The Invisible Beautiful Mind

 

How unfortunate it is that we live in an era in which the physical appearance always counts first.

When I think about this, the movie “ A Beautiful Mind” comes to mind. While certainly an entertaining and a highly inspirational movie, it was not about appearances. It was about the life of the American mathematician John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics and Abel Prize winner and his battle with paranoid schizophrenia. Jennifer Connelly, the actress who played Alicia- the wife of Dr. Nash, said she wanted to play the role because it was a story that had value to it. It had mortality to it. It had a heart to it.

They say “don’t judge a book by its cover”. In fact, what we see in front of us with our eyes is not always the truth and even mirrors can be deceptive. It may as well be invisible.

I truly believe that true beauty is about who you are as a HUMAN BEING, your principles, your morals, your character. It is about how you make OTHERS feel about themselves in your presence. And after.

I think people who are humble are beautiful. I think passionate people are beautiful. I love it when their eyes start glowing whenever they start talking about their passion. A person’s energy can either lift you up or bring you down. After being in the presence of a truly beautiful person, you too will be left feeling beautiful.

I firmly believe that Love can transform the way we see other people and ourselves. There’s a tiny nuance that makes me completely go in awe of someone. It’s the way they talk. The way they express themselves, explain a topic or even crack a joke. It’s that uninhibited charm of their expression that makes them so beautiful. I have always felt this. Always been an admirer of how amazing it is to look at people when they’re talking about the things they are passionate about.

A man who holds women in high regard is beautiful to me. I considered my late husband, who always claimed to have “a face for radio”, a most beautiful human being indeed. I still think the most attractive part of a man is his brain — or maybe his heart. The jury is still out on that one.

I once heard a saying that I absolutely love: “What you are never changes, but who you are never stops changing”. I don’t remember where I heard it.

Apart from acts of kindness, I think this must be what makes people fall in love. You know, when you see- really see, and start noticing how incredibly gorgeous the person looks when they talk about something they love. When you notice what makes that person happy and how their face expresses that happiness…that hope for a beautiful tomorrow.

A beautiful mind for me is one that is inquisitive and takes whatever it learns and invents things or ideas to make life easier for others. One who supports the progress of society without the desire for personal gain. It’s a mind that is selfless and treats people with fairness and balance. It’s a mind that is youthful and has not lost the inner child, that can play and enjoy the beauties that Mother Nature has given this earth.

I subscribe to the belief that beauty is important as long as it is not painful to look at you. Past that point, intelligence, far and away, wins out.

Beauty itself is nice, but beauty fades and it’s boring. We may lose our physical beauty after a certain age but our inner beauty will not fade.

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Putting Sleep On The Agenda

 

We can all be part of the solution to an official public health problem

We’ve all been there — dragging yourself through a workday when you didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Not only is it unpleasant, it makes everything more difficult and depletes the quality, accuracy and creativity of your work. Let’s not even mention your level of patience when dealing with other colleagues.

If you manage people, sleep issues can compromise all the good things you do. If you suffer from sleep issues, you will be far less receptive to even the best management and culture in the world. If you didn’t sleep well, it will be hard to get your attention or full engagement in a project.

Your workday demands energy that only sleep can provide.

Consider the many demands your workday makes on you- such as maintaining focus, solving problems, making decisions and recalling important information. You have to collaborate with your colleagues and respond to their concerns. You need to be ‘on call’ for client calls and internal meetings and, last but not least, you need the physical stamina to make it through the day.

Sleep is the food of the brain. Not only the quantity counts, but the quality does as well. It has a significant impact on your neurological performance.

The better you sleep, the happier you live and work.

More than one-third of Americans suffer from poor sleep. So much so that the Center for Disease Control has designated poor sleep as an official public health problem.

It’s surprising how little sleep is discussed at work, and it has been proven that a short, restorative nap can have a big impact. Fortunately, working from home makes that a lot easier.

It’s important to respect your sleep. It’s more than just downtime. It’s a vital part of your wellness routine — along with diet and exercise.

It’s also important to create a better sleep environment — such as a supportive bed and a cool dark room. But it’s even more important to develop good sleep habits like a regular bedtime and activities that slow you down before you down before bed and let your mind go.

At work, you can do your part by having open conversations and discussing the challenges and wellness programs that can play a role in improving everyone’s sleep. We can all play a part of the collective solution.

It can be a major force for good.

How To Live The (Aging) Vida Loca

Growing older without getting old

What’s the most important thing to getting older without getting old? Here are some tips to living the (aging) vida loca.

Age is just a number right? As far as I know it only measures the time you’ve been on earth. In fact, it has little to do with how many years you have left.

The thing is that if you believe you are young, you are. By the same token, if you believe you are old, you are! Your mind is much more powerful than you can imagine and, if you harness the power of your mind, the rest will take care of itself.

Praying and going to church can feed your soul and spirit. Or you can connect with your source in other ways. The point is to just do it in whatever way you choose. By connecting with a higher power, you keep your soul young.

It’s true that you are what you eat but you are also what you WILL BE. What you put into your body fuels it and gives you energy. Highly processed foods and drinks such as fast foods and boxed foods have little to no nutrients for your body to use. Fast foods don’t give you enough “fuel” to burn for energy. Often times it leaves you even more tired than if you hadn’t eaten.

Give your body whole foods like lean proteins such as chicken, fish, beef, pork and eggs and lots of colorful vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Also include healthy fats such as olive and nut oils, nuts/nut butters, avocados and coconut oil.

Proper supplementation is another important part of feeding your body right. Keep in mind that just about every person, even if they eat organic whole foods, is still lacking in nutrients. Our top soil has been depleted of minerals due to all the spraying with herbicides and fungicides.

Most of the commercial food sold today is lacking in nutrients so, when searching for supplements, make sure the ingredients are NON-synthetic, earth based and water soluble.

Drink water to keep your cells hydrated. Just like Mother Earth, our bodies are made up of 60–70% water so drinking water is important. With coffee, sodas and energy drinks as the staples in our diet, many of us are walking around dehydrated. When we have the urge to eat without really being hungry, it is a signal from our brain that we need water.

Having a fit body helps keep you young. You don’t have to bench-press your body weight but moving your body and doing some sort of weight-bearing exercise will keep your body agile. You want to retain as much muscle mass as possible to keep your body young and vibrant. Whatever way you like to move your body is better than not moving at all.

Sitting is this generation’s smoking as a health hazard. If you work at a desk job, get up every hour and walk around and do a couple of stretches or squats to get the blood flowing. For many years now, I’ve turned to walking as a form of exercise and meditation. It increases the heart rate and builds strength. While walking, I can solve a problem or finish an argument with myself or someone else.

Connect with nature as much as possible. Let the sun soak into your skin and get your bare feet on the ground if you can.

Creating quiet in your life is more important than ever. Our poor brains are on constant overload with information. We need to unplug from technology. You can do this by reading, prayer, meditation, or finding a hobby that allows the creative side of your brain to flow.

I have found writing and photography to have an immense impact on my mental well being. Both hobbies have forced me to stop and enjoy the present moment. There are many online courses nowadays (many of them free) that allow you to learn a skill or hobby and use your creativity.

Most of us grow up fearing our 50s and 60s birthdays when, in reality, getting older can be a blessing. The older you get, the better you know yourself and you’ll finally have the time to explore your passions.

A Conversation With Elizabeth Gilbert

 

There are worlds inside us waiting to be unlocked

Elizabeth Gilbert’s best selling book, Eat, Pray, Love, began where many of her readers have found themselves: kneeling on the bathroom floor in crisis. The book, and subsequent movie, is a narrative of the adventures following her divorce through Italy, India, and Bali. It is an exotic travel memoir with incredible scenes, transcendent experiences, and fascinating characters.

Her book was an account of making peace with the past and setting out to discover her authentic self. It gave women an example of a kind of journey in which the destination is a more truthful life.

This book inspired readers to begin or end romances, embrace motherhood or evade it, to change jobs, or address, or their beliefs. These radical shifts are transformations that don’t necessarily have anything to do with travel.

Gilbert says that the answers to her life are not likely to be found out there. She reminds us that, although the world is an enchanting place, there are worlds inside us too —worlds that are always ready to be unlocked. She mentions that she has a painting of Emily Dickinson, who spent much of her life in her bedroom but still created some of the most monumental poetry ever written.

She went on to write Big Magic, a guide for managing the fears, frustrations and blocks of creating, allowing readers to channel the playfulness they need to express themselves freely. In her other book, The Signature of All Things, which is the story of Alma Whittaker, inspired by the true-life adventures of real 19th century female botanical explorers, Gilbert remains an intrepid explorer of intellectual and emotional terrain.

Gilbert’s trademark blend is one of lightness and earnestness, common sense and magical realism, she says her serenity doesn’t come easily. She says she needs “a dose of courage every day”, because she’s frightened every day. There is a nervous little person inside her. But if there’s a creative project she’s afraid to attempt, a truth she needs to tell, or a painful new reality she must face, she asks herself: “What’s the alternative?”

She says that every day she writes herself a letter from love-divine unconditional love. She asks for advice, and love always gives her kind answers, which she writes down as they come to her. Even in her darkest hours, love has always shown up, saying, “I’m right here. I’ve got you. You’re never alone.”

The one mystery she would most love to solve is about the amount of control we humans have over our behavior and personality. Can we change our nature, or are we all just victims of our brain chemistry, genetics, hormones, and upbringing?

Sixty & The Sixties

 

The two 60’s have a lot in common

There’s a lot to love about being over 60. If you are over 60, you may remember the 1960's. Of course, that may depend on how many mind-altering experiences you had.

As it turns out, the two 60’s have a lot in common. Some good, some not so good.

In the 1960’s, people began wearing sandals as no time before. They became fashionable and inspired a certain freewheelingness in the wearer. The exposure of one’s feet in polite society as opposed to on a beach was considered a bit unorthodox.

In our 60’s, my friends and I are still wearing sandals- mainly comfortable, flat ones. Of course, this likely indicates an inability to wear less comfortable shoes or even the presence of a bunion!

In the 1960’s, some of us indulged in a recreational herb intake. Now marijuana is back! In our 60’s, some indulge still. Or perhaps for the first time. It may not be recreational but medicinal and we may even have a prescription for it.

The herb, not unlike us, has been through a transformation as well. It can now be ordered off a menu. If you have a headache, pot can make it go away. If you’re feeling anxious or paranoid, this herb can take care of it.

“The Pill” was introduced in the 1960’s and made it a lot easier to have sex without worrying about pregnancy. In our 60’s, some still use a pill to make it easier to have sex but we’re still not worried about pregnancy.

In the 1960's, we enjoyed watching Jagger move like Jagger. In our 60’s we still enjoy watching Jagger move like Jagger — after getting over the shock that he’s in his 70's! Some of us can still move like Jagger — well, almost.

In the sixties, we saw The Beatles introduce meditation and the music created for their new enlightenment. We’re still listening to New Age music in our 60’s while meditating and doing yoga and finding our way to enlightenment. I have to say, from time to time, I still enjoy a good protest song.

We are still railing against fighting unwinnable wars in our 60’s just like in the sixties — except now we do it by signing online petitions and donating to causes that match our sensibilities. We still teach our grandchildren to believe in the possibility of peace because we still want so badly for it to happen.

In the sixties, we cared about the world. We thought we could change it so we marched,volunteered, sang, studied, voted, and wore flowers in our hair to show our love for the planet.

In our 60’s, we’re still doing all of those things. We may no longer be trying to change the world but we’re still trying to make a difference.

I have to say a nice flower still looks good in the hair — even if the hair is silver.

A Beginners Guide To Reducing Waste & Saving Money

 

Mindful consumerism that helps your bank account and the planet

Being a hundred percent perfect at zero waste can feel like an unachievable task. The good news is that it’s ok if we’re not a hundred percent at it. If a lot of us just do what we can to minimize waste, it can make a significant impact on the earth.

Some action is better than no action at all.

A few of these tips may help the planet and your wallet as well.

By making your own beauty products, you are not only helping the environment by reducing waste of plastic containers but also saves you a fortune. It costs literally pennies to make an abundance of beauty supplies.

Use coconut oil as makeup remover, lotion and deodorant. Makeup remover wipes can cost a fortune and they are also very wasteful. You can use coconut oil as your make up remover. You can also use it as deodorant, mixed with some baking soda. You can also make a lotion by mixing coconut oil with shea butter and your favorite essential oil.

Don’t use single use baggies. Most families go through zip lock baggies like water with all the school lunches and leftover storage, etc. You can make a switch to glass containers with airtight lids for these same purposes. You can also use silicone reusable baggies that are spill proof and last for years.

Most of us use the disposable plastic razors that don’t last very long and add so much waste. You can use a metal shaver. It costs about $20 and you can just order the razor blades that come in packs of 25, 50 or 100 so it lasts a lifetime.

Every year, Americans throw away over 100 billion plastic grocery bags that take over a thousand years to break down. By just getting into the simple habit of bringing your own grocery bags to the store, it can save on the plastic that is going out into the environment. When buying produce, opt out on using the plastic produce bags. You can either use the bag that you brought from home or just let it be loose. Either way you are reducing on something you’re bringing home and just putting it into the garbage.

Using the all natural, biodegradable cleaning supplies sold in the market can be pretty expensive but using a less expensive cleaning supply usually has a lot of chemicals in it. You can make your own hand made cleaning supplies out of a few simple ingredients. It costs pennies to make, lasts a really long time, kills bacteria, feels great and you wouldn’t be putting any more chemicals into your house or any more plastics into the environment.

It’s estimated that over one million plastic water bottles are purchased every minute globally. All that plastic is sitting in our landfills and filling up our rivers and streams. Making the switch to a reusable water bottle you are saving yourself money by not purchasing more water bottles and you would not be contributing to any more plastic water bottles into the environment.

Making the switch from a dish sponge to a reusable organic cotton or a bamboo dish cloth helps save on the environment and you’re also not purchasing new sponges which can hold quite a bit of bacteria.

Avoid food waste by simply making a weekly meal plan and creating a grocery list and sticking to it. Not only does this really help out your budget for the month which helps you save money. You’re also not purchasing those impulse items that typically will just be wasted or thrown away when they go bad.

Also, shopping in second hand stores for household items to mix in with new items helps the environment as well as your pocket.

We don’t have to be perfect at zero waste and recycling as long as we are all doing what we can to help the environment which, in turn, also helps us to save money.

How To Create And Stick To Good Habits

 

A method for making ourselves happier…

Do you check all your social media accounts first thing in the morning without even thinking? I do. It’s become a habit — a central aspect of my life; and we all live with habits to some extent.

In his book, Mini Habits, Stephen Guise offers some useful knowledge on the concept of habits — how they start, how they can evolve and, more importantly, how they can help us achieve our goals.

A lot of our daily activities are governed by habit. According to a study conducted by Duke University, 45 percent of our behaviors are habitual.

We are prone to falling into habitual behaviors when we are stressed.

Another study at UCLA demonstrated that we tend to resort to habitual behavior when under stress or pressure. The downfall is that this happens whether the habits are good or bad for us.

Stress is often the result of being unable to make certain decisions. Since we don’t have to make any decisions about our habits — they are preprogrammed into our life. If you find yourself eating donuts when stressed, they are habitual behaviors. I wish they weren’t!

The good news is that habits are nothing more than neural pathways in the brain and they can be changed. The more they are used, the thicker they get, and deteriorate when neglected. We create our own habits by repeating activities until they get easier and easier.

This is why, after consistently logging into our social media right after waking up, our brains go on autopilot — that’s how we can end up on Facebook without even realizing it!

For example; In order to increase the amount of material I was writing, I needed to have a designated writing schedule. The best time to do this is early in the morning so I had to create a habit of getting up earlier. The first few weeks were a struggle because those neural pathways were still weak. But soon enough, my brain straightened the connection between waking up and getting straight out of bed, while the habit of rolling over and going back to sleep became weaker and weaker. Before I knew it, my neural pathways were doing all the work for me, leaving me bright-eyed and ready to start the day.

You can substitute your bad habits with minor, almost ridiculously tiny goals. Picking an easy goal eliminates any perceptions of difficulty and isn’t daunting enough to make you feel fatigued. When you start small, you might find out that you can achieve more than you set out to do! You’ll be surprised at how pleased you feel with yourself.

When you set goals that you can easily fulfill, you’ll feel great no matter how minor your achievements were. Making our own decisions makes us happier.

There are apps such as Lift or Habit Streak Plan that are perfect for helping you document your habits, or you can go for the old-school approach and use a big calendar to monitor your progress.

Developing a daily routine that is full of helpful rituals is something you can be proud of.

Why not start today?