If You Want a Powerful Day, Create a Personal Morning Ritual
by Christine Kane
Your habits create your destiny. Have you ever heard that one? Even if you have, read it again. Then read it again. And yea, one more time. :-)
Then, consider this:
Your habits also create your confidence, courage and even your creativity!
Don't believe me? Read on ...
I used to be a creature of zero habits. As a result, I didn't have much direction or focus. Then, I began to shift. I began to create my life. I turned things around. I created habits and rituals - something I had previously dismissed as "too driven" or "too robotic." (Let the winds blow where they will, right?)
For the record, it IS good to be in the present moment and adopt the principle of surrender. But many people use these ideas as an excuse for not even trying to "Live Creative." They allow themselves to become "reactors" of their day, rather than the creators they were born to be.
So, how do you change that? How do you manage all the stuff on your plate? How do you create your day, rather than react to it?
Well, for starters, begin with your own personal morning ritual. Your morning ritual sets the tone for your day, your productivity and even your life.
Your morning ritual is personal. Your morning ritual is what gets YOU on track to create your best day. (And subsequently, your best life!) It can be simple or complex. The important thing is that it becomes a HABIT. (Which is why it's best to start simple.)
My morning ritual combines a mixture of physical, mental and heart-centered activities to engage each of these human power centers!
Here are some easy ideas you can choose from to help you create your own powerful morning ritual.
Hydrate First
Many Eastern health practitioners recommend chugging down at least a half-liter of filtered room-temperature water first thing. (Yes, before your coffee!)
Upon waking, your body has spent hours without hydration. Drinking pure water at this time triggers a series of physiological functions that keep your body super healthy. Some report that this one practice can actually heal many diseases. (I'm not a scientist - but I can attest to the amazing results!)
Get Moving
Exercise is called "The Number One Form of Preventive Medicine."
It is also a prescription for happiness and a cure for depression! Getting exercise first thing sets your day off right. You can do a simple stretching routine, yoga or an all-out heart-pounding hour at the gym. Pick something do-able and then do it.
Meditate
Start with just 5 minutes. Meditation connects you to your center and to the deep silence that surpasses any drama that might be happening in the world of your personality. Don't worry about doing it right. Just allow yourself the time to BE.
Set Intention
Your intention is everything. It is your daily GPS.
Your intention sets the course and brings focus.
Reflect for a moment on your Word of the Year. Read a goal you've written down for yourself. Remind yourself of a financial dream. (If you're one of my Gold or Platinum coaching clients, read your Goal Cards!)
You don't have to know the HOW. You just need to set the intention so your inner GPS stays on target!
Be Grateful
Before I get out of bed, I silently create a morning gratitude list. When I begin my day remembering my "gratitudes," (instead of my "anxieties") my heart fills with extreme joy and deep awareness. I then bring that energy into everything I do - and to everyone with whom I connect.
Eat Creative
Your choice of breakfast foods can set up your success with other meals as well. Start your day off in the healthiest way possible for you - and make it a ritual, not a chore. And yes, it's true what they say: Breakfast is essential!
Be Prepared: Create a Not-to-Do List
Create a "Not To Do" morning list so that you are aware of your Default Activities in advance, and you can catch yourself before you fall into their trap!
Suggestions here include anything that brings up a "reactive" state: Turning on Fox news. Checking email. Answering texts. Answering the phone.
Let these things wait until AFTER your ritual has been completed!
Do it!
After reading this article, don't just think, "Wow. Those are good ideas. I should try one or two."
Instead, deliberately create your morning ritual now. Take about 20 minutes to think about and write down what your ritual will be each morning. Start simple at first. Choose one or two items from this menu. Or come up with your own. Write out your personal morning ritual in detail.
Begin first thing tomorrow morning, and let your habits create YOUR destiny starting now!
How to Have Unwavering Faith in Your Own Ideas by Christine Kane
Have you ever said something like this to a friend:
"Okay - I have this idea...
You then spend a good three minutes explaining your idea - and you finish off by asking,
"...Is that a good idea? Or am I just, like, COMPLETELY freakin' NUTS?"
So, let's talk about this little habit for a moment, okay?
Here's why.
Because #1: The IDEA is not the problem.
And #2: YOU are! :-)
If you recognize yourself in that above example, it's okay. But please understand the REAL ISSUE.
The real issue is not about the idea. The real issue is about DOING IT. And the even realer issue is about fear. As Seth Godin says: "There isn't a shortage of ideas. There's a shortage of execution."
So here's a few simple ways to begin creating unwavering faith in your ideas - so you can (gasp!) DO something about them.
1. Consider HOW you share your ideas.
Say you're sharing your idea with a friend. And say you add the self-deprecating "finisher." (ie, "...or is that the stupidest thing you've ever heard?")
This is the "smoke and mirrors" approach to sharing an idea. The share-ee, rather than getting to help you with your idea - now has to deal with the QUESTION you've presented - which is dramatic, self-defacing, and has nothing at all to do with your idea.
Imagine you're sitting in front of Donald Trump, and he's considering investing in your idea. Would he even give you a second of his time if you closed with one of your self-deprecating questions?
No way!
Your friend has the same dilemma.
When it comes right down to it, people read your energy MORE THAN they absorb your idea. If your energy is all over the place, it's hard for them to take your idea seriously.
2 - "Procrastination-by-Inquiry."
One night I caught an MTV video with an electric guitar player surrounded by women clad in nothing but plastic thongs. I got an idea for a song.
Rather than pick up my guitar and begin writing, I did the next best thing.
I waited.
Later, I called my friend Kathy. I explained about the video and about my song idea- and shared a list of reasons my idea was boring, and should I just give up on everything in my life?
After a long pause, Kathy said, "Tell you what Christine. You write the song. Then we'll decide if it's good."
Face it. There's absolutely NO way to know if an idea is going to be "a good idea." In fact, there's at least 10 good reasons it's NOT going to work. Asking people about your idea is often just "Procrastination-by-Inquiry." You aren't going to know if it's good until you start DOING something about it.
(By the way, that song I mentioned became my most requested song ever.)
3 - Be careful WHO you share your idea with.
I'm guessing there's at least five people in your life with one common trait:
They're the WORST people you could EVER share a new idea with. They'll tell you it's a terrible idea - and that yes you ARE, in fact, insane.
So, then, why are we compelled to share our ideas with these five folks?
Well, they provide an amazing service. In fact, we secretly LOVE these people!
Why?
Because then we never have to do anything! We don't have to take action. After all, if Uncle Richie says that your idea for a vegetarian catering service stinks - then hey, good news! You don't have to face your fears! Now you get to head home and dive headlong into a bag of Cheeto's and watch reruns of The Biggest Loser!
Do yourself a favor. For the sake of your spirit and your ability to take action - be mindful of who gets to hear about ANY of your ideas.
4 - The most crucial question of all.
Here's a question that will end all questioning and make you the most productive kid on your block.
"What is the very next step I need to take?"
When I knew I wanted to be a songwriter, I bought a guitar. I'd sit in my apartment and learn riffs while a metronome ticked along in the background.
At no time, during the implementing of these steps could anyone say to me: "Are you INSANE? You're playing SCALES? Have you LOST YOUR MIND?"
No. Because I was simply taking the next step.
Here's a secret:
Getting the idea is step one. The rest of the steps are all about tricking your ego into shutting up so you can get stuff done. The ego would prefer it if you'd just continue getting big ideas. The ego LOVES your big ideas because then it can reach into its arsenal of big fears and big dramas - and it can MATCH your big idea.
The ego doesn't have much to say when you sit down and do some work for 30 minutes. That's not nearly dramatic enough.
So, what's the next step you need to take?
5 - Give it Legs.
The most successful people make decisions quickly.
Even if that doesn't apply to every single decision, it makes perfect sense. Many of us let our emotions, our hooks, and our drama become the perfect excuse for procrastination and fear.
Wanna know the exactly how to have faith in your idea? Decide to do it.
Decision gives legs to intentions.
Make a decision. Tell someone you're going to do it. Move forward. Then wake up tomorrow and decide again.
Anytime your faith wavers, decide again.
Repeat until successful.
Christine Kane is the Mentor to Women Who are Changing the World. She helps women uplevel their lives, their businesses and their success. Her weekly LiveCreative eZine goes out to over 12,000 subscribers. If you are ready to take your life and your world to the next level, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://christinekane.com.
6 Ways to Protect Yourself Against Alzheimer's and Dementia
By Sarah Baldauf, US News Thursday, Jan 27, 2011
We all want to dodge the Alzheimer's bullet. And lucky us, Mother Nature has counterbalanced the power of our hard-wired genes by allowing multiple lifestyle choices to greatly influence our aging. Read: Your destiny is not fated; you do have some control. Yes, genes are powerful forces, but they "are not even the dominant factor" for the vast majority of people, says Paul Thompson, professor of neurology at the University of California-Los Angeles School of Medicine. Here are some actionable factors that can help your brain stay healthy over the long term.
1. Physical activity
Research from the University of Illinois has suggested that regular aerobic activity—like running, walking, or bicycling, which require oxygen to produce energy—may do a better job of protecting brain function than nonaerobic activity, which does not recruit oxygen and uses short bursts of motion (golf, tennis, and lifting weights). Reaping the cognitive benefits of pumping oxygen- and sugar-rich blood to the brain won't require high intensity exercise, says William Thies, chief medical and scientific officer of the Alzheimer's Association. The Alzheimer's Association advises picking activities you like and doing them regularly for at least 30 minutes a day.
2. Weight control
The heavier a person is, the more likely he or she may be to develop Alzheimer's. Thompson published research that found that the brains of older individuals who were obese (with a body mass index over 30) had approximately 8 percent less brain volume than subjects of normal weight (BMI between 18.5 and 25). When brain-volume loss reaches about 10 percent, Thompson says, symptoms like memory trouble or confusion appear. Earlier studies have suggested that people who are obese in midlife have a threefold increased risk of developing Alzheimer's, and those who are overweight (considered a BMI between 25 and 30) have a twofold increased risk. This is due, at least in part, to the fact that with added pounds, fat gets deposited in the brain and narrows blood vessels that deliver fuel, Thompson theorizes. Over the long term, brain cells die and vital connections and volume are lost.
3. Mental challenges
No, it's not just about doing sudoku—though puzzles do fall into the category. The brain's ability to reorganize neural pathways with new information or experiences means it's regularly changing; we can even generate new brain cells. But you need to work it. The general guideline, says Neil Buckholtz, chief of the dementias of aging branch at the National Institute on Aging, is regularly engaging in "some kind of new learning that challenges you." No one knows exactly what works, though population research has shown that having more years of formal education seems to be protective. Folks with lots of schooling can still get Alzheimer's, but the disease may appear later. From that, some extrapolate that lifelong curiosity and learning may have benefits.
4. Social connections
Research has found that people with larger social networks, while they had similar amounts of the plaques and tangles of Alzheimer's as did more isolated people, were less affected cognitively. And separate research suggests that psychological distress over the long term significantly raises a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's. Thies predicts that science will eventually reveal that "this kind of interaction stimulates the brain to make new connections" that perhaps help compensate for decline. To get a threefer, try learning the intricate steps of the tango in a dance class with your friends.
5. Healthy diet
"What we have pretty good evidence for is that a diet higher in vegetables and lower in fat is [protective,]" explains Thies. While the evidence doesn't offer up any recipes for success, the general recommendation is to get plenty of veggies and fruits with dark skins, like spinach, beets, red bell peppers, onions, eggplants, prunes, blackberries, strawberries, red grapes, oranges, and cherries, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Some evidence suggests green, leafy cruciferous vegetables, in particular, are helpful. Eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids may be beneficial. So may some nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, and pecans, that have high levels of vitamin E, an antioxidant. Research published in the Archives of Neurology suggested that the Mediterranean diet appears to be protective against Alzheimer's. Some animal research has shown that curcumin, which is in the curry spice turmeric, suppresses the buildup of beta-amyloid, a main component in the harmful plaques in the Alzheimer's-afflicted brain.
6. Chronic disease control
Buckholtz notes that "high blood pressure in old age is a very strong risk factor for developing Alzheimer's later on, but if you can keep the blood pressure down, that decreases your risk." And a study published in the journal Dementia & Geriatric Cognitive Disorders found that people in their 40s who had mildly elevated cholesterol were at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's later in life. A sizable body of evidence suggests that type 2 diabetes and heart disease affect the brain and perhaps the development or severity of Alzheimer's.
Tips for a longer life
Courtesy of Harvard Medical School.
No matter what your age, you have the power to change many of the variables that influence how long you live, and how active and vital you feel in your later years. Actions you can take to increase your odds of a longer and more satisfying life span are really quite simple:
Don’t smoke.
Enjoy physical and mental activities every day.
Eat a healthy diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, and substitute healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats for unhealthy saturated fats and trans fats.
Take a daily multivitamin, and be sure to get enough calcium and vitamin D.
Maintain a healthy weight and body shape.
Challenge your mind. Keep learning and trying new activities.
Build a strong social network.
Follow preventive care and screening guidelines.
Floss, brush, and see a dentist regularly.
Ask your doctor if medication can help you control the potential long-term side effects of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, osteoporosis, or high cholesterol.
Smoking: An enemy of longevity
If you want to live a long, healthy life, make sure you’re among the nonsmokers. Smoking contributes to heart disease, osteoporosis, emphysema and other chronic lung problems, and stroke. It makes breathing during exercise much harder and thus can make activity less enticing. It appears to compromise memory, too.
The news does get better. People who quit smoking can repair some, if not all, of the damage done. After a smoker quits, the risk of heart disease begins to drop within a few months, and in five years, it matches that of someone who never smoked. Stroke risk drops to equal that of a nonsmoker within two to four years after a smoker quits, according to one study. The death rate from colorectal cancer also decreases each year after quitting. At any age, quitting progressively cuts your risk of dying from cancer related to smoking, although this drop is most marked in those who quit before age 50.
Diet and aging: Gaining a nutritional edge
Plenty of research suggests that eating healthy foods can help extend your life and improve your health. Studies reveal that a healthy diet can help you sidestep ailments that plague people more as they age, including heart disease, hypertension, cancer, and cataracts.
There is no shortage of new and conflicting advice on diet and nutrition. Stick to the basics with more broad-based changes, such as cutting back on meat; eating more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains; and striking a healthy balance between calories in and calories out.
Choose fruits and vegetables wisely
Get at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. When filling your plate with fruits and vegetables, choose from a full color palette. For even more health benefits, aim for nine servings a day. To get there, choose vegetable soups and vegetable or fruit salads. Sprinkle fruit on breakfast cereal, and select it for snacks or as a sweet end note after meals.
Choose fats wisely
Whenever possible, use monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils. Avoid trans fats entirely. Limit saturated fats to less than 7% of daily calories and total fat to 20% to 30% of daily calories.
If you don’t have coronary artery disease, the American Heart Association recommends eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, trout, or mackerel, twice weekly. If you have documented coronary artery disease, consume roughly 1 gram a day of EPA or DHA from oily fish and supplements if your doctor advises this.
Choose carbohydrates wisely
Choose whole-grain foods over those made with refined grains, such as white bread. Look beyond popular choices like whole oats and brown rice to lesser-known whole grains like barley, bulgur, kasha, and quinoa. Limit your intake of white potatoes.
Choosing protein wisely
Emphasize plant sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, and grains, to help you bypass unhealthy fats predominant in animal sources. Enjoying a wide variety of vegetables and eating beans and grains helps you get a full complement of amino acids over the course of a week. Shy away from protein sources high in saturated fat. Favor fish and well-trimmed poultry. If you do eat beef, pick lean cuts.
Don’t char or overcook meat, poultry, or fish — it causes a buildup of carcinogens. Cutting off fat, which causes flames to flare on the grill, can help avoid charring; try gently sautéing, steaming, or braising these foods in liquid instead. Grilling vegetables is safe, however.
Turning the tide on weight gain
Turning the tide to lose weight — or just holding the line at your current weight — can be difficult. The following tips may help:
Line up support. Work with your doctor and, possibly, a nutritionist or personal trainer. Ask for help in setting a reasonable goal and taking small steps that make success more likely. Tell friends and family about your goal, too.
Shut down the kitchen. Make your kitchen off-limits after dinner — even if you need to run a strip of crime tape across the door to do so.
Aim for a small change. Trimming 5% to 10% of your starting weight is a realistic goal with excellent health benefits, including reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels and lowering the risk for diabetes.
Eat well. Focus on vegetables and whole grains, which are digested slowly. Limit refined carbohydrates. Enjoy moderate amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in your diet. Cut down on saturated fats and avoid trans fats.
Watch the balance. Taking in more calories than you burn off adds extra pounds. Burning off more calories than you take in shaves pounds. A moderately active person who gets about 30 minutes of exercise a day needs 15 calories of food for each pound of body weight. To lose a pound a week, you need to lop off about 500 calories a day by becoming more active and eating less.
Step up activity. If you are struggling to maintain a healthy weight or need to lose weight, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 60 to 90 minutes a day of moderate activity. You can work out in one daily session or shorter bouts at least 10 minutes long. Walking is safe for practically everyone. Talk to your doctor if you’d like to include more vigorous activities, which give you twice the bang for your exercise buck — that is, one minute of vigorous activity equals roughly two minutes of moderate activity.
Harvard Medical School offers special reports on over 50 health topics.
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