A new word has been introduced into the contemporary American lexicon – hypertasking. At a time when 70 –80 % of American professional women admit being moderately or highly stressed on a frequent basis, the multitasking that leaves us frazzled and frenetic is now not enough. Now we need to learn to hypertask! If multitasking puts us into high stress, here comes “hyperstress!”
The damage done by high stress levels literally is killing us as it kills our joy. High stress levels are linked to (an incomplete list):
· Heart disease, hypertension, psychological and musculoskeletal disorders
· Workplace violence
· Use of 5 billion tranquilizers, five billion barbiturates, 3 billion amphetamines, and sixteen tons of aspirin every year.
· One million employee absences every day.
· A 300 BILLION annual business loss equal to $750 for each worker.
Another stress source is the horrific violence now part of our daily visual diet. Watching the evening news may keep us informed but it also keeps us anxious about events over which we have no control. Daily violence and constant threat have an enormous impact on us without our necessarily being conscious of it. Because the damages are long-term and subtle, it is difficult to recognize when one is being endangered.
The very ugly videos of the teenage girls methodically beating another teenager attests to the insanity of using violence as entertainment as we do on television and the internet every day? Why are we surprised when our children mimic what they see on television, thousands of times before they reach their teenage years.
There is no quick and easy way to reduce the stress threat, but certainly it is insane to allow electronic violence into our homes. Whether we want to admit it or not, violence for entertainment begets violence for real. Stress reduction, better phrased, peace induction is only achieved by disciplined self-management.
First, we need to recognize our constant exposure to stress-inducing stimuli and minimize our exposure to them. We also need to monitor our bodies for symptoms – often a challenge because people become so habituated to being in flight, fright, or fight states that they cannot recognize their tension. The remedy is to weave relaxation awareness and activities into the fabric of our day.
In this time-compressed, hyper-stressed environment, people resist activities such as yoga and meditation, thinking that they don’t have time. They are worth the time. All of us can find the time to take slow, deep breaths as we wait for the light to change. We can all smile at strangers. We can all stretch as we wait for the microwave to count down. We can all find ways to resist getting sucked into the vortex of stress and live more happily and peaceably.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Food Shopping Research Project
In January I heard about Jeff Yeager’s book, “The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches.” I bought – and enjoyed – the book. One of the things he suggested was shopping for some foods at the local dollar store.
This morning, Jeff was again on the Today Show, shopping at the dollar store in a segment about how to save money. This time I got inspired to take action. What else would the woman who invented the word, inspirACTion do?
My goal was to research how much, if any, money I could save at the dollar store. My local dollar store is less than one tenth of a mile from the turn off to the local supermarket chain, so there was no additional expenditure of gas money to get there and very little time expenditure.
Here, to save you the time of doing your own research are the results.
Dollar Store Shaw’s Supermarket
270 cup Folger’s Coffee $7.50 $8.49
1 lb. pckg Elbow Macaroni 0.85 1.19
14 oz. jar Mr. Peanut Peanuts 2.50 2.50
29 oz. can Fruit Cocktail 1.15 2.29
15 oz. can Hormel Chili 1.50 2.00
48 oz. bottle Sunny D Juice 1.00 2.39*
50 oz. Tide he Laundry Detergent 7.75 13.49
Lg. Campbell’s Chunky Soup 1.90 2.00
10 oz. box SunMaid Raisins 1.20 3.69
20 oz. Post Raisin Bran Cereal 2.65 3.19
2 lb. Long Grain Rice 1.00 2.00
10 oz. Kraft Mayonnaise 1.30 2.29
25 Green Tea bags 1.00 2.99
_________ _________
$29.80 $48.51
I was astounded at the difference in the cost – of virtually the same items.
(* I couldn’t find Sunny D brand at Shaw’s so compared an equivalent Juicy Juice brand)!
I made my first trip to the dollar store earlier this month to get some potting soil. I was in the midst of planting seeds so went to the closest store. There I found another great bargain. I bought seed packets for twenty cents a piece.
Similar packets at a well-known discount store cost me $1.50 per packet. The seeds have germinated exceptionally well – and were a great bargain!
Now I’m inspired to stop at the dollar store on my way to the supermarket. If there are items on my list available there, I’ll save some money!
My next research project: I’ve been tracking all my expenses since the first of January. I know exactly how much money I’ve spent on groceries this year.
I’m going to spend the next 3 months of the year implementing some changes in my grocery shopping habits. I will look first in the dollar store to see if I can find what I want there. I’m going to research a couple of coupon websites and start using coupons.
At the end of June, I’ll be able to calculate how much money I’ve saved. My commitment to you – and to me – is to put the money in a savings account and to report my results to you during early July.
This morning, Jeff was again on the Today Show, shopping at the dollar store in a segment about how to save money. This time I got inspired to take action. What else would the woman who invented the word, inspirACTion do?
My goal was to research how much, if any, money I could save at the dollar store. My local dollar store is less than one tenth of a mile from the turn off to the local supermarket chain, so there was no additional expenditure of gas money to get there and very little time expenditure.
Here, to save you the time of doing your own research are the results.
Dollar Store Shaw’s Supermarket
270 cup Folger’s Coffee $7.50 $8.49
1 lb. pckg Elbow Macaroni 0.85 1.19
14 oz. jar Mr. Peanut Peanuts 2.50 2.50
29 oz. can Fruit Cocktail 1.15 2.29
15 oz. can Hormel Chili 1.50 2.00
48 oz. bottle Sunny D Juice 1.00 2.39*
50 oz. Tide he Laundry Detergent 7.75 13.49
Lg. Campbell’s Chunky Soup 1.90 2.00
10 oz. box SunMaid Raisins 1.20 3.69
20 oz. Post Raisin Bran Cereal 2.65 3.19
2 lb. Long Grain Rice 1.00 2.00
10 oz. Kraft Mayonnaise 1.30 2.29
25 Green Tea bags 1.00 2.99
_________ _________
$29.80 $48.51
I was astounded at the difference in the cost – of virtually the same items.
(* I couldn’t find Sunny D brand at Shaw’s so compared an equivalent Juicy Juice brand)!
I made my first trip to the dollar store earlier this month to get some potting soil. I was in the midst of planting seeds so went to the closest store. There I found another great bargain. I bought seed packets for twenty cents a piece.
Similar packets at a well-known discount store cost me $1.50 per packet. The seeds have germinated exceptionally well – and were a great bargain!
Now I’m inspired to stop at the dollar store on my way to the supermarket. If there are items on my list available there, I’ll save some money!
My next research project: I’ve been tracking all my expenses since the first of January. I know exactly how much money I’ve spent on groceries this year.
I’m going to spend the next 3 months of the year implementing some changes in my grocery shopping habits. I will look first in the dollar store to see if I can find what I want there. I’m going to research a couple of coupon websites and start using coupons.
At the end of June, I’ll be able to calculate how much money I’ve saved. My commitment to you – and to me – is to put the money in a savings account and to report my results to you during early July.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Healing the Physical/Spiritual Split
A friend recently commented about Deepak Chopra: "He's too much into the money." It's a coment I've heard about him before. He's also someone whose insights and writings have been very helpful as I've struggled to rework and realign my beliefs about wealth. The messages of my childhood environment were that it was much more noble and spiritual to be poor than rich. In those messages, it was made very clear that wealthy folks were very likely not "good" folks.
This morning I spent some time re-reading Joe Vitale's book, The Key. Joe said: "You are a physical being, but your essence is spiritual. Everything you want is a symbol -- an apparently concrete reality that is actually made up of energy. That energy is spirit. The material and the spiritual are two sides of the same coin. Wanting something material is the first step to awakening to the spirit within it, and you, and all things."
My friend's comment echoes loudly the beliefs instilled within me a long time ago. I hear those beliefs echoed in many places. I know that those childhood beliefs choked off the flow of spirit within me. It has taken me a long time to re-connect to the integrity of physical/spiritual unity.
As a nurse I "got" the disparity of the mind/body split fairly early in my career. I remember saying, "Wait! Mind and body do not split apart like Legos." Now I know that body and spirit aren't split apart either. They just seem that way to us because we've been taught to see them that way.
What if we refused to see ourselves as split? What if we shifted our self-perceptions to be conscious of ourselves as embodied spirits -- spiritual beings occupying, but not limited to, our bodies? What if we off-loaded some/many/all of the self-limiting beliefs that result from seeing ourselves as separate from spirit? From Spirit? What if we recognized (re-cognized) our essential wholeness? And allowed ouselves to be healthy and whole?
This morning I spent some time re-reading Joe Vitale's book, The Key. Joe said: "You are a physical being, but your essence is spiritual. Everything you want is a symbol -- an apparently concrete reality that is actually made up of energy. That energy is spirit. The material and the spiritual are two sides of the same coin. Wanting something material is the first step to awakening to the spirit within it, and you, and all things."
My friend's comment echoes loudly the beliefs instilled within me a long time ago. I hear those beliefs echoed in many places. I know that those childhood beliefs choked off the flow of spirit within me. It has taken me a long time to re-connect to the integrity of physical/spiritual unity.
As a nurse I "got" the disparity of the mind/body split fairly early in my career. I remember saying, "Wait! Mind and body do not split apart like Legos." Now I know that body and spirit aren't split apart either. They just seem that way to us because we've been taught to see them that way.
What if we refused to see ourselves as split? What if we shifted our self-perceptions to be conscious of ourselves as embodied spirits -- spiritual beings occupying, but not limited to, our bodies? What if we off-loaded some/many/all of the self-limiting beliefs that result from seeing ourselves as separate from spirit? From Spirit? What if we recognized (re-cognized) our essential wholeness? And allowed ouselves to be healthy and whole?
Thursday, March 6, 2008
As Maine Goes, So Goes the Nation
Besides the elections, the most important news story of the moment is the ECONOMY. The news is not good as we are deluged with stories of a bouncing stock market, skyrocketing foreclosures, and recession angst.
Speaking earlier this week at a workshp for unemployed professionals, I found myself remembering a phrase from my grade school Maine history course -- "As Maine goes, so goes the nation." I challenged the group to think about what we in Maine could do if we decided to lead the nation -- why not the world? -- into an era of unprecedented prosperity. I've thought about that quite a bit in the intervening hours.
What if we decided to skip a recession and create unprecedented propserity? Wouldn't that be fun?
One of the participants in the workshop commented that Maine has the highest percentage of small business folks in the nation. I had heard that per capita we have the highest number of writers and publishers. What a marvelous resource for creating prosperity!
What do we also have? A long-standing history (i.e., memory) of being on the lower end of the US economic scale, a long-standing belief in the honor of being poor and "making do," and a governmental infrastructure not supportive of small business.
I believe that we've also bought into a belief in our limitation. What if we decided to believe in our unlimited potential and possibilities
What a wonderful thought: the idea of maine becoming the model for booming prosperity. What fun. For those of you who are old enough to have expereinced Kennedy's challenge for us to put a man on the moon in the sixties, this is a parallel situation.
At the time that Kennedy created the challenge, we did not have the technology, the money, or the man power. We had/created the committment and that made all the difference. What if we created the comittment to be the birthplace of a new, expanded version of FUNancial Freedom?
In another writing (http://authorandgrowrich.com/blog/first-contestant-in-the-authorandgrowrichcom-trump-the-donald-contest, I have proposed Heifer International as a model of "we-sponsible wealth." Unlike in the sixties, we DO have the human power, we do have the technology, and we do have the money. All we have to do is to create the belief and the committment!
As Maine goes...
Speaking earlier this week at a workshp for unemployed professionals, I found myself remembering a phrase from my grade school Maine history course -- "As Maine goes, so goes the nation." I challenged the group to think about what we in Maine could do if we decided to lead the nation -- why not the world? -- into an era of unprecedented prosperity. I've thought about that quite a bit in the intervening hours.
What if we decided to skip a recession and create unprecedented propserity? Wouldn't that be fun?
One of the participants in the workshop commented that Maine has the highest percentage of small business folks in the nation. I had heard that per capita we have the highest number of writers and publishers. What a marvelous resource for creating prosperity!
What do we also have? A long-standing history (i.e., memory) of being on the lower end of the US economic scale, a long-standing belief in the honor of being poor and "making do," and a governmental infrastructure not supportive of small business.
I believe that we've also bought into a belief in our limitation. What if we decided to believe in our unlimited potential and possibilities
What a wonderful thought: the idea of maine becoming the model for booming prosperity. What fun. For those of you who are old enough to have expereinced Kennedy's challenge for us to put a man on the moon in the sixties, this is a parallel situation.
At the time that Kennedy created the challenge, we did not have the technology, the money, or the man power. We had/created the committment and that made all the difference. What if we created the comittment to be the birthplace of a new, expanded version of FUNancial Freedom?
In another writing (http://authorandgrowrich.com/blog/first-contestant-in-the-authorandgrowrichcom-trump-the-donald-contest, I have proposed Heifer International as a model of "we-sponsible wealth." Unlike in the sixties, we DO have the human power, we do have the technology, and we do have the money. All we have to do is to create the belief and the committment!
As Maine goes...
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Living in "Expectasy"/ Expect to see!
I just LOVE the creative downloads I am getting from the Universe almost every day now. This morning while I was rather mindlessly vacuuming under the couch, I found the word, "expectasy" in my mind! WOWEEE! What a great word!
Combining expectations and ecstasy yields expectasy. Expectasy is the perfect stae in which to cooperate with the law of Attraction.
What is expectasy all about? The first insight is that we all create our lives and experiences out of expectations, conscious or unconscious. Because our conscious thoughts and beliefs are only the tip of the ice berg, it's the unconscious ones that trip us up on the road to success. Those unconscious thoughts come complete with the original emotions attached to them -- positive or negative.
There are any number of clearing strategies for those negative thoughts and emotions. A good place is search if Joe Vitale's recent book, The Key. While you are clearing, it's a great idea to cultivate "expectasy." Be simultaneously expecting what it is you dream of and being in the ecstasy of knowing what it is you want -- way, way too many folks haven't even cleared enough to allow themselves to dream of what it is that they'd really love to have, do, be.
Experience the expectasy of clarity of knowing your dream. Then ramp it up with the expectasy of knowing that it is coming! If your most FUNtastic dream was winning the lottery and you absolutely KNEW that it was coming in a few weeks, would you wait until you had the cash in hand to start celebrating? NO! You'd be in expectasy! Savoring and celebrating the experience even before it was your "reality."
Maybe great love is your most FUNtastic dream. Why wait until he/she shows up? Why not get into expectasy about their presence in your life right now?
Expectasy is the opposite of being frustrated that what you want hasn't shown up yet. What sound like more fun, frustration or expectasy?
Later, while putting my lunch together, I had another shot of insight about expectasy. It also means "expect ta see!" We consciously or unconsciously create our lives out of what we expect to see.
I expect to see great things! The rampant viral success of my newest website www.moneynotesandquotes.com for starters. I am in expectasy that millions of us are going to love it! It will spread faster than water rushes over Niagara Falls. What a rush!
I am loving putting together MN&Q materials. I am loving making them public. I am in joyous expectasy about life, abundance, and you! Here's to expectasy!
Combining expectations and ecstasy yields expectasy. Expectasy is the perfect stae in which to cooperate with the law of Attraction.
What is expectasy all about? The first insight is that we all create our lives and experiences out of expectations, conscious or unconscious. Because our conscious thoughts and beliefs are only the tip of the ice berg, it's the unconscious ones that trip us up on the road to success. Those unconscious thoughts come complete with the original emotions attached to them -- positive or negative.
There are any number of clearing strategies for those negative thoughts and emotions. A good place is search if Joe Vitale's recent book, The Key. While you are clearing, it's a great idea to cultivate "expectasy." Be simultaneously expecting what it is you dream of and being in the ecstasy of knowing what it is you want -- way, way too many folks haven't even cleared enough to allow themselves to dream of what it is that they'd really love to have, do, be.
Experience the expectasy of clarity of knowing your dream. Then ramp it up with the expectasy of knowing that it is coming! If your most FUNtastic dream was winning the lottery and you absolutely KNEW that it was coming in a few weeks, would you wait until you had the cash in hand to start celebrating? NO! You'd be in expectasy! Savoring and celebrating the experience even before it was your "reality."
Maybe great love is your most FUNtastic dream. Why wait until he/she shows up? Why not get into expectasy about their presence in your life right now?
Expectasy is the opposite of being frustrated that what you want hasn't shown up yet. What sound like more fun, frustration or expectasy?
Later, while putting my lunch together, I had another shot of insight about expectasy. It also means "expect ta see!" We consciously or unconsciously create our lives out of what we expect to see.
I expect to see great things! The rampant viral success of my newest website www.moneynotesandquotes.com for starters. I am in expectasy that millions of us are going to love it! It will spread faster than water rushes over Niagara Falls. What a rush!
I am loving putting together MN&Q materials. I am loving making them public. I am in joyous expectasy about life, abundance, and you! Here's to expectasy!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Baby-Proof Your Home: Why Not Fit-Proof It?
Listening to my son talk about "baby-proofing" his home now that my adorable little GRANDgirl is rapidly becoming mobile, I had an inspiration. If we want to keep babies safe, we take steps to "proof" the environment.
If we want to keep our bodies fit, doesn't it make sense to Fit-Proof our homes and offices? Of Course! Here are ten tips for fit-proofing your home:
1. Store the things that you use frequently either high so that you need to stretch to get them or low so you need to squat down to get them.
2. Hide the remote control. Give yourself permission to get up from your chair each time you want to change the channel.
3. Use a chair that is the right height for you to sit down and get up using only your legs.
4. Keep an exercise ball in front of your television. Exercise while you watch the news.
5. Keep a jump rope handy. Jump during the commercial breaks.
6. Keep a set of hand weights -- 3 - 10 pounds -- and do weight work while you are watching television.
7. While cooking dinner or doing other household chores, play lively music and dance your way through your tasks.
8. Add some activity while reading; it's easy to tighten your glutes or abs while you are engrossed in a story.
9. Wiggle while at your computer keyboard -- right now I'm swinging my legs and tapping away.
10. If you have a baby or can borrow one, play with the baby. A baby who weighs 8 - 15 pounds or so loves to be held and bounced. That's enough weight for some weight work (play) for you. The bonus for this one is that the baby will laugh and giggle and add great joy to your "play-out." Hand weights are great but they will probably never warm your heart!
If we want to keep our bodies fit, doesn't it make sense to Fit-Proof our homes and offices? Of Course! Here are ten tips for fit-proofing your home:
1. Store the things that you use frequently either high so that you need to stretch to get them or low so you need to squat down to get them.
2. Hide the remote control. Give yourself permission to get up from your chair each time you want to change the channel.
3. Use a chair that is the right height for you to sit down and get up using only your legs.
4. Keep an exercise ball in front of your television. Exercise while you watch the news.
5. Keep a jump rope handy. Jump during the commercial breaks.
6. Keep a set of hand weights -- 3 - 10 pounds -- and do weight work while you are watching television.
7. While cooking dinner or doing other household chores, play lively music and dance your way through your tasks.
8. Add some activity while reading; it's easy to tighten your glutes or abs while you are engrossed in a story.
9. Wiggle while at your computer keyboard -- right now I'm swinging my legs and tapping away.
10. If you have a baby or can borrow one, play with the baby. A baby who weighs 8 - 15 pounds or so loves to be held and bounced. That's enough weight for some weight work (play) for you. The bonus for this one is that the baby will laugh and giggle and add great joy to your "play-out." Hand weights are great but they will probably never warm your heart!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Are you one of millions NOT taught about money?
This morning, I heard on the Today Show that two-thirds of women are not taught about money in their homes. Wow!!!! That's like not teaching girls how to read. How can we as a society neglect to teach our daughters something so basic to our human needs? One can't have a great life without money!!!
I know all about how awful the impact of not being given even basic money FUNdamentals is. I grew up in a 1950s home, went to 1950s schools, and 1950s churches among 1950s neighbors. The only money education I remember is in third grade learning that there were 5 nickels in a quarter and two in a dime.
The other money education we all got was the ideas, actions, and beliefs of the people around us. They weren't deliberately sabotaging our money futures, but if you weren't taught healthy attitudes, skills and knowledge about money, your money future was sabotaged, nonetheless.
Our beliefs are the grounding of our actions. If your money now isn't what you would like it to be, consider looking into your money past for dys-FUNctional beliefs about money and your worthiness to joyously hold it, handle it, and use it for ANYTHING you desire.
As a kid, my experiences with money were massively negative! It took me years to untangle the knotted up beliefs. What wonderful things I've learned! I, like all of us whether we know it or not, have been practicing the Law of Attraction. And now, I'm so excited about being able to share with others the things I've learned; as an "older" woman I know how to create FUNancial Freedom -- and my partner Bob and are poised to release Money Notes and Quotes -- coming next week to a computer near you!
I know all about how awful the impact of not being given even basic money FUNdamentals is. I grew up in a 1950s home, went to 1950s schools, and 1950s churches among 1950s neighbors. The only money education I remember is in third grade learning that there were 5 nickels in a quarter and two in a dime.
The other money education we all got was the ideas, actions, and beliefs of the people around us. They weren't deliberately sabotaging our money futures, but if you weren't taught healthy attitudes, skills and knowledge about money, your money future was sabotaged, nonetheless.
Our beliefs are the grounding of our actions. If your money now isn't what you would like it to be, consider looking into your money past for dys-FUNctional beliefs about money and your worthiness to joyously hold it, handle it, and use it for ANYTHING you desire.
As a kid, my experiences with money were massively negative! It took me years to untangle the knotted up beliefs. What wonderful things I've learned! I, like all of us whether we know it or not, have been practicing the Law of Attraction. And now, I'm so excited about being able to share with others the things I've learned; as an "older" woman I know how to create FUNancial Freedom -- and my partner Bob and are poised to release Money Notes and Quotes -- coming next week to a computer near you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
