Great Life Gifts

Editor's note: this is an essay I wrote about an incident I experienced when I worked in Adult Basic Education a few years ago. People need loving the most when they deserve it the least.  John Harrigan Paul and Rick fought on the Tuesday before winter break and again on the Wednesday that classes resumed. The first argument was over the cigarette butts. Paul flicked the last of his cigarette on the ground even though a black metal canister was right beside him. Rick, the building’s maintenance man, walked by just as the butt landed on the ground. In a polite way for Rick, but a rude way to Paul, Rick barked that Paul should use the ashtray. Paul shouted where Rick could put the ash tray. The second argument continued the first over the disposal method of cigarettes but was also fueled by Paul’s inattentiveness to clean spaces. Rick had just mopped the floor and Paul walked through it, rather than around. As the full-time maintenance man, Rick walks a tight rope of sel...

Whatever role you play in life, you have the opportunity to be the reason others keep coming back. Keep coming back to: School; Work; Church; Home; or Hobbies. How can I do this?  It's not as complicated as you might think, even with the most difficult: Student, Colleague; Child; Parent; Client; Patient, or Boss. You decide and believe their presence makes a valuable difference, no matter how difficult or different they might be. Then you express it to them by telling them "thank you for coming." And mean it. And they will know you mean it but they may not smile at you the first time you say it because they might not believe it (because you might not believe it either the first time you say it). But if you say it every time with a sincere desire to want to believe it, they and you will eventually smile And their behavior won't seem so difficult to you.

Any effort you make to quiet your mind and allow a Higher Plane of Consciousness to emerge will develop personal characteristics which will be abundantly obvious to you and those around you. These qualities will grow Prosperity in every segment of your life--including economically.  So how can you cultivate this connection? 1. Acknowledge you have the ability to access this part of consciousness. Some people believe God is Out There and others believe it's Within. Wherever you believe God to Exist, give yourself the gift of Access. 2. Choose a Time each day to Spend in Quiet. The ideal setting is one in which you aren't Multi-Tasking. But if your schedule is so busy that the only time you have to reach out or in for your God Consciousness is when you're in the shower or on your commute, then by all means take that time. 3. Pick a phrase or visualize a location which helps reduce your feelings of pressure. Imagine there are no deadlines for you to ...

Is the hour of sleep you lost this last weekend kicking you in the rear? Have you  counted all the sheep, feathers, and fence posts you can stand for the night and still struggling with getting to sleep. Don't stress about catching your Zs; there's help. Melatonin , a hormone produced in the pineal gland in the brain, is produced in smaller quantities as we get older and other aspects of our life, such as shift work, travel, or springing our clocks ahead, can interfere with our body's circadian rhythm .  You can increase your levels of melatonin by taking over the counter supplements, which are easily found at pharmacies, health food stores and the Internet. Doses range from .2 to 20 milligram. Start at the smallest dose first and gradually increase it if it doesn't work. Because its purpose is to help you sleep, make sure you take it from two to four hours ahead of your bedtime so you have a full night's sleep. Otherwise, you may wake up groggy. To he...

If all your friends decided to jump off a cliff would you go with them is a common refrain directed toward impulsive teenagers by their parents. It's a valid question which is applicable far beyond the teenage years. While it may be desirable to avoid a negative interaction it may not always be possible. So what can you do if you start to feel overwhelmed by the negative energy circling around the table like a vulture waiting to pick at the remains of any positive mental attitude? Make a decision to find the participant who you perceive to be as the most positive of the bunch and focus on them. While it is polite to share your eye contact with everyone in the room, if you're on the receiving end of a negative discussion, then do what's in your best interest both mentally and emotionally: focus on the positive. Every group has a ring leader and it may be the head honcho is the most negative of the assemblage. If this is the case, make a decision to not engage w...

I s that scratchy feeling starting to take hold in your throat? Gargle with mouthwash or salt water after brushing your teeth to ease the pain.  During the day, carry mouth wash strips. Mouthwashes  can kill the germs that cause sore throats due to colds. 

You may have made a commitment to get into better shape this year, but there's nothing that says you can't get it done efficiently, i.e., the least amount of time and sweat required. Is there such an exercise, especially for a beginner? YES On the most recent podcast of Freakonomics , exercise experts unveil the holy grail of fitness improvement: the squat. This stand-in-place-need-no-special-equipment movement is the one exercise that will pack the most health improvement for the time spent. Some of the benefits are: Image from www.sweatlikeapig.com Maintain mobility. Being able to get in and out of a chair without help is a top determinant as to whether people will be able to live independently or have to move to assisted living or a nursing home. Increase functional strength. While you are building your leg muscles you are simultaneously increasing your body's nerve networks to work your muscles more efficiently all over. Tone your butt. Try it and see if y...