your character isnot defined during the happy times but rather during those times when the roadblocks seem permanent.
• Leave a legacy that honors you as a person, a colleague, a friend, a loved one, a parent, a humanitarian, and a person of substance.
• If you only measure yourself by the money you make and your job title, you will always shortchange your fulfillment.
The Usheroff Institute is committed to making a difference in your industry. If you are interested in learning more about tapping into being remarkable or our other programs, please contact Jan at jan@usheroff.com or visit their website at www.usheroff.com for an extensive overview of program offerings.
Blessings and Namaste,
Dawn
Monday, September 6, 2010
Believing In You
Blessed day all ~
Hoping this day finds you inspired with what God has placed in front of you - enamored with the possibilities - and humbled at the potential outcome.
At a time when the world seems to be in such a disarray, it is easy to turn a blind eye and believe that someone else will pick up the slack . . . that someone else will take responsibility and move things forward. Why wait for someone else to mold your future? Why wait for something else to carve a path for you to walk on? Now is the time for you. Now is the time for you to create your own path - choosing the path less traveled - to uncover the possibilities that await you. It is time to quit waiting on others to create your destiny. Believe in yourself - believe that you can move mountains and you will! Now is the time. I believe in you.
Watch your thoughts for they become words.
Choose your words for they become actions.
Understand your actions for they become habits.
Study your habits for they become your behavior.
Develop your character for it becomes your destiny.
Blessings,
Dawn
Hoping this day finds you inspired with what God has placed in front of you - enamored with the possibilities - and humbled at the potential outcome.
At a time when the world seems to be in such a disarray, it is easy to turn a blind eye and believe that someone else will pick up the slack . . . that someone else will take responsibility and move things forward. Why wait for someone else to mold your future? Why wait for something else to carve a path for you to walk on? Now is the time for you. Now is the time for you to create your own path - choosing the path less traveled - to uncover the possibilities that await you. It is time to quit waiting on others to create your destiny. Believe in yourself - believe that you can move mountains and you will! Now is the time. I believe in you.
Watch your thoughts for they become words.
Choose your words for they become actions.
Understand your actions for they become habits.
Study your habits for they become your behavior.
Develop your character for it becomes your destiny.
Blessings,
Dawn
Friday, August 13, 2010
Brendan Hogan
Today we lost one of God's brave earthly soldiers, as he returned "home" to be with his Father in Heaven. Although he was only 9-year-old, Brendan taught many of us strength, compassion, courage, love, and faith. Diagnosed with brain cancer at the tender age of 7, he proved to be a great fighter for almost 2 years, until the cancer won out - but did it really? Brendan lives on in our hearts and souls as he dances with Jesus in Heaven.
God bless you, Brendan, and the Hogan family!
God bless you, Brendan, and the Hogan family!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Life Purpose is to fill others with love!
Hoping this day finds you thankful for the many, many friends and family that love and adore you each and every day.
This past week was one of the hardest I have had to endure in a very, very long time. While in Seattle on a business trip last week, many in our company witnessed a horrific event - a stranger falling from a building to his death (suicide). Although none of us knew this person, we came to know about him posthumously. One never knows how they will react or respond at such an incident, but I have come to know that life is full of experiences that teach us many things. Witnessing this incident taught me that:
1) I must tell the people I love that I, in fact, love them with all my heart, and not take for granted or assume they know this. I question if John, the 24-year-old who fell to his death, truly knew this.
2) Know that my purpose on this life, at the very least, is to be an honorable servant of God, supportive and loving wife to my husband, and protector of my children. I must show this with my actions.
3) My life will be driven by God's purpose(s) for me - I must be open to receiving this, not resistant.
I encourage each of you to consider for a moment the many blessings you have and not take them for granted. The image of this person will always be with me as a reminder to fill others with love. I encourage you to fill others with love, also. Seeing the comments and postings on Johns Facebook Memorial page is eye opening. Many cared and loved him, and are deeply saddened at his death. Did he know how much love people had for him? If he knew, would he have fallen to his death?
Many people care and love you. Know this. Make sure you share your love openly with others.
Blessings,
Dawn
This past week was one of the hardest I have had to endure in a very, very long time. While in Seattle on a business trip last week, many in our company witnessed a horrific event - a stranger falling from a building to his death (suicide). Although none of us knew this person, we came to know about him posthumously. One never knows how they will react or respond at such an incident, but I have come to know that life is full of experiences that teach us many things. Witnessing this incident taught me that:
1) I must tell the people I love that I, in fact, love them with all my heart, and not take for granted or assume they know this. I question if John, the 24-year-old who fell to his death, truly knew this.
2) Know that my purpose on this life, at the very least, is to be an honorable servant of God, supportive and loving wife to my husband, and protector of my children. I must show this with my actions.
3) My life will be driven by God's purpose(s) for me - I must be open to receiving this, not resistant.
I encourage each of you to consider for a moment the many blessings you have and not take them for granted. The image of this person will always be with me as a reminder to fill others with love. I encourage you to fill others with love, also. Seeing the comments and postings on Johns Facebook Memorial page is eye opening. Many cared and loved him, and are deeply saddened at his death. Did he know how much love people had for him? If he knew, would he have fallen to his death?
Many people care and love you. Know this. Make sure you share your love openly with others.
Blessings,
Dawn
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Are you really open to God's blessings?
The answers to our prayers are always right in front of us, yet we miss them many times because we are not focused on the day we are in with openess to what God offers us this very day. Let us all pray today that our hearts will be open, with the peace of the Holy Spirit, to see all of the things that God has already provided for us. This is a wonderful daily habit to develop.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Declaration of Independence - Text
“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.” – Benjamin Franklin
When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. –Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.
He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.
He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.
He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:
For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing taxes on us without our consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:
For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:
For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:
For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:
For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.
We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.
New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
Read more: Declaration of Independence Text | 4th of July Quotes | Independence Day Quotes | The Daily Inquirer http://www.thedailyinquirer.net/declaration-of-independence-text-4th-of-july-quotes-independence-day-quotes/0717119#ixzz0sj6dq1fq
Via: The Daily Inquirer
When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. –Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.
He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.
He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.
He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:
For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing taxes on us without our consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:
For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:
For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:
For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:
For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.
We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.
New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
Read more: Declaration of Independence Text | 4th of July Quotes | Independence Day Quotes | The Daily Inquirer http://www.thedailyinquirer.net/declaration-of-independence-text-4th-of-july-quotes-independence-day-quotes/0717119#ixzz0sj6dq1fq
Via: The Daily Inquirer
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Love is patient, Love is kind
Standing beside you I took an oath to make your life simpler by complicating mine, and what I always thought would happen did. I was lifted up in joy!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Summer Solstice Celebration: Yoga in Times Square - Happening LIVE today!
http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/timessquare/?cam=lennon_hd
The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, and occurs on June 21st in the Northern Hemisphere. After the Summer Solstice the days begin to get imperceptibly shorter each day, until the Fall Equinox, when day and night are of equal length. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, and the Spring Equinox finds the days and nights equal once again. Then the days begin to get longer until another Summer Solstice occurs. These changes in the orientation of the earth and its orbit are what create seasons.
The Summer Solstice occurs on June 20-21 each year. It is considered the official first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and of Winter in the Southern Hemisphere. As the earth spins on its axis, it tilts either toward or away from the sun. When it tilts towards the sun, between June and September, it creates summer in the northern hemisphere; from December to March, it tilts away from the sun, creating winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Many cultures celebrate the solstices and the equinoxes, and many holidays have emerged to commemorate them. Christmas's pagan origins arose out of the Winter Solstice celebration. Other holidays such as Yalda, Saturnalia, Karachun, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Yule are also celebrated around this time.
The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, and occurs on June 21st in the Northern Hemisphere. After the Summer Solstice the days begin to get imperceptibly shorter each day, until the Fall Equinox, when day and night are of equal length. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, and the Spring Equinox finds the days and nights equal once again. Then the days begin to get longer until another Summer Solstice occurs. These changes in the orientation of the earth and its orbit are what create seasons.
The Summer Solstice occurs on June 20-21 each year. It is considered the official first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and of Winter in the Southern Hemisphere. As the earth spins on its axis, it tilts either toward or away from the sun. When it tilts towards the sun, between June and September, it creates summer in the northern hemisphere; from December to March, it tilts away from the sun, creating winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Many cultures celebrate the solstices and the equinoxes, and many holidays have emerged to commemorate them. Christmas's pagan origins arose out of the Winter Solstice celebration. Other holidays such as Yalda, Saturnalia, Karachun, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Yule are also celebrated around this time.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Recognition
Without a doubt, providing recognition is one of the best ways (if not the best way) to build and maintain superior performance. The reason for that is quite simple: reinforced behavior gets repeated.
~ Eric Harvey
~ Eric Harvey
Monday, June 7, 2010
Say Grace
On the surface, gratitude appears to arise from a sense that you're indebted to another person for taking care of you in some way, but looking deeper, you'll see that the feeling is actually a heightened awareness of your connection to everything else.
Gratitude flows when you break out of the small, self-centered point of view with its ferocious expectations and demands and appreciate that through the labors and intentions and even the simple existence of an inconceivably large number of people, weather patterns, chemical reactions, and the like, you have been given the miracle of your life, with all the goodness in it today.
When you awaken to the truth of this incredible interconnectedness, you are spontaneously filled with joy and appreciation. It is for this reason that one of the most transformative practices you can engage in is the cultivation of gratitude. Contentment, or appreciation for what you have, leads to unexcelled joy, while other yogic texts say that this sense of appreciation is the "supreme joy" that naturally leads to the realization of the Absolute. Thankfully, gratitude can be cultivated. It simply takes practice.
~From YogaJournal.com
http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/2424?utm_source=Wisdom&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=Wisdom
Gratitude flows when you break out of the small, self-centered point of view with its ferocious expectations and demands and appreciate that through the labors and intentions and even the simple existence of an inconceivably large number of people, weather patterns, chemical reactions, and the like, you have been given the miracle of your life, with all the goodness in it today.
When you awaken to the truth of this incredible interconnectedness, you are spontaneously filled with joy and appreciation. It is for this reason that one of the most transformative practices you can engage in is the cultivation of gratitude. Contentment, or appreciation for what you have, leads to unexcelled joy, while other yogic texts say that this sense of appreciation is the "supreme joy" that naturally leads to the realization of the Absolute. Thankfully, gratitude can be cultivated. It simply takes practice.
~From YogaJournal.com
http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/2424?utm_source=Wisdom&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=Wisdom
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Loving Life
The minute you begin to do what you really want to do, it's really a different kind of life.
-R. Buckminster Fuller
-R. Buckminster Fuller
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Insulin Maker Cuts Off Supply to Greece
Insulin Maker Cuts Off Supply to Greece
UPI Business News - May. 29, 2010
Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk says it has cut off the supply of insulin to Greece over a government order that all medicine prices be slashed 25 percent.
Novo Nordisk, the world’s leading supplier of the diabetes drug insulin, is pulling the drug from the Greek market because the mandated price cut would force the company’s Greek division to operate at a loss, a spokesman for the company told the BBC. The company said it also worried other countries could look to Greece’s example when setting drug prices.
More than 50,000 Greek diabetics rely on Novo Nordisk’s insulin, which is injected with a device that resembles a pen.
Novo Nordisk’s move drew condemnation in Greece, the where the Greek Diabetes Association called it brutal blackmail" and "a violation of corporate social responsibility."
Greece said it imposed the price cut as part of an effort to cut medical costs as the country struggles to reduce its debt.
Pavlos Panayotacos, whose 10-year-old daughter, Nephele, has diabetes, criticized Novo Nordisk in a letter to its chairman.
"As an economist I realize the importance of making a profit, but healthcare is more than just the bottom line," he wrote.
"As you well may know, Greece is presently in dire economic and social straits, and you could not have acted in a more insensitive manner at a more inopportune time."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why should you be concerned about this? Because pharmaceutical drug prices and production are impacted on a global scale. Should the US government begin to impose these kind of price cuts here in the US that Greece is imposing, we will begin to see a reduction in the drugs offered here in the states. For example, instead of having 5 different kinds of Type 2 diabetes medications to choose from, we may only have one which may or may not work for you. We live in a world where we have freedom of CHOICE. We are slowly seeing this choice taken away by government. Watch carefully what is happeing internationally. Our government behavior is behaving similarly to that of Europe, Greece, Mexico, and Venezuela in many ways. Be informed. Read. Watch. Listen. Do not be a passive participant and take what you hear at face value. Trust but validate.
UPI Business News - May. 29, 2010
Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk says it has cut off the supply of insulin to Greece over a government order that all medicine prices be slashed 25 percent.
Novo Nordisk, the world’s leading supplier of the diabetes drug insulin, is pulling the drug from the Greek market because the mandated price cut would force the company’s Greek division to operate at a loss, a spokesman for the company told the BBC. The company said it also worried other countries could look to Greece’s example when setting drug prices.
More than 50,000 Greek diabetics rely on Novo Nordisk’s insulin, which is injected with a device that resembles a pen.
Novo Nordisk’s move drew condemnation in Greece, the where the Greek Diabetes Association called it brutal blackmail" and "a violation of corporate social responsibility."
Greece said it imposed the price cut as part of an effort to cut medical costs as the country struggles to reduce its debt.
Pavlos Panayotacos, whose 10-year-old daughter, Nephele, has diabetes, criticized Novo Nordisk in a letter to its chairman.
"As an economist I realize the importance of making a profit, but healthcare is more than just the bottom line," he wrote.
"As you well may know, Greece is presently in dire economic and social straits, and you could not have acted in a more insensitive manner at a more inopportune time."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why should you be concerned about this? Because pharmaceutical drug prices and production are impacted on a global scale. Should the US government begin to impose these kind of price cuts here in the US that Greece is imposing, we will begin to see a reduction in the drugs offered here in the states. For example, instead of having 5 different kinds of Type 2 diabetes medications to choose from, we may only have one which may or may not work for you. We live in a world where we have freedom of CHOICE. We are slowly seeing this choice taken away by government. Watch carefully what is happeing internationally. Our government behavior is behaving similarly to that of Europe, Greece, Mexico, and Venezuela in many ways. Be informed. Read. Watch. Listen. Do not be a passive participant and take what you hear at face value. Trust but validate.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Robot Doctors?
Gienna Shaw, for HealthLeaders Media, May 18, 2010
Telehealth and remote medicine are hot topics these days, widely regarded as fields that are about to explode—from remote radiology readings to ICU monitoring by off-site intensivists, to e-visits during which the patient and physician consult via video. But perhaps the most futuristic use of these technologies is the doctor robot: a device that allows the doctor to "walk" (or, perhaps more accurately, roll) into a room and examine his or her patient.
One such device is the five-foot tall RP-7® Robot, manufactured by InTouch Health® in Santa Barbara, CA. A physician, using a control station and a joystick, can maneuver through the hospital halls, interacting with patients, family members, other clinicians, and staff via a live video feed. The doctor's face is visible on a monitor that serves as the robot's "head." A camera, speaker, and microphone allow real-time, two-way audio and video communication.
Clinicians use the remote presence devices in a variety of different applications, from time-sensitive stroke treatment, emergency room call, critical care coverage, hospital capacity management, and specialty training and collaboration.
Early adopters include California's UCLA Medical Center, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, MI, and the North Shore LIJ Health System in New York.
In addition to improved efficiency for doctors, who can conduct night and weekend rounds from their home, clinic, or office, the robots can also improve patient and family satisfaction. In a study led by Louis Kavoussi, MD, chairman of urology at North Shore-LIJ, and the nation's first user of the remote rounding robot, half the patients preferred a "tele-rounding" visit by their own doctor to a "real" visit by another physician. More than 80% of the patients felt that the robot increased physician accessibility.
"Patients have been extraordinarily receptive and enthusiastic about the robot," Kavoussi, who is using one of the three robots at LIJ to check on his patients after hours and on weekends, said in a release. LIJ is also using two robots in its ICU. The hospital's intensivists use the robots from their homes and offices to provide additional patient monitoring.
Although there are benefits—especially in rural and other areas where access to specialists is limited and as a Band-Aid for the physician shortage in general—there are some critics who say some robotic-controlled procedures are gimmicks, that the price of the technology is to steep for many hospitals, and it could limit the human contact that's important to the patient-physician relationship, notes an article in the Ventura County Star in Camarillo, CA ("Robots' place in diagnostics, surgeries debated").
An anecdote I heard recently suggests the latter argument is not always true, however. An elderly woman had been seeing her physician via robot over the course of several visits. At the time of one scheduled visit the physician was in the area and decided to meet with her in person. "What are you doing here?" she asked when he walked in the exam room. "And where is my robot?"
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/print/TEC-251199/Domo-Arigato-Doctor-Roboto
Telehealth and remote medicine are hot topics these days, widely regarded as fields that are about to explode—from remote radiology readings to ICU monitoring by off-site intensivists, to e-visits during which the patient and physician consult via video. But perhaps the most futuristic use of these technologies is the doctor robot: a device that allows the doctor to "walk" (or, perhaps more accurately, roll) into a room and examine his or her patient.
One such device is the five-foot tall RP-7® Robot, manufactured by InTouch Health® in Santa Barbara, CA. A physician, using a control station and a joystick, can maneuver through the hospital halls, interacting with patients, family members, other clinicians, and staff via a live video feed. The doctor's face is visible on a monitor that serves as the robot's "head." A camera, speaker, and microphone allow real-time, two-way audio and video communication.
Clinicians use the remote presence devices in a variety of different applications, from time-sensitive stroke treatment, emergency room call, critical care coverage, hospital capacity management, and specialty training and collaboration.
Early adopters include California's UCLA Medical Center, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, MI, and the North Shore LIJ Health System in New York.
In addition to improved efficiency for doctors, who can conduct night and weekend rounds from their home, clinic, or office, the robots can also improve patient and family satisfaction. In a study led by Louis Kavoussi, MD, chairman of urology at North Shore-LIJ, and the nation's first user of the remote rounding robot, half the patients preferred a "tele-rounding" visit by their own doctor to a "real" visit by another physician. More than 80% of the patients felt that the robot increased physician accessibility.
"Patients have been extraordinarily receptive and enthusiastic about the robot," Kavoussi, who is using one of the three robots at LIJ to check on his patients after hours and on weekends, said in a release. LIJ is also using two robots in its ICU. The hospital's intensivists use the robots from their homes and offices to provide additional patient monitoring.
Although there are benefits—especially in rural and other areas where access to specialists is limited and as a Band-Aid for the physician shortage in general—there are some critics who say some robotic-controlled procedures are gimmicks, that the price of the technology is to steep for many hospitals, and it could limit the human contact that's important to the patient-physician relationship, notes an article in the Ventura County Star in Camarillo, CA ("Robots' place in diagnostics, surgeries debated").
An anecdote I heard recently suggests the latter argument is not always true, however. An elderly woman had been seeing her physician via robot over the course of several visits. At the time of one scheduled visit the physician was in the area and decided to meet with her in person. "What are you doing here?" she asked when he walked in the exam room. "And where is my robot?"
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/print/TEC-251199/Domo-Arigato-Doctor-Roboto
Monday, May 3, 2010
Drink This to Help Undo a Heavy Meal
By Real Age
When you overdo it and down a day's calories in one sitting, your body's inflammatory processes go into overdrive. But here's a way you might counter it: Drink orange juice.
In a recent study, people who had eaten a supersized fast-food breakfast experienced a much milder inflammatory response in their bodies when they drank OJ with the meal.
High-Calorie Catastrophe
Whatever you do, don't pair that overindulgence with a soda. When researchers compared the effects that three different beverages had on the way bodies process big, fatty, inflammation-triggering foods, sugar water was the worst of the bunch. It seemed to exacerbate the inflammatory response. Plain water faired somewhere in between orange juice and sugar water. But it has the added benefit of being calorie-free.
The Flavonoid Fix ~
What makes orange juice so good at helping clamp down on the inflammation and oxidation that big, fatty meals cause? The heroes are likely two important flavonoids found in oranges -- naringenin and hesperidin. These powerful antioxidants help tamp down body processes that can damage blood vessels and lay the groundwork for big health problems, like atherosclerosis and heart disease.
Reference Published on 05/03/2010:
Orange juice neutralizes the proinflammatory effect of a high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal and prevents endotoxin increase and Toll-like receptor expression. Ghanim, H. et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2010 Apr;91(4):940-949.
When you overdo it and down a day's calories in one sitting, your body's inflammatory processes go into overdrive. But here's a way you might counter it: Drink orange juice.
In a recent study, people who had eaten a supersized fast-food breakfast experienced a much milder inflammatory response in their bodies when they drank OJ with the meal.
High-Calorie Catastrophe
Whatever you do, don't pair that overindulgence with a soda. When researchers compared the effects that three different beverages had on the way bodies process big, fatty, inflammation-triggering foods, sugar water was the worst of the bunch. It seemed to exacerbate the inflammatory response. Plain water faired somewhere in between orange juice and sugar water. But it has the added benefit of being calorie-free.
The Flavonoid Fix ~
What makes orange juice so good at helping clamp down on the inflammation and oxidation that big, fatty meals cause? The heroes are likely two important flavonoids found in oranges -- naringenin and hesperidin. These powerful antioxidants help tamp down body processes that can damage blood vessels and lay the groundwork for big health problems, like atherosclerosis and heart disease.
Reference Published on 05/03/2010:
Orange juice neutralizes the proinflammatory effect of a high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal and prevents endotoxin increase and Toll-like receptor expression. Ghanim, H. et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2010 Apr;91(4):940-949.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Excerpt from 'Getting Good at Getting Along'
Many people say that the best relationships are those that are 50-50. It’s a nice idea, but it often falls short in real life. People hold onto resentments – waiting for the other person to “see the light.” People insist that others take their share of responsibility when an issue comes up: “I’ve done my part; now it’s their turn.” The problem is, you might be waiting a very long time if you always insist that relationships (and their problems) be 50-50 propositions.
If you’re really serious about getting good at getting along with others, here’s an idea that can transform your life: Instead of expecting people to meet you 50-50, try making it 100-0. You take on the entire responsibility for making the relationship work, and don’t worry about whether the other person is doing their part!
Yes, it’s a somewhat radical idea. But if you’re up to really having amazing relationships at work – and in your personal life – this will do it. You’ll never again feel that you’re at the mercy of someone else. You’ll never feel like a victim of another’s actions or inactions.
Here’s how it works …
• Assume that the other person is a given. “He is who he is.” “This is her personality – she isn’t going to change.” Just accept the person exactly as they are – and exactly as they aren’t. This is who you’ve got to work with.
• Ask yourself, How can I change my words or actions when I deal with this person? You don’t have to change your whole personality – you’re just going to use different language and behaviors when dealing with this person.
• Try out new behaviors and new ways of conversing with your “problem person.” See what works and do more of it. If something doesn’t work, stop doing it.
• Learn from others. Watch others who have excellent interpersonal relationships and learn from them. If you want good relationships like those, mimic them.
• When there’s a problem, take ownership of it. As long as someone else is the problem, you’re powerless. But if YOU own the problem, then YOU can own and control the solution.
If you’re really serious about getting good at getting along with others, here’s an idea that can transform your life: Instead of expecting people to meet you 50-50, try making it 100-0. You take on the entire responsibility for making the relationship work, and don’t worry about whether the other person is doing their part!
Yes, it’s a somewhat radical idea. But if you’re up to really having amazing relationships at work – and in your personal life – this will do it. You’ll never again feel that you’re at the mercy of someone else. You’ll never feel like a victim of another’s actions or inactions.
Here’s how it works …
• Assume that the other person is a given. “He is who he is.” “This is her personality – she isn’t going to change.” Just accept the person exactly as they are – and exactly as they aren’t. This is who you’ve got to work with.
• Ask yourself, How can I change my words or actions when I deal with this person? You don’t have to change your whole personality – you’re just going to use different language and behaviors when dealing with this person.
• Try out new behaviors and new ways of conversing with your “problem person.” See what works and do more of it. If something doesn’t work, stop doing it.
• Learn from others. Watch others who have excellent interpersonal relationships and learn from them. If you want good relationships like those, mimic them.
• When there’s a problem, take ownership of it. As long as someone else is the problem, you’re powerless. But if YOU own the problem, then YOU can own and control the solution.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
A Mother's Love
A mother’s love is as big as a house, deep as an ocean, constant as the stars. A mother’s love is all encompassing, all knowing, and all forgiving. It is home. And yet, as big as it is, a mother’s love remembers all the details and knows the littlest things can be the most important—like how much chocolate in the milk, when to offer advice and when to be still, and just the right squeezing that makes the perfect hug. From the biggest moments down to the sweetest nothings, a mother’s heart stands at the ready to comfort, encourage, inspire, protect and, most of all, love.
Mother’s LOVE shows us the way.
Mother’s COURAGE can move mountains.
Mother’s WISDOM holds you close.
“It is not until you become a mother that your judgment slowly turns to compassion and understanding.”
~Erma Bombeck
Mother’s LOVE shows us the way.
Mother’s COURAGE can move mountains.
Mother’s WISDOM holds you close.
“It is not until you become a mother that your judgment slowly turns to compassion and understanding.”
~Erma Bombeck
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
You Belong to God
Consider this. You have a master that you serve. You belong to this master. You are made to follow and worship such a master. This is your design, your nature; this is what you do. Call it other things—choosing your own destiny, doing things your way—but you serve. You can believe that you are independent, that you are in control, that you are on top and in charge, but you follow and you worship. In great wonder and beauty and glory, this is how you are made. You are made to belong to someone. You are made to belong.
Now, if you belong to someone, all of who you are belongs to that master. If you belong to God, your past and your present and your future belong to Him. He bought them. Did you hear that? He owns your past, you don’t. He has purchased you, and your past is His to redeem. So you can let go of it and give it to Him. He also possesses your future, so you don’t need to worry about tomorrow. And He owns your present moment, your “right now” so that you can release it to Him as well. He can handle all of this quite well; far, far better than any other master you can choose.
Life in Him is meant to be this simple and good.
PRAY
Lord, thank you that You have saved me and purchased me with your death. I belong to You. May I find all my deepest desires for belonging, peace-filled surrender, freedom to follow someone I can fully trust, serving well and doing things of great lasting value, worshiping in celebration and wonder and free-flowing praise. May I find all of these things of my heart met in You. May I accept no substitutes or alternatives. Please deliver me from all deception and grant to me a heart filled with You and focused on You alone. Amen.
READ
1 PETER 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Now, if you belong to someone, all of who you are belongs to that master. If you belong to God, your past and your present and your future belong to Him. He bought them. Did you hear that? He owns your past, you don’t. He has purchased you, and your past is His to redeem. So you can let go of it and give it to Him. He also possesses your future, so you don’t need to worry about tomorrow. And He owns your present moment, your “right now” so that you can release it to Him as well. He can handle all of this quite well; far, far better than any other master you can choose.
Life in Him is meant to be this simple and good.
PRAY
Lord, thank you that You have saved me and purchased me with your death. I belong to You. May I find all my deepest desires for belonging, peace-filled surrender, freedom to follow someone I can fully trust, serving well and doing things of great lasting value, worshiping in celebration and wonder and free-flowing praise. May I find all of these things of my heart met in You. May I accept no substitutes or alternatives. Please deliver me from all deception and grant to me a heart filled with You and focused on You alone. Amen.
READ
1 PETER 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)