Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Controlling Stress….You are in CONTROL!

It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about your stress level. The bills aren’t going to stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day for all your errands, and your career or family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have a lot more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of stress management.
Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun – plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.
Stress management starts with identifying the sources of stress in your life. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Your true sources of stress aren’t always obvious, and it’s all too easy to overlook your own stress-inducing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Sure, you may know that you’re constantly worried about work deadlines. But maybe it’s your procrastination, rather than the actual job demands, that leads to deadline stress.
To identify your true sources of stress, look closely at your habits, attitude, and excuses:
•Do you explain away stress as temporary (“I just have a million things going on right now”) even though you can’t remember the last time you took a breather?
•Do you define stress as an integral part of your work or home life (“Things are always crazy around here”) or as a part of your personality (“I have a lot of nervous energy, that’s all”).
•Do you blame your stress on other people or outside events, or view it as entirely normal and unexceptional?
These are things that I found myself doing and I’ve realized that until one accepts responsibility for the role they play in creating or maintaining it, your stress level will remain outside your control and lets face it, that the one thing we all must have in control if we plan on living our very BEST life!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Building Lasting Friendships!

It's been said that no man (or woman, for that matter) is an island. And it's true: good relationships are essential to our happiness and emotional health. Our relationships can affect our physical health as well.

Indeed, one thing researchers know for sure is that our ability to feel love and intimacy is what keeps us well. Study after study has shown that loneliness is a risk factor for disease, and that relationships have a positive effect on everything from heart health to age-related health issues.

And I recently realized how it's not always easy to keep friendships and family connections strong when you're busy with work and other demands on your time. I found that these two tips can really help us keep (and develop) solid relationships healthy even in tough times:

1.Visit with friends and family. Simple, but important. Take time to make a phone call, send an email, or write a quick note.

2.Make new friends. Establishing new contacts with people who have similar lifestyles can help you feel that someone understands your daily challenges.
If you feel too exhausted to talk to or relate with the people important to you, tell them. Explain your feelings to them.

Communication is great in helping you to both feel better and do better..So go out and start your day today and make new Friends! Your soul will feel better for it.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Ride on!


"Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

There is nothing like learning something new...starting out from scratch and then moving confidently through to mastery.

There's the fear, anxiety, confusion and then it all just seems to start making sense until the moment when you realize "I got it"!

I love to learn new things. Snowboarding, internet marketing, writing, speaking, skydiving and now motorcycle riding.

I had so much fun taking the Rider's Edge course at the Glendale Harley-Davidson dealership. John and I first walked into the dealership a few weeks ago to "check it out" and I instantly fell in love. All the leather, chrome, clothing, earrings, boots and POWER!

We signed up for the course on the spot and even signed up a friend. For weeks we waiting in eager anticipating, visiting the dealership every couple of days to hone in on the bikes we want to get. We've made friends with many experienced riders and are so excited about this new adventure in life.

The course was awesome! I learned the basics of safety and then went out on the bike. We learned on little Beull Blasts. Fun bikes with a little bit of umph. Mastering the clutch, brake, throttle combination was the most challenging for me since I've never driving a stick shift vehicle.

After half-a-day of perpetual stalling, I finally mastered it and was sooooooo proud of my new ability to gooooooooo with out sputtering to a stop. Once I got it up to 25 mph and did my turns, I was totally on fire! It's is an exhillerating experience.

Watching John master the bike was equally rewarding. He had the biggest smile on his face. As a couple, we got to experience a whole new adventure together...supporting each other, laughing with each other and amusing the class with our fun-loving antics.

Many times in life, we can have a tendency to be very introverted...festering on what someone has said, or what we haven't done or have to do or all the other things we can get fixated on. Snowboarding and motorcycles have been the two activities I have found to be very meditative and extroverting. It's just me and the experience, totally focusing on the road ahead, with not a care in the world. The brain stops putting around with useless worries and just gives it's attention to the road and the plan of action. Reaction speed is optimal, energy is high and it's total peace and enthusiasm.

It's the most rewarding experience. So, whatever you might have an interest in...go do it. Yes...you will make an ass of yourself at some point. But once you're through that point and gave a little giggle about it, you'll feel amazingly accomplished with your new skills and abilities and the new conversations you get to have with people.

I've had so many friends all around me who are Harley riders and I didn't even know it! I know have a whole new bonding experience and a new community of common experience and interest that is expanding my horizons!

And, for all those who tell you to "be careful", "that's too dangerous", "I would never do that!"...just remember, you are in control. When I first started telling people I was going to ride motorcycles, you wouldn't believe the number of "death and drudgery" stories people were telling me. And...this was coming from all people who weren't bike riders. They are fearful and want to slap their fear all over me! Empty warnings coming from fearful people.

So, remember: The only thing that makes a motorcycle dangerous is the person on it. The only thing that makes a snowboard dangerous is the person on it. The bike or snowboard can't hurt you. You have the innate ability to learn anything and to master it given time and effort.

Here's a great statement from Albert Einstein...copy it and remember it.

"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence."

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

THE TRUE POWER OF YOGA

Do you know what Yoga can do for your physical, mental and emotional health?

If you watch someone practicing yoga, you will notice that they are not straining or breathing heavily and that their face is placid and calm. Perhaps you may even notice that they seem very focused and they are not distracted by what is going on around them.

Yoga classes in the U.S. often focus strictly on the physical aspects of yoga (the asana postures), and there is no doubt that you can benefit from these stretches and postures. They will help to tone and stretch your muscles and keep your body flexible, and they bring live-giving blood and oxygen to every part of your body.

But most don't realize that the ancient yogic techniques, incorporate breathing and meditation so that your mind and emotions become calm and stress relief happens on more than a physical level.
Yoga meditation and breathing techniques can relieve many of the physical symptoms of stress (palpitations, shortness of breath, insomnia, nervousness and more).

How can Yoga accomplish this? Essentially, the total yoga workout (physical, breath and meditation) works on the central nervous system and through that conduit, it lowers blood pressure and evens breathing to take the strain off your body and mind.

Those who suffer from long-term stress are more at risk for heart attack and stroke, and are more likely to have migraine headaches and ulcers, as well.

So if you practice yoga regularly you will find that your digestion and gastro-intestinal function will improve, that you will feel calmer, and you are less likely to get every bug or flu that comes along.
Sounds like a lot to accomplish just by some deep breathing, stretching and meditation, doesn't it? But, it is true!

Yoga requires you to enter and remain in an altered state of mind and focus. When you focus your attention on your breathing, you allow problems and other thoughts to pass through your mind and continue on their way, and you remain connected to your body in the here and now. You don't become distracted by other thoughts or stressors. This takes some practice, but it is something that ANYONE can do!

When you relax your breathing and take longer, deeper breaths, you feed your body and help your mind and emotions relax and focus as well. Instead of the short, shallow breath you take when you are under stress or worried, your breathing becomes even and slow and you breath into your abdomen instead of up in your chest.

If you learn and practice the ancient techniques of Yoga, you will gradually enter a state of balanced health..After all, isn't that what we all strive for anyway!

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Bringing out the best YOU!

"Remember that the most difficult tasks are consummated, not by a single explosive burst of energy or effort, but by the constant daily application of the best you have within you." - Og Mandino.

Money can't buy happiness we are told from the time we are young, but most of us laugh, and reply, "but I'd surely like to try and find out!" Almost every person admits to trying to find the secret to happiness. Sometimes, it may seem as if others have everything going for them, and that they lead a charmed life. It may appear that they achieve success every time they try something new. Then, we may compare their situation to our own lives, and realize that we have more than our fair share of struggles.

The person who seems to have an easier time of negotiating life's bumpy roads knows that life is so very short, and they cannot dwell on what they don't have, but instead, must focus on what they do have. They learn to appreciate their own accomplishments and those of their friends and family members. They can make decisions about goals for who they want to become, and set out to achieve those goals.

So I say to you, don't let life's adversities keep you down for long, instead use the hard times to really see the beauty in your own life and learn from it!