In a survey of 737 CEO’s, over 98% of them indicated they would much rather hire somebody with a good sense of humor than somebody without one. You can take your job seriously… and yourself lightly.
2 Jest for the health of it! Laughter enhances respiration and circulation, oxygenates the blood, suppresses the stress-related hormones in the brain, and activates the immune system. Indeed, laughter is the jest medicine.
3 Humor as an antidote to stress: Humor can help us move from a “grim and bear it” mentality to a “grin and share it” orientation. By using humor, you can prevent a “hardening of the attitudes,” which can help you add years to your life and life to your years.
4
“A smile is the shortest distance between two people,” according to Victor Borge. Humor can be a magnet to attract people, to build positive working relationships, and to improve morale and teamwork.
5 The HAHA-AHA connection: There definitely is a connection between humor and creativity. Humor can jump-start your creativity and give you the energy to think (and laugh) outside the box.
6 The laughing-learning link: Humor can be a powerful (and delightful) way to capture and maintain attention and free up tension… which means that retention increases.
7 Your Resilience Quotient: Norman Cousins’ best-selling book, Anatomy of an Illness, certainly opened up many people’s eyes to the notion that “S/He who laughs lasts.” With humor, you can build resilience and get more smileage out of your life and work.
8 Humor as a saving (and amusing) grace for the planet: As our world gets proverbially smaller all the time, humor could help build important bridges between countries and cultures. As Erma Bombeck once said, “When humor goes, there goes civilization!”:
Adapted from LAUGHING MATTERS magazine published by The HUMOR Project, Inc. Copyright © 2008 The HUMOR Project, Inc.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Detroit fights Back
On a side street in an old industrial neighborhood, a delivery man stacks a dolly of goods outside a store. Ten feet away stands another man clad in military fatigues, combat boots and what appears to be a flak jacket. He looks straight out of Baghdad. But this isn't Iraq. It's southeast Detroit, and he's there to guard the groceries.
"No pictures, put the camera down," he yells. My companion and I, on a tour of how people in this city are using urban farms to grow their own food, speed off.
In this recession-racked town, the lack of food is a serious problem. It's a theme that comes up again and again in conversations in Detroit. There isn't a single major chain supermarket in the city, forcing residents to buy food from corner stores. Often less healthy and more expensive food.
As the area's economy worsens --unemployment was over 16% in July -- food stamp applications and pantry visits have surged.
Detroiters have responded to this crisis. Huge amounts of vacant land has led to a resurgence in urban farming. Volunteers at local food pantries have also increased.
But the food crunch is intensifying, and spreading to people not used to dealing with hunger. As middle class workers lose their jobs, the same folks that used to donate to soup kitchens and pantries have become their fastest growing set of recipients.
"We've seen about a third more people than before," said Jean Hagopian, a volunteer at the New Life food pantry, part of the New Life Assembly of God church in Roseville, a suburb some 20 miles northeast of Detroit. Hagopian said many of the new people seeking assistance are men, former breadwinners now in desperate need of a food basket.
Hagopian is an 83-year old retired school teacher. She works at the pantry four days a week, spending two of those days driving her own minivan around town collecting food from local distributors.
The pantry, housed in the church basement, gives away boxes of food that might feed a family of four for a week. It includes dry and packaged goods like cereals and pasta, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, 7 or 8 pounds of frozen meat (usually chicken or hot dogs), and eight pan pizzas donated from a local Pizza Hut. Most of the other food is purchased from a distributor or donated by the county food program. Last month they gave out 519 boxes.
Hagopian hopes the demand for food doesn't get much worse.
"I hope we're at the top of it because we'll run out of food, and then we'll have to go out and find some more," she said.
She should brace for the worst. Across metro Detroit, social service agencies are reporting a huge spike in demand for food assistance.
Gleaners, an agency that distributes excess food donated from food processors, says their distribution is up 18% from last year. Michigan Department of Human Services, which handles federal food assistance like food stamps, WIC checks and such, has seen a 14% spike in applications since October. Calls to the United Way's help line have tripled in the last year.
"Given the resources, we could double our numbers," said Frank Kubik, food program manager for Focus:Hope, a Detroit aid organization that fed 41,000 mostly elderly people last year. Kubik said his program is restricted by charter and budget from serving more than its current number of clients. But if that were changed, he could certainly serve up more meals.
"There's no doubt about it, there's just so many out there that are really struggling right now," he said.
The changing face of hunger
There have been plenty of people struggling in Detroit for a long time. What makes this recession different is the type of people coming in. It's no longer just the homeless, or the really poor.
Now it's middle class folks who lost their $60,000-a-year auto job, or home owners who got caught on the wrong side of the real estate bubble.
Many of these people have never navigated the public assistance bureaucracy before, and that makes getting aid to them a challenge.
"They have no idea where the DHS office is," said DeWayne Wells, president of Gleaners, the food distributor.
To assist these newly hungry, Wells pointed to the United Way's 211 program, where people can call the hotline and speak to an operator that guides them through a wide range of available social services.
The Michigan Department of Human Services is going digital, rolling out a program where people can apply for food stamps via the Web.
That may help ease another challenge in getting aid to the middle class: pride. Many people feel so bad about having to ask for help that they just don't, or they have issues with it once they do.
"They'll say things like 'I've never had to do this before' and they feel a little uncomfortable," said Hagopian, the retired school teacher. But she says times have changed, the good union jobs are disappearing and it's harder and harder to find work.
"I just tell them society is not what it used to be," she said.
Detroit responds
Actually running out of food doesn't seem to be a problem, so far. In fact, because more people are being affected the response seems to be greater.
"A few years ago it was someone you saw a profile of on TV," said Wells. "Now it's your brother in-law, or the people your kid plays soccer with."
Wells said volunteers are up at Gleaners, as is general community awareness.
The Feds have helped too. Food stamp allowances were increased 14% nationwide under the stimulus plan.
Detroiters are also helping themselves in smaller ways. Thanks to the dearth of big supermarkets in Detroit proper - a phenomenon largely attributed to lack of people - and plenty of vacant land, community gardening has caught on big.
It's not so much that these gardens are going to feed the city, although they certainly help. It's more that they can be used to teach people, especially children, the value of eating right.
"I use vegetables every day," said one child at an after school gardening program run by Earthworks Urban Farm, near the heart of the city. "Last night, an onion I picked from here, I had in my potatoes."
Hearing that is good news to people like Dan Carmody, president of Eastern Market Corp., a century-old public market selling fresh produce and other foodstuffs near downtown Detroit.
Carmody is part of a group of people trying to bring healthy food to town. The efforts include setting up mobile produce stands around the city, working with convenience store owns to stock better produce, and trying to set up a program that allows food stamp recipients to spend twice as much money if they buy from a local farmer.
He says the food situation in Detroit is particularly depressing because the surrounding areas are chock full with some of the best eats around: Michigan grows some of the most varied crops in the nation, everything from apples and cantaloupes to peaches and watermelon. Windsor, just across the bridge, is the hydroponics capital of Canada. Artisan Amish farms are also close by in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Getting this food to Detroit, and getting Detroiters to buy it is the challenge. That's where the urban farms come in.
"Once kids start seeing where their food comes from," he said, "it changes the whole approach to how they eat."
"No pictures, put the camera down," he yells. My companion and I, on a tour of how people in this city are using urban farms to grow their own food, speed off.
In this recession-racked town, the lack of food is a serious problem. It's a theme that comes up again and again in conversations in Detroit. There isn't a single major chain supermarket in the city, forcing residents to buy food from corner stores. Often less healthy and more expensive food.
As the area's economy worsens --unemployment was over 16% in July -- food stamp applications and pantry visits have surged.
Detroiters have responded to this crisis. Huge amounts of vacant land has led to a resurgence in urban farming. Volunteers at local food pantries have also increased.
But the food crunch is intensifying, and spreading to people not used to dealing with hunger. As middle class workers lose their jobs, the same folks that used to donate to soup kitchens and pantries have become their fastest growing set of recipients.
"We've seen about a third more people than before," said Jean Hagopian, a volunteer at the New Life food pantry, part of the New Life Assembly of God church in Roseville, a suburb some 20 miles northeast of Detroit. Hagopian said many of the new people seeking assistance are men, former breadwinners now in desperate need of a food basket.
Hagopian is an 83-year old retired school teacher. She works at the pantry four days a week, spending two of those days driving her own minivan around town collecting food from local distributors.
The pantry, housed in the church basement, gives away boxes of food that might feed a family of four for a week. It includes dry and packaged goods like cereals and pasta, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, 7 or 8 pounds of frozen meat (usually chicken or hot dogs), and eight pan pizzas donated from a local Pizza Hut. Most of the other food is purchased from a distributor or donated by the county food program. Last month they gave out 519 boxes.
Hagopian hopes the demand for food doesn't get much worse.
"I hope we're at the top of it because we'll run out of food, and then we'll have to go out and find some more," she said.
She should brace for the worst. Across metro Detroit, social service agencies are reporting a huge spike in demand for food assistance.
Gleaners, an agency that distributes excess food donated from food processors, says their distribution is up 18% from last year. Michigan Department of Human Services, which handles federal food assistance like food stamps, WIC checks and such, has seen a 14% spike in applications since October. Calls to the United Way's help line have tripled in the last year.
"Given the resources, we could double our numbers," said Frank Kubik, food program manager for Focus:Hope, a Detroit aid organization that fed 41,000 mostly elderly people last year. Kubik said his program is restricted by charter and budget from serving more than its current number of clients. But if that were changed, he could certainly serve up more meals.
"There's no doubt about it, there's just so many out there that are really struggling right now," he said.
The changing face of hunger
There have been plenty of people struggling in Detroit for a long time. What makes this recession different is the type of people coming in. It's no longer just the homeless, or the really poor.
Now it's middle class folks who lost their $60,000-a-year auto job, or home owners who got caught on the wrong side of the real estate bubble.
Many of these people have never navigated the public assistance bureaucracy before, and that makes getting aid to them a challenge.
"They have no idea where the DHS office is," said DeWayne Wells, president of Gleaners, the food distributor.
To assist these newly hungry, Wells pointed to the United Way's 211 program, where people can call the hotline and speak to an operator that guides them through a wide range of available social services.
The Michigan Department of Human Services is going digital, rolling out a program where people can apply for food stamps via the Web.
That may help ease another challenge in getting aid to the middle class: pride. Many people feel so bad about having to ask for help that they just don't, or they have issues with it once they do.
"They'll say things like 'I've never had to do this before' and they feel a little uncomfortable," said Hagopian, the retired school teacher. But she says times have changed, the good union jobs are disappearing and it's harder and harder to find work.
"I just tell them society is not what it used to be," she said.
Detroit responds
Actually running out of food doesn't seem to be a problem, so far. In fact, because more people are being affected the response seems to be greater.
"A few years ago it was someone you saw a profile of on TV," said Wells. "Now it's your brother in-law, or the people your kid plays soccer with."
Wells said volunteers are up at Gleaners, as is general community awareness.
The Feds have helped too. Food stamp allowances were increased 14% nationwide under the stimulus plan.
Detroiters are also helping themselves in smaller ways. Thanks to the dearth of big supermarkets in Detroit proper - a phenomenon largely attributed to lack of people - and plenty of vacant land, community gardening has caught on big.
It's not so much that these gardens are going to feed the city, although they certainly help. It's more that they can be used to teach people, especially children, the value of eating right.
"I use vegetables every day," said one child at an after school gardening program run by Earthworks Urban Farm, near the heart of the city. "Last night, an onion I picked from here, I had in my potatoes."
Hearing that is good news to people like Dan Carmody, president of Eastern Market Corp., a century-old public market selling fresh produce and other foodstuffs near downtown Detroit.
Carmody is part of a group of people trying to bring healthy food to town. The efforts include setting up mobile produce stands around the city, working with convenience store owns to stock better produce, and trying to set up a program that allows food stamp recipients to spend twice as much money if they buy from a local farmer.
He says the food situation in Detroit is particularly depressing because the surrounding areas are chock full with some of the best eats around: Michigan grows some of the most varied crops in the nation, everything from apples and cantaloupes to peaches and watermelon. Windsor, just across the bridge, is the hydroponics capital of Canada. Artisan Amish farms are also close by in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Getting this food to Detroit, and getting Detroiters to buy it is the challenge. That's where the urban farms come in.
"Once kids start seeing where their food comes from," he said, "it changes the whole approach to how they eat."
Credibility
Haven’t you always heard the most important thing is attitude? I’ve heard that all my life; attitude is everything.
But now that I’m older and wiser, I realize that’s not the case. Oh, don’t get me wrong, attitude is important, but it isn’t everything, far from it. Attitude is nothing without one important ingredient – credibility.
Without credibility you have nothing. Credibility makes you believable. Credibility is what makes people listen to you. Credibility is what makes people take action when you speak.
Have you ever heard anyone say, “I’m going to do what he says because he has attitude”? No, you haven’t. But you have heard people say, “I’m going to do what he says because he has credibility. He’s believable. He knows what he’s talking about.”
If you don’t have credibility, no amount of attitude will help you. In fact, attitude without credibility comes off as being arrogant.
I know lots of people who have attitude but they’re not credible. No one listens to someone with attitude. They do listen to someone with credibility. So don’t try to get attitude, try to become credible.
And the way you do that is by learning. Learning is an ongoing process. At 88-years old, Michaelango said, “I am still learning.” Knowledge is power.
The day you stop learning is the day you lose all credibility. You will still have attitude, but it won’t get you anywhere.
So, always remember, credibility is everything. The attitude part is nothing without it.
How about you? Are you credible, or are you just someone with attitude? Credibility and attitude go together like peanut butter and jelly.
People respect attitude, but they respect credibility way more. Become credible. Then attitude will follow.
But now that I’m older and wiser, I realize that’s not the case. Oh, don’t get me wrong, attitude is important, but it isn’t everything, far from it. Attitude is nothing without one important ingredient – credibility.
Without credibility you have nothing. Credibility makes you believable. Credibility is what makes people listen to you. Credibility is what makes people take action when you speak.
Have you ever heard anyone say, “I’m going to do what he says because he has attitude”? No, you haven’t. But you have heard people say, “I’m going to do what he says because he has credibility. He’s believable. He knows what he’s talking about.”
If you don’t have credibility, no amount of attitude will help you. In fact, attitude without credibility comes off as being arrogant.
I know lots of people who have attitude but they’re not credible. No one listens to someone with attitude. They do listen to someone with credibility. So don’t try to get attitude, try to become credible.
And the way you do that is by learning. Learning is an ongoing process. At 88-years old, Michaelango said, “I am still learning.” Knowledge is power.
The day you stop learning is the day you lose all credibility. You will still have attitude, but it won’t get you anywhere.
So, always remember, credibility is everything. The attitude part is nothing without it.
How about you? Are you credible, or are you just someone with attitude? Credibility and attitude go together like peanut butter and jelly.
People respect attitude, but they respect credibility way more. Become credible. Then attitude will follow.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Death Valley
Death Valley, Nevada is called that because nothing grows there and the reason nothing grows there is because it never rains in Death Valley.
In the winter of 2004 it rained in Death Valley. It got seven inches of rain.
In the spring of 2005 the floor of Death Valley was covered with plant life.
People came from miles to witness this phenomenon that they may never see again, plant life in Death Valley – proving that the plant life has always been there, Death Valley was alive. It was just asleep. It just needed the right circumstances to blossom.
The seeds were there waiting for the right circumstances to flourish. People are like this.
If the conditions are right they will flourish, they will find their true calling and begin to live, not just exist.
We need to think about Death Valley when we’re teaching our children. They have the creative seeds in them. They just need the right conditions to flourish, to grow, to become something special and it’s up to us to make those conditions just right for them.
It’s also important to realize that no matter what age you are, you have the creative seeds in you; you just need the right conditions to let them flourish.
Thomas Edison said, “People would be astounded if they did all the things they were capable of doing.” Let your creative juices flow. Challenge yourself, do something with your life.
Don’t die with your music still in you.
In the winter of 2004 it rained in Death Valley. It got seven inches of rain.
In the spring of 2005 the floor of Death Valley was covered with plant life.
People came from miles to witness this phenomenon that they may never see again, plant life in Death Valley – proving that the plant life has always been there, Death Valley was alive. It was just asleep. It just needed the right circumstances to blossom.
The seeds were there waiting for the right circumstances to flourish. People are like this.
If the conditions are right they will flourish, they will find their true calling and begin to live, not just exist.
We need to think about Death Valley when we’re teaching our children. They have the creative seeds in them. They just need the right conditions to flourish, to grow, to become something special and it’s up to us to make those conditions just right for them.
It’s also important to realize that no matter what age you are, you have the creative seeds in you; you just need the right conditions to let them flourish.
Thomas Edison said, “People would be astounded if they did all the things they were capable of doing.” Let your creative juices flow. Challenge yourself, do something with your life.
Don’t die with your music still in you.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Way Of The Yogi: Where Does Stress Come From?
Have you ever wondered why you sometimes wake up and sail through your day without any sense of stress, frustration or angst - while on another day stress and angst seem to be the themes of your existence? Is it in the water? Are we just the victim of random events that propel us without choice into unhappiness and stress? Do we have a choice in the matter?
Seekers, including the ancient yogis, have asked this question for thousands of years. Why do some events bother me while others do not? Why is it that the same event on one day seems to pass without a thought, when on another day it seems to become the very source of my entire life's suffering? And, most importantly, what, if anything, can I do about this?
Where does stress come from?
Most of us perceive stress and anxiety as coming from an outside source. You are stuck in traffic going 20 miles an hour on the freeway, and all you can think about is how the traffic is driving us crazy. Outside source to blame for our internal state. You step on the scale and it tells you your weight is five pounds more than 2 days before-your mood plummets. Outside source to blame for internal state. Your daughter announces that she will be moving back in with you indefinitely. You have budgeted the entire year to a penny-for yourself alone-and can finally afford that course you have been longing to take. Well, not anymore. Outside source to blame for internal state. We all have criteria for what we think will make us happy. For some of us, it is losing weight, finding the perfect partner, gaining the approval of our peers, or having lots of money. But there is a hidden subtext to our criteria for happiness that is often the root of the very suffering we are trying to avoid. Implicit in the desire to have money is the fear of being poor. Implicit in the desire to have a partner is the need to not be alone. Implicit in the desire to be thin is the implication that if I'm fat, I am not allowed to be happy.
By becoming attached to the idea that life needs to be a certain way in order for me to be happy, I sow the seeds of my own potential unhappiness. If having money means being happy, not having money means being unhappy. If I equate a partner with happiness, then being alone means being unhappy.
We are all programmed with a random set of criteria-conscious or unconscious mostly programmed by our past experiences, our culture, family-and even past lives-which determines the unconscious "rules" by which I decide whether I can allow myself to be happy and stress-free or not. If my "rules" are fulfilled - if I weigh 125, I am within the parameters of being allowed to feel happy - so I do. But if my "rules for happiness," which I myself have set, are not met, if I should get on a scale and see the number 130, I will not allow myself to be happy.
Do you see how this works? It is each of us-not-life that determines our level of happiness. How our life circumstances measure up to our criteria determines our level of happiness. In essence, each of us decides whether we can be happy or not. No life circumstance, no person, no event determines our level of happiness - we decide for ourselves.
This does not mean that we cannot have preferences. The trap is becoming so attached to our preferences that we cannot let go and allow life to show up as it will. Life has no allegiance to my criteria or me. It will show up how it shows up - like the rain does. The events of life have moved in their own rhythms and ways long before I was born and will continue long after I die.
Things happen. They are not personal. But we take them personally. We take the impersonal events of life-events that are much like the rain - and personalize them. We say, "God, if you love me you will not make it rain today." Then, if it rains, we decide we are mad at God. How is that? God is in every moment as it is unfolding now. How can I put any criteria on how God should show up? And who am I to decide God loves me if one thing happens and that God hates me if something else happens? This is all pure fabrication - another example of how we set up criteria for how life is to show up and then suffer when our criteria go unmet.
Rain will rain when it rains. It will happen when the meteorological conditions are present. We are the ones who put conditions on the rain and say, "If it rains, I will be unhappy." Okay, now I am unhappy - it rained. Whose fault is that? Is it the rain's fault or is it my fault? It's mine. I am the one who decided that reality should be different than it is.
The Reality Management Program
Yogis saw that our "rules" about how life needs to be in order for us to be happy are the root of all suffering. From the point of view of yoga, we have two choices. Choice number one is what I call the Reality Management Program. We spend our life energy trying to get all the people around us to fit our criteria do, say, act, just how we want so that we can feel happy. We train people around us-our close friends and our loved ones. We let them know, verbally or non-verbally, how they need to act in order to get our love. We do it at work as well. We put our entire sense of self into the success we achieve. We try to make reality fit our idea of success-more money, better title, recognition. People spend their whole lives just working on getting reality to fit this picture of "success" so that they can be happy.
Realizing that the Reality Management Program is an uncertain strategy for lasting happiness is something that each of us has to recognize for ourselves. After many years, lifetimes even, of struggling to find contentment in this way, some fortunate people start to realize that for the amount of energy they are putting into the Reality Management Program, it is not producing lasting happiness. It is a dead end. Only when the individual realizes this, can the spiritual journey begin.
If Reality Management doesn't work, why do all of us do it?
Take a look at some of the criteria that regularly operate in your life. The ones that you say, "If only _ then, I would be happy." Now imagine that you have that thing that you so yearn for. Imagine how you would feel. Happy? Content? My guess is that, for a moment at least, you would experience a state of "not wanting anything more." A state of contentment in which, for that moment at least, you feel complete. Nothing needs to be different than it is and you can completely be at rest. I would call this state the state of Being in which we experience-everything is okay, nothing needs to be different completion or wholeness.
I suggest that the reason we all stick so fervently to Reality Management is that in our own convoluted way, we are searching for the state of Being. We are searching for the experience of completeness, of not wanting anything more, of integration. We are searching for that which is the purpose and meaning of yoga-wholeness-could we but realize it.
With the Reality Management Plan, we are depending on outside circumstances to create an inner state. Since outside circumstances have a life of their own, this is a gamble. With choice number two, the Way of the Yogi, we begin with the assumption that the state of being we are looking for is already present. It is not a state that can be added to or found by achieving anything outside since it already is here.
Choice number two, the Way of the Yogi, comes down to this.
Be free from the need for anything to show up differently than it is in order to be happy.
If anything you do has a subtext of "in order to," you are in reality management. In the Way of the Yogi, we sincerely devote our lives to letting go of any conditions we have about how life needs to show up. We practice relaxing into the moment no matter what is taking place. When we face situations that we normally would react to, we catch ourselves and say, "Can I relax with this?" "What about this?" It is not about perfection, it is like a game. Watch what catches you can pull you back into reality management. By and by you will notice that just by putting your attention on this intention you will be able to relax with more and more things happening in your life.
How does the physical practice of Hatha Yoga tie into this? The physical practice of yoga is useful in two ways. First, the practice is intended to put demands on the body and mind in laboratory conditions so that we can see our habitual tendency to try to manage reality. We try to escape from the discomfort, physical, mental or emotional in the pose in much the same way we do in life. As we learn to better allow for all sensations, emotions, thoughts to be present without needing to comment, fix, judge, rationalize, or change the experience in any way, we are in practice for life circumstances where we are called on to do the same. Second, as we progressively learn to bypass the tendencies of the mind to manage reality, we drop into the state of being that is always present. In the absence of striving to achieve anything or make anything happen we experience the Being that we are. Yoga becomes the practice ground for learning to live from choice number two-the Way of the Yogi.
________________________________________
This article was originally published in Sacred Pathways Magazine
Seekers, including the ancient yogis, have asked this question for thousands of years. Why do some events bother me while others do not? Why is it that the same event on one day seems to pass without a thought, when on another day it seems to become the very source of my entire life's suffering? And, most importantly, what, if anything, can I do about this?
Where does stress come from?
Most of us perceive stress and anxiety as coming from an outside source. You are stuck in traffic going 20 miles an hour on the freeway, and all you can think about is how the traffic is driving us crazy. Outside source to blame for our internal state. You step on the scale and it tells you your weight is five pounds more than 2 days before-your mood plummets. Outside source to blame for internal state. Your daughter announces that she will be moving back in with you indefinitely. You have budgeted the entire year to a penny-for yourself alone-and can finally afford that course you have been longing to take. Well, not anymore. Outside source to blame for internal state. We all have criteria for what we think will make us happy. For some of us, it is losing weight, finding the perfect partner, gaining the approval of our peers, or having lots of money. But there is a hidden subtext to our criteria for happiness that is often the root of the very suffering we are trying to avoid. Implicit in the desire to have money is the fear of being poor. Implicit in the desire to have a partner is the need to not be alone. Implicit in the desire to be thin is the implication that if I'm fat, I am not allowed to be happy.
By becoming attached to the idea that life needs to be a certain way in order for me to be happy, I sow the seeds of my own potential unhappiness. If having money means being happy, not having money means being unhappy. If I equate a partner with happiness, then being alone means being unhappy.
We are all programmed with a random set of criteria-conscious or unconscious mostly programmed by our past experiences, our culture, family-and even past lives-which determines the unconscious "rules" by which I decide whether I can allow myself to be happy and stress-free or not. If my "rules" are fulfilled - if I weigh 125, I am within the parameters of being allowed to feel happy - so I do. But if my "rules for happiness," which I myself have set, are not met, if I should get on a scale and see the number 130, I will not allow myself to be happy.
Do you see how this works? It is each of us-not-life that determines our level of happiness. How our life circumstances measure up to our criteria determines our level of happiness. In essence, each of us decides whether we can be happy or not. No life circumstance, no person, no event determines our level of happiness - we decide for ourselves.
This does not mean that we cannot have preferences. The trap is becoming so attached to our preferences that we cannot let go and allow life to show up as it will. Life has no allegiance to my criteria or me. It will show up how it shows up - like the rain does. The events of life have moved in their own rhythms and ways long before I was born and will continue long after I die.
Things happen. They are not personal. But we take them personally. We take the impersonal events of life-events that are much like the rain - and personalize them. We say, "God, if you love me you will not make it rain today." Then, if it rains, we decide we are mad at God. How is that? God is in every moment as it is unfolding now. How can I put any criteria on how God should show up? And who am I to decide God loves me if one thing happens and that God hates me if something else happens? This is all pure fabrication - another example of how we set up criteria for how life is to show up and then suffer when our criteria go unmet.
Rain will rain when it rains. It will happen when the meteorological conditions are present. We are the ones who put conditions on the rain and say, "If it rains, I will be unhappy." Okay, now I am unhappy - it rained. Whose fault is that? Is it the rain's fault or is it my fault? It's mine. I am the one who decided that reality should be different than it is.
The Reality Management Program
Yogis saw that our "rules" about how life needs to be in order for us to be happy are the root of all suffering. From the point of view of yoga, we have two choices. Choice number one is what I call the Reality Management Program. We spend our life energy trying to get all the people around us to fit our criteria do, say, act, just how we want so that we can feel happy. We train people around us-our close friends and our loved ones. We let them know, verbally or non-verbally, how they need to act in order to get our love. We do it at work as well. We put our entire sense of self into the success we achieve. We try to make reality fit our idea of success-more money, better title, recognition. People spend their whole lives just working on getting reality to fit this picture of "success" so that they can be happy.
Realizing that the Reality Management Program is an uncertain strategy for lasting happiness is something that each of us has to recognize for ourselves. After many years, lifetimes even, of struggling to find contentment in this way, some fortunate people start to realize that for the amount of energy they are putting into the Reality Management Program, it is not producing lasting happiness. It is a dead end. Only when the individual realizes this, can the spiritual journey begin.
If Reality Management doesn't work, why do all of us do it?
Take a look at some of the criteria that regularly operate in your life. The ones that you say, "If only _ then, I would be happy." Now imagine that you have that thing that you so yearn for. Imagine how you would feel. Happy? Content? My guess is that, for a moment at least, you would experience a state of "not wanting anything more." A state of contentment in which, for that moment at least, you feel complete. Nothing needs to be different than it is and you can completely be at rest. I would call this state the state of Being in which we experience-everything is okay, nothing needs to be different completion or wholeness.
I suggest that the reason we all stick so fervently to Reality Management is that in our own convoluted way, we are searching for the state of Being. We are searching for the experience of completeness, of not wanting anything more, of integration. We are searching for that which is the purpose and meaning of yoga-wholeness-could we but realize it.
With the Reality Management Plan, we are depending on outside circumstances to create an inner state. Since outside circumstances have a life of their own, this is a gamble. With choice number two, the Way of the Yogi, we begin with the assumption that the state of being we are looking for is already present. It is not a state that can be added to or found by achieving anything outside since it already is here.
Choice number two, the Way of the Yogi, comes down to this.
Be free from the need for anything to show up differently than it is in order to be happy.
If anything you do has a subtext of "in order to," you are in reality management. In the Way of the Yogi, we sincerely devote our lives to letting go of any conditions we have about how life needs to show up. We practice relaxing into the moment no matter what is taking place. When we face situations that we normally would react to, we catch ourselves and say, "Can I relax with this?" "What about this?" It is not about perfection, it is like a game. Watch what catches you can pull you back into reality management. By and by you will notice that just by putting your attention on this intention you will be able to relax with more and more things happening in your life.
How does the physical practice of Hatha Yoga tie into this? The physical practice of yoga is useful in two ways. First, the practice is intended to put demands on the body and mind in laboratory conditions so that we can see our habitual tendency to try to manage reality. We try to escape from the discomfort, physical, mental or emotional in the pose in much the same way we do in life. As we learn to better allow for all sensations, emotions, thoughts to be present without needing to comment, fix, judge, rationalize, or change the experience in any way, we are in practice for life circumstances where we are called on to do the same. Second, as we progressively learn to bypass the tendencies of the mind to manage reality, we drop into the state of being that is always present. In the absence of striving to achieve anything or make anything happen we experience the Being that we are. Yoga becomes the practice ground for learning to live from choice number two-the Way of the Yogi.
________________________________________
This article was originally published in Sacred Pathways Magazine
With Age Comes Wisdom: Midlife Brains Sharper Than Younger Minds
Aging has long been a popular excuse for becoming scatterbrained. But new research suggests that memory and the mind improve as we get older, peaking as late as in the 60s.
Though the common belief is that brain cells die as people age, making them more forgetful, the reverse is actually true, according to a just-published book based on several recent studies.
In "The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain," New York Times deputy science editor Barbara Strauch says that not only do human beings keep their existing brain cells intact throughout their middle-age years but new ones also continue to form, according to the U.K.'s Daily Mail.
Strauch bases her arguments on a mountain of compelling research, including the Seattle Longitudinal Study -- which has tracked about 6,000 people since 1956, testing them every seven years, and is the most expansive survey on the subject.
That study has shown that participants tended to score higher on cognitive exercises in their 40s and 50s than they did in their 20s, the Mail reported.
The older subjects performed better on vocabulary, spatial orientation, problem solving and verbal memory tests. They did worse when quizzed on perceptual speed (how fast they were able to push a button) and on their numeric abilities (how quickly they could calculate simple math).
"What we have learned from studying the time we call 'middle age' is that the changes that take place as we age give us the best brains of our lives," Strauch writes on her website.
Other occupational studies analyzing on-the-job performance have found that middle-aged employees have stronger skills than their younger counterparts.
In two separate trials, pilots and air traffic controllers were placed in simulators mimicking the real-world task of monitoring planes and keeping them a safe distance apart. The experienced participants did the job as well or better than the younger subjects, even though their reaction times weren't quite as fast.
So is the old adage true? Does wisdom really come with age?
"The elderly brain is less dopamine-dependent, making people less impulsive and controlled by emotion," Dilip Jeste, a professor at the University of California, said during a conference in Scotland. "Older people are also less likely to respond thoughtlessly to negative emotional stimuli because their brains have slowed down compared to young people. This, in fact, is what we call wisdom."
Researchers have recently discovered that though unused brain connections deteriorate or are lost, people retain most of their brain cells for their entire lives, the Mail says.
That could be in part because levels of myelin, the fatty material that protects brain cells and speeds up neurotransmissions, rise through midlife, according to several U.S. studies.
In one survey, authors found that myelin reached its highest levels in men who were 50 and in some instances in their 60s. Myelin bolsters brainpower by up to 3,000 percent, according to a neuroscientist who spearheaded the research.
Another possible explanation is that people develop the ability to use both sides of their brains as they get older rather than only one as they do when they're younger, according to the Mail.
Long-term memory also stays the same with age, while short-term memory declines. Researchers from New York City's Mount Sinai School of Medicine studied rhesus monkeys' brains, finding that the receptors in charge of long-term memory remained unchanged in the older animals. Half of the receptors responsible for remembering new information were lost in the aging monkeys, however.
Though the common belief is that brain cells die as people age, making them more forgetful, the reverse is actually true, according to a just-published book based on several recent studies.
In "The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain," New York Times deputy science editor Barbara Strauch says that not only do human beings keep their existing brain cells intact throughout their middle-age years but new ones also continue to form, according to the U.K.'s Daily Mail.
Strauch bases her arguments on a mountain of compelling research, including the Seattle Longitudinal Study -- which has tracked about 6,000 people since 1956, testing them every seven years, and is the most expansive survey on the subject.
That study has shown that participants tended to score higher on cognitive exercises in their 40s and 50s than they did in their 20s, the Mail reported.
The older subjects performed better on vocabulary, spatial orientation, problem solving and verbal memory tests. They did worse when quizzed on perceptual speed (how fast they were able to push a button) and on their numeric abilities (how quickly they could calculate simple math).
"What we have learned from studying the time we call 'middle age' is that the changes that take place as we age give us the best brains of our lives," Strauch writes on her website.
Other occupational studies analyzing on-the-job performance have found that middle-aged employees have stronger skills than their younger counterparts.
In two separate trials, pilots and air traffic controllers were placed in simulators mimicking the real-world task of monitoring planes and keeping them a safe distance apart. The experienced participants did the job as well or better than the younger subjects, even though their reaction times weren't quite as fast.
So is the old adage true? Does wisdom really come with age?
"The elderly brain is less dopamine-dependent, making people less impulsive and controlled by emotion," Dilip Jeste, a professor at the University of California, said during a conference in Scotland. "Older people are also less likely to respond thoughtlessly to negative emotional stimuli because their brains have slowed down compared to young people. This, in fact, is what we call wisdom."
Researchers have recently discovered that though unused brain connections deteriorate or are lost, people retain most of their brain cells for their entire lives, the Mail says.
That could be in part because levels of myelin, the fatty material that protects brain cells and speeds up neurotransmissions, rise through midlife, according to several U.S. studies.
In one survey, authors found that myelin reached its highest levels in men who were 50 and in some instances in their 60s. Myelin bolsters brainpower by up to 3,000 percent, according to a neuroscientist who spearheaded the research.
Another possible explanation is that people develop the ability to use both sides of their brains as they get older rather than only one as they do when they're younger, according to the Mail.
Long-term memory also stays the same with age, while short-term memory declines. Researchers from New York City's Mount Sinai School of Medicine studied rhesus monkeys' brains, finding that the receptors in charge of long-term memory remained unchanged in the older animals. Half of the receptors responsible for remembering new information were lost in the aging monkeys, however.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Death Valley
Death Valley, Nevada is called that because nothing grows there and the reason nothing grows there is because it never rains in Death Valley.
In the winter of 2004 it rained in Death Valley. It got seven inches of rain.
In the spring of 2005 the floor of Death Valley was covered with plant life.
People came from miles to witness this phenomenon that they may never see again, plant life in Death Valley – proving that the plant life has always been there, Death Valley was alive.
It was just asleep. It just needed the right circumstances to blossom. The seeds were there waiting for the right circumstances to flourish. People are like this.
If the conditions are right they will flourish, they will find their true calling and begin to live, not just exist. We need to think about Death Valley when we’re teaching our children.
They have the creative seeds in them. They just need the right conditions to flourish, to grow, to become something special and it’s up to us to make those conditions just right for them.
It’s also important to realize that no matter what age you are, you have the creative seeds in you; you just need the right conditions to let them flourish.
Thomas Edison said, “People would be astounded if they did all the things they were capable of doing.”
Let your creative juices flow. Challenge yourself, do something with your life. Don’t die with your music still in you.
In the winter of 2004 it rained in Death Valley. It got seven inches of rain.
In the spring of 2005 the floor of Death Valley was covered with plant life.
People came from miles to witness this phenomenon that they may never see again, plant life in Death Valley – proving that the plant life has always been there, Death Valley was alive.
It was just asleep. It just needed the right circumstances to blossom. The seeds were there waiting for the right circumstances to flourish. People are like this.
If the conditions are right they will flourish, they will find their true calling and begin to live, not just exist. We need to think about Death Valley when we’re teaching our children.
They have the creative seeds in them. They just need the right conditions to flourish, to grow, to become something special and it’s up to us to make those conditions just right for them.
It’s also important to realize that no matter what age you are, you have the creative seeds in you; you just need the right conditions to let them flourish.
Thomas Edison said, “People would be astounded if they did all the things they were capable of doing.”
Let your creative juices flow. Challenge yourself, do something with your life. Don’t die with your music still in you.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Money Can Buy Happiness
Money might buy "happiness," but it doesn't seem to contribute to people's enjoyment.
To answer the question of whether money makes people happy, researchers looked at a Gallup poll of 136,000 people from 132 countries, a sample representing 96 percent of the world's population. Survey respondents disclosed information including their income, standard of living, what kind of things they owned and which of their psychological needs were being satisfied.
While there was a clear correlation between personal and national income and respondents claiming general life satisfaction, having more money was only weakly linked to enjoying day-to-day life. Instead, other factors, such as having friends, being independent and having a fulfilling job, proved much more essential to positive feelings at any given moment.
Nevertheless, there is probably some wisdom in the old saying: "Those who think money can't buy happiness just don't know where to shop."
www.worldwidebc.com
To answer the question of whether money makes people happy, researchers looked at a Gallup poll of 136,000 people from 132 countries, a sample representing 96 percent of the world's population. Survey respondents disclosed information including their income, standard of living, what kind of things they owned and which of their psychological needs were being satisfied.
While there was a clear correlation between personal and national income and respondents claiming general life satisfaction, having more money was only weakly linked to enjoying day-to-day life. Instead, other factors, such as having friends, being independent and having a fulfilling job, proved much more essential to positive feelings at any given moment.
Nevertheless, there is probably some wisdom in the old saying: "Those who think money can't buy happiness just don't know where to shop."
www.worldwidebc.com
Wally The Cab Driver
Everyone needs to stop quacking and to soar like Eagles.
Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar -
No one can make you serve customers well.
That's because great service is a choice.
Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.
He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey.
He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver.
While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.'
Taken aback, Harvey read the card.
It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.
This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee?
I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'
My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.'
Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.'
Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.'
Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'
As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'
And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him.
Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts..
'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'
Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always: In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard on the radio one day that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.''
That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'That was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers.. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'
'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.
'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'
Wally was phenomenal.. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab.
I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.
How about us?
Smile, and the whole world smiles with you... The ball is in our hands!
Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar
Have a nice day, unless you already have made other plans.
Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar -
No one can make you serve customers well.
That's because great service is a choice.
Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.
He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey.
He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver.
While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.'
Taken aback, Harvey read the card.
It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.
This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee?
I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'
My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.'
Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.'
Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.'
Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'
As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'
And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him.
Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts..
'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'
Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always: In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard on the radio one day that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.''
That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'That was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers.. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'
'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.
'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'
Wally was phenomenal.. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab.
I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.
How about us?
Smile, and the whole world smiles with you... The ball is in our hands!
Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar
Have a nice day, unless you already have made other plans.
Everything You Do Matters
Most people don’t realize the power of those words. They don’t realize that everything they do, everything they say, every choice they make matters to someone, somewhere, and they may not even know it. And I can prove it.
When I was twelve years old I used to sell popcorn at the baseball games in my hometown. I didn’t make any money for it, but I love baseball, so it worked out. I’d put the concession box around my neck and shout, “Popcorn, get your hot popcorn.”
One night during a game I noticed a couple at the top of the stands having an argument. It was getting heated, about to turn ugly. I walked past them going, “Hot popcorn, get your hot popcorn.”
I stopped right in front of them, too the box off, sat it down in front of me and I checked every box of popcorn. Then I put it back on and went, “Popcorn. Get your popcorn.” I left out the word ‘hot’ because every box I checked was cold.
And the way I did it made them laugh so hard they forgot what they were arguing about. I walked past them thirty-minutes later and they were snuggled up enjoying the game.
They left that night holding hands. The point of the story is this: I ran into that guy seven years later. He knew my family and he knew of me. And he said that what I did that night saved his marriage.
He said they were on the verge of breaking up for good until I made them laugh so hard they realized that what they were arguing about wasn’t worth breaking up their marriage over.
They were still married seven years later and had three children.
Today they’re both in their seventies, still married; they have six children, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren – None of which would have happened if I hadn’t done what I did that night at the baseball game.
Their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will never know me, but they owe their very existence to what I did that night when I was twelve years old. EVERYTHING YOU DO – MATTERS. Don’t forget it.
www.worldwidebc.com
When I was twelve years old I used to sell popcorn at the baseball games in my hometown. I didn’t make any money for it, but I love baseball, so it worked out. I’d put the concession box around my neck and shout, “Popcorn, get your hot popcorn.”
One night during a game I noticed a couple at the top of the stands having an argument. It was getting heated, about to turn ugly. I walked past them going, “Hot popcorn, get your hot popcorn.”
I stopped right in front of them, too the box off, sat it down in front of me and I checked every box of popcorn. Then I put it back on and went, “Popcorn. Get your popcorn.” I left out the word ‘hot’ because every box I checked was cold.
And the way I did it made them laugh so hard they forgot what they were arguing about. I walked past them thirty-minutes later and they were snuggled up enjoying the game.
They left that night holding hands. The point of the story is this: I ran into that guy seven years later. He knew my family and he knew of me. And he said that what I did that night saved his marriage.
He said they were on the verge of breaking up for good until I made them laugh so hard they realized that what they were arguing about wasn’t worth breaking up their marriage over.
They were still married seven years later and had three children.
Today they’re both in their seventies, still married; they have six children, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren – None of which would have happened if I hadn’t done what I did that night at the baseball game.
Their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will never know me, but they owe their very existence to what I did that night when I was twelve years old. EVERYTHING YOU DO – MATTERS. Don’t forget it.
www.worldwidebc.com
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Go green
Sarah Dietze
Isn't paying lip service to the environment a standard part of every college application essay? Prepare to put your money where your mouth is, as the following green cleaning products make a serious economic and ecological impact.
Tree huggers tout baking soda and vinegar as replacements for every cleaning product in your cupboard. Yet it has to be said – some homemade cleansers simply aren't effective enough and aren't worth the prep work. The following are a couple of recipes I've tested on my own. They've managed to get red wine stains out of clothes and remove crusted-over mac and cheese from countless stove tops. The savings are as real as the results; all prices listed are for brand-name products at Target.
Before beginning, invest in a few empty spray bottles from the dollar store. Better yet, save old Windex bottles and jelly jars to maximize your savings and minimize your impact.
All-Purpose and Window Cleaner
Here, recipes vary widely, but two basic ingredients remain the same: vinegar and water. Planet Green will tell you to add a couple of drops of dish washing detergent to cut the residue left by Windex, but it will leave a film. A mixture of half vinegar and half water works on both windows and hard surfaces. A 32-ounce bottle of Windex typically costs $2.69, while a gallon of Heinz vinegar retails for $3.89. The savings? $1.71 per bottle.
After investing in a gallon of vinegar, check out 74 little known uses for the stuff (which is more than the 57 varieties Heinz boasts of sauces and such).
Furniture Polish
Particleboard from Ikea hardly deserves a mirror-like shine. Still, a few drops of jojoba or olive oil added to a cup of vinegar, cleans and protects like Pledge claims it does. It's amazing that this dressing-like concoction doesn't harm wood, but I've used it on my great-great-aunt's hand-me-down furniture with no ill effect. I highly recommend jojoba rather than olive oil here, as the waxy finish provides momentary protection from spills. Store the mixture in a glass jar, and shake before using. Assuming you already have olive or some sort of cooking oil on hand, this will cost just 12 cents to make versus $2.85 for a 12.5-ounce can of Pledge.
Scouring Powder
Versatile and inexpensive, baking soda doesn't deserve banishment to the back of your refrigerator. Mix it with a bit of water to scrub sinks, counters and stove tops. Sprinkle a half cup or so in the toilet as an alternative to Lysol, then add a bit of vinegar for disinfecting power. Baking soda can be difficult to rinse away, but the same is true of Soft Scrub (which sells for $2.79 per 32 ounces compared to $1.18 for the same amount of baking soda)
Laundry detergent
While making laundry detergent is more labor-intensive than for any other item on this list, the savings are a substantial reward. Listen and clean up -- in more ways than one.
Trent Hamm of The Simple Dollar has one of the most popular recipes on the Internet. He estimates his cost at 3 cents per load, and his savings at $0.25 a load over Tide. Unfortunately, he also mixes each batch in a five-gallon bucket that would dominate the average dorm room. Lindsay Edmonds at Passionate Homemaking offers a scaled-down version using castile soap, washing soda, salt and vinegar. Washing soda is easier to find in independent grocery stores or regional chains. I keep each batch in a recycled Arizona tea jug. The geisha illustration on the front brightens my day as its contents brighten my clothes.
Fabric Softener
Homemade detergent has one downside: if you use too much soap, your clothes become both stiff and dingy. Traditional fabric softener, whether in liquid or dryer sheet form, will only further coat your clothes, often with animal fat. A cup of vinegar added to the rinse cycle cuts residue, costs only 49 cents per load and is more appealing, vegan or not.
If static cling is an issue, try a set of dryer balls or a bit of foil in the dryer. A twin pack of dryer balls will set you back $4.99, compared to $4.29 for 120 loads of Snuggle. The spiky spheres fluff and aerate clothing and last indefinitely.
Air/Fabric Refresher
What did collegiate males do before Febreze? Procter & Gamble is well aware that it's cornered the market on "linen & sky" and "meadows & rain," charging $3.49 for a 16-ounce bottle. Use your all-purpose vinegar cleaner as Febreze, either in the air or on fabrics. The acidic scent and offending odors disappear as the mixture dries.
towels for additional savings.
Ultimately, all of the above recipes should help save time and money. If you have to spend hours scrubbing, either modify the recipe or ditch it altogether. While you're at it, try using giveaway t-shirts instead of paper
Isn't paying lip service to the environment a standard part of every college application essay? Prepare to put your money where your mouth is, as the following green cleaning products make a serious economic and ecological impact.
Tree huggers tout baking soda and vinegar as replacements for every cleaning product in your cupboard. Yet it has to be said – some homemade cleansers simply aren't effective enough and aren't worth the prep work. The following are a couple of recipes I've tested on my own. They've managed to get red wine stains out of clothes and remove crusted-over mac and cheese from countless stove tops. The savings are as real as the results; all prices listed are for brand-name products at Target.
Before beginning, invest in a few empty spray bottles from the dollar store. Better yet, save old Windex bottles and jelly jars to maximize your savings and minimize your impact.
All-Purpose and Window Cleaner
Here, recipes vary widely, but two basic ingredients remain the same: vinegar and water. Planet Green will tell you to add a couple of drops of dish washing detergent to cut the residue left by Windex, but it will leave a film. A mixture of half vinegar and half water works on both windows and hard surfaces. A 32-ounce bottle of Windex typically costs $2.69, while a gallon of Heinz vinegar retails for $3.89. The savings? $1.71 per bottle.
After investing in a gallon of vinegar, check out 74 little known uses for the stuff (which is more than the 57 varieties Heinz boasts of sauces and such).
Furniture Polish
Particleboard from Ikea hardly deserves a mirror-like shine. Still, a few drops of jojoba or olive oil added to a cup of vinegar, cleans and protects like Pledge claims it does. It's amazing that this dressing-like concoction doesn't harm wood, but I've used it on my great-great-aunt's hand-me-down furniture with no ill effect. I highly recommend jojoba rather than olive oil here, as the waxy finish provides momentary protection from spills. Store the mixture in a glass jar, and shake before using. Assuming you already have olive or some sort of cooking oil on hand, this will cost just 12 cents to make versus $2.85 for a 12.5-ounce can of Pledge.
Scouring Powder
Versatile and inexpensive, baking soda doesn't deserve banishment to the back of your refrigerator. Mix it with a bit of water to scrub sinks, counters and stove tops. Sprinkle a half cup or so in the toilet as an alternative to Lysol, then add a bit of vinegar for disinfecting power. Baking soda can be difficult to rinse away, but the same is true of Soft Scrub (which sells for $2.79 per 32 ounces compared to $1.18 for the same amount of baking soda)
Laundry detergent
While making laundry detergent is more labor-intensive than for any other item on this list, the savings are a substantial reward. Listen and clean up -- in more ways than one.
Trent Hamm of The Simple Dollar has one of the most popular recipes on the Internet. He estimates his cost at 3 cents per load, and his savings at $0.25 a load over Tide. Unfortunately, he also mixes each batch in a five-gallon bucket that would dominate the average dorm room. Lindsay Edmonds at Passionate Homemaking offers a scaled-down version using castile soap, washing soda, salt and vinegar. Washing soda is easier to find in independent grocery stores or regional chains. I keep each batch in a recycled Arizona tea jug. The geisha illustration on the front brightens my day as its contents brighten my clothes.
Fabric Softener
Homemade detergent has one downside: if you use too much soap, your clothes become both stiff and dingy. Traditional fabric softener, whether in liquid or dryer sheet form, will only further coat your clothes, often with animal fat. A cup of vinegar added to the rinse cycle cuts residue, costs only 49 cents per load and is more appealing, vegan or not.
If static cling is an issue, try a set of dryer balls or a bit of foil in the dryer. A twin pack of dryer balls will set you back $4.99, compared to $4.29 for 120 loads of Snuggle. The spiky spheres fluff and aerate clothing and last indefinitely.
Air/Fabric Refresher
What did collegiate males do before Febreze? Procter & Gamble is well aware that it's cornered the market on "linen & sky" and "meadows & rain," charging $3.49 for a 16-ounce bottle. Use your all-purpose vinegar cleaner as Febreze, either in the air or on fabrics. The acidic scent and offending odors disappear as the mixture dries.
towels for additional savings.
Ultimately, all of the above recipes should help save time and money. If you have to spend hours scrubbing, either modify the recipe or ditch it altogether. While you're at it, try using giveaway t-shirts instead of paper
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Why Low-Fat Diet Caused Obesity Epidemic by Jonny Bowden
Why Low-Fat Caused the Obesity Epidemic by Jonny Bowden
Eating is a way to deal with stress. Being overweight is stressful. This is an interesting story I found. Check it out.
When you have something as massive and scary as the obesity epidemic, it's hard to point the finger at one single element and say, "that's why it happened." But however you slice it, the low-fat movement played a part in the epidemic.
After World War ll, heart disease rates began to rise precipitously. In the 1970s, a committee led by Senator George McGovern issued a report advising Americans to lower their risk of heart disease by eating less fat. This recommendation was based on evidence that linked diet to heart disease. Unfortunately, the report wrongly singled out saturated fat as the wicked element in our diet responsible for all our problems. This was the beginning of the low-fat movement.
And of the obesity epidemic.
It's more than a coincidence that they happened at the same time, and here's why.
Once dietary fat was "identified" as the chief culprit in heart disease -- a huge case of mistaken identity in my opinion -- food manufacturers sprang into action. The race was on to produce low-fat and no-fat foods, and to engineer the saturated fat out of everything.
This, in turn, led to a slew of "food-like" products, manufactured and processed edible substances bearing little resemblance to whole foods, and to idiotic experiments like margarine. Add to this witches' brew the invention of high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils (to replace saturated fat) and you had the perfect dietary storm.
You see, if you're a food manufacturer and you're removing the fat from some food, you need to replace it with something else or it won't taste very good. So, we wound up with a slew of low-fat products loaded with sugar. And since high-fructose corn syrup was now available cheaply, adding sweetness was an easy thing to do.
So easy, in fact, that high-fructose corn syrup started showing up in hundreds -- if not thousands -- of food products.
At the same time as all of this was happening, American started eating more of everything. This, too, is no coincidence. Here's why: If I give you a carton of Domino's sugar and tell you to eat till your heart's content, you won't consume very much. Same thing with butter. But if I put them together, something magical happens. Combine sugar and fat and every one of your evolutionary buttons are pushed. Manufacturers know this. Cravings get activated, brain chemistry starts firing, you can literally eat this stuff 'till you bust.
And we did.
The whole low-fat movement coincided with a huge spike in food processing and those who process and manufacture food products for a living have one goal -- getting people to eat more of their products. That's easy to do -- just engineer combinations of sugar and a bit of fat, which worked really well with the whole "low-fat" philosophy.
As long as it didn't have too much fat, you could eat it, right?
Meanwhile, fat -- the one macronutrient that keeps you full and satisfied -- was lacking from most of what we were eating. Sugar, the one element that keeps cravings going, was plentiful. Portion sizes in general collectively took a shot of steroids, as the whole country decided that super sizing was its birthright.
Low fat has a lot to answer for. It may not be the only reason we're experiencing one of the worst health epidemics in modern times, but it sure is one of the biggest.
Want to ditch the low-fat foods? Then learn how to eat healthy and distinguish serving versus portion size.
For more information from Jonny, visit his website.
Jonny Bowden, author, nutritionist and weight loss coach cuts through all the misconceptions about diet and fitness to help you transform your body, your health and your life.
Eating is a way to deal with stress. Being overweight is stressful. This is an interesting story I found. Check it out.
When you have something as massive and scary as the obesity epidemic, it's hard to point the finger at one single element and say, "that's why it happened." But however you slice it, the low-fat movement played a part in the epidemic.
After World War ll, heart disease rates began to rise precipitously. In the 1970s, a committee led by Senator George McGovern issued a report advising Americans to lower their risk of heart disease by eating less fat. This recommendation was based on evidence that linked diet to heart disease. Unfortunately, the report wrongly singled out saturated fat as the wicked element in our diet responsible for all our problems. This was the beginning of the low-fat movement.
And of the obesity epidemic.
It's more than a coincidence that they happened at the same time, and here's why.
Once dietary fat was "identified" as the chief culprit in heart disease -- a huge case of mistaken identity in my opinion -- food manufacturers sprang into action. The race was on to produce low-fat and no-fat foods, and to engineer the saturated fat out of everything.
This, in turn, led to a slew of "food-like" products, manufactured and processed edible substances bearing little resemblance to whole foods, and to idiotic experiments like margarine. Add to this witches' brew the invention of high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils (to replace saturated fat) and you had the perfect dietary storm.
You see, if you're a food manufacturer and you're removing the fat from some food, you need to replace it with something else or it won't taste very good. So, we wound up with a slew of low-fat products loaded with sugar. And since high-fructose corn syrup was now available cheaply, adding sweetness was an easy thing to do.
So easy, in fact, that high-fructose corn syrup started showing up in hundreds -- if not thousands -- of food products.
At the same time as all of this was happening, American started eating more of everything. This, too, is no coincidence. Here's why: If I give you a carton of Domino's sugar and tell you to eat till your heart's content, you won't consume very much. Same thing with butter. But if I put them together, something magical happens. Combine sugar and fat and every one of your evolutionary buttons are pushed. Manufacturers know this. Cravings get activated, brain chemistry starts firing, you can literally eat this stuff 'till you bust.
And we did.
The whole low-fat movement coincided with a huge spike in food processing and those who process and manufacture food products for a living have one goal -- getting people to eat more of their products. That's easy to do -- just engineer combinations of sugar and a bit of fat, which worked really well with the whole "low-fat" philosophy.
As long as it didn't have too much fat, you could eat it, right?
Meanwhile, fat -- the one macronutrient that keeps you full and satisfied -- was lacking from most of what we were eating. Sugar, the one element that keeps cravings going, was plentiful. Portion sizes in general collectively took a shot of steroids, as the whole country decided that super sizing was its birthright.
Low fat has a lot to answer for. It may not be the only reason we're experiencing one of the worst health epidemics in modern times, but it sure is one of the biggest.
Want to ditch the low-fat foods? Then learn how to eat healthy and distinguish serving versus portion size.
For more information from Jonny, visit his website.
Jonny Bowden, author, nutritionist and weight loss coach cuts through all the misconceptions about diet and fitness to help you transform your body, your health and your life.
How will we pay for healthcare? by Kelly Phillips Erb
As the House prepares for a vote on health care reform, the overwhelming question is how to pay the estimated $940 billion price tag on the plan. The obvious -- but not so politically popular -- answer is to raise taxes. Even better? Raise taxes so taxpayers don't notice it as much by including it in mandatory withholding.
That explains why the current proposal in the House under HR 3590 would add an increase in the form of payroll taxes. The bill, as it stands currently, would add .9% to the Medicare payroll tax to those individual taxpayers earning over $200,000 ($250,000 for married couples filing joint tax returns). That would bring the total tax rate to 2.35%.
The current Medicare payroll tax rate is 1.45% and is part of what we know as FICA, or Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax. The tax is imposed on employees and employers to fund Social Security and Medicare. Since it's imposed on only those who work, the tax has been quite controversial. Unearned income, including interest, stock dividends, and capital gains such as profits from the sale of stock or real estate, are not affected by this tax.
An alternative proposal would increase the tax rate and extend a 2.9% tax rate to include unearned income. This version is favored by President Obama and many Congressional Democrats. As of this writing, it is not expected to be included in the version of the bill taken up for a vote by the House. While the final vote remains to be seen, most pundits expect that the House would approve the health care bill passed by the Senate in December, with any changes implemented using a procedure known as budget reconciliation.
Since most taxpayers would not be affected by the increase, the measure passed easily in Senate at the end of 2009. The final vote was 60 yes, 39 no and 1 abstention: Sen Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) did not vote, citing "family commitments." Interestingly, the final version of the Senate bill tapped the increase at a higher rate than the original proposal: earlier versions called for an increase of just .5%.
If the measure passes the House (and this measure is expected to survive any last minute deal-making), the bump in rates would take effect after Dec. 31, 2012
That explains why the current proposal in the House under HR 3590 would add an increase in the form of payroll taxes. The bill, as it stands currently, would add .9% to the Medicare payroll tax to those individual taxpayers earning over $200,000 ($250,000 for married couples filing joint tax returns). That would bring the total tax rate to 2.35%.
The current Medicare payroll tax rate is 1.45% and is part of what we know as FICA, or Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax. The tax is imposed on employees and employers to fund Social Security and Medicare. Since it's imposed on only those who work, the tax has been quite controversial. Unearned income, including interest, stock dividends, and capital gains such as profits from the sale of stock or real estate, are not affected by this tax.
An alternative proposal would increase the tax rate and extend a 2.9% tax rate to include unearned income. This version is favored by President Obama and many Congressional Democrats. As of this writing, it is not expected to be included in the version of the bill taken up for a vote by the House. While the final vote remains to be seen, most pundits expect that the House would approve the health care bill passed by the Senate in December, with any changes implemented using a procedure known as budget reconciliation.
Since most taxpayers would not be affected by the increase, the measure passed easily in Senate at the end of 2009. The final vote was 60 yes, 39 no and 1 abstention: Sen Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) did not vote, citing "family commitments." Interestingly, the final version of the Senate bill tapped the increase at a higher rate than the original proposal: earlier versions called for an increase of just .5%.
If the measure passes the House (and this measure is expected to survive any last minute deal-making), the bump in rates would take effect after Dec. 31, 2012
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Dcott Brown - Just another politician
(Feb. 23) -- It didn't take long for the newest member of the Senate to anger some of the people who cheered his election victory just last month. Scott Brown's vote Monday afternoon helped kill the GOP filibuster against Majority Leader Harry Reid's $15 billion job creation bill.Brown wasn't the only Republican to break party ranks on the key procedural vote.
Maine moderates Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe also voted to advance the bill. So did George Voinovich of Ohio and Kit Bond of Missouri -- both of whom are retiring. Nebraska's Ben Nelson was the only Democrat who voted against Reid's bill.But it was Brown -- whose upset win in the race to fill the late Ted Kennedy's seat threw health care reform into limbo and gave Republicans the 41st vote needed to break the Democrats' filibuster-proof supermajority -- who got all the attention in the jobs bill showdown.
"I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families," Brown explained in a statement. "This Senate jobs bill is not perfect. I wish the tax cuts were deeper and broader, but I am voting for it because it contains measures that will help put people back to work.A lot of Brown's online followers weren't buying it. RINO (Republican in Name Only) was one of the mildest epithets hurled at him on his Facebook page. A few samples:
· Scott Brown is a traitor
· You voted for it because you are a coward. RINO. Just another politician. So disappointing.
· You, sir, have made me regret my first political contribution EVER.
· You let me down like Tiger Woods, Scott.
On Twitter, critics summed up their disappointment in 140 characters or less:
· Nice sell out! You realize this is just a useless pork program. U turned on the people that put u in. We will remember!!
· Senator Brown: You Weren't Elected for Bipartisanship
The reaction from blogger Don Surber was equally brief and bitter: "I feel like a sucker right about now. We've been teabagged. Brown/Biden 2012."Daily Kos found similar comments on FoxNews.com and FreeRepublic, and noted that the Drudge Report "even went so far as to Photoshop Brown to make him look like Satan" for its top story Tuesday morning. (Click for screen shot.)"Tea Party folks, pay attention and get on the phones," Michelle Malkin exhorted her readers. The conservative pundit said, "Those of us who knew all along what we were getting -- a game-changer who vowed to torpedo Demcare, but who was not an ideological conservative -- are not surprised.""How long before the teabaggers are drawing Hitler mustaches on Brown, who they revered not long ago?" wondered True/Slant's Sahil Kapur. "It'll be telling what happens if/when Brown ends up voting with progressives on other issues beyond economic policy (like abortion, gay marriage, etc.)."Kapur predicted that Brown would not win re-election "because there's no conceivable way he'll be able to balance the desires of Massachusetts constituents with the radical elements of today's conservative movement."Brown's decision to side with Democrats drew an "oh my" from Hot Air's Allahpundit, who saw the vote as part of a political calculation. "Obviously he needs to signal the left-leaning indies back home who voted for him that he'll break their way sometimes.
Even armed with a huge war chest for 2012, he ain't getting re-elected as a party-line Republican," the blogger said. Because Reid's bill is relatively modest and "essentially symbolic," said The New Republic's Jonathan Chait, Brown and the others who crossed the aisle took this opportunity to "burnish their moderate credentials rather than spend political capital to advance their party's agenda."Still, that explanation doesn't sit well with a lot of bloggers on the right. "It's all about protecting his seat, and I get it. But that doesn't make it right," complained Lonely Conservative.Reid expressed hope that picking up five GOP votes for the bill to give small businesses tax breaks for hiring unemployed Americans signaled "the beginning of a new day" in the Senate. But Newsweek's Katie Connolly thought it was "a little disheartening" that it took so long for a glimmer of bipartisanship to emerge -- and only then over a fairly benign measure.
The fact that so many other Republicans opposed the bill or didn't vote at all "just shows how divided the Senate remains," she said on The Gaggle blog."I have no doubt that in a saner time, a majority of Republicans would have happily voted for this bill. In the new, idiot era of politics, the content has ceased to matter, and all that counts is rooting for your team to block the other team from scoring," Daily Kos blogger "ukit" lamented.
Filed under: Nation, Politics, Top Stories, The Point
Maine moderates Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe also voted to advance the bill. So did George Voinovich of Ohio and Kit Bond of Missouri -- both of whom are retiring. Nebraska's Ben Nelson was the only Democrat who voted against Reid's bill.But it was Brown -- whose upset win in the race to fill the late Ted Kennedy's seat threw health care reform into limbo and gave Republicans the 41st vote needed to break the Democrats' filibuster-proof supermajority -- who got all the attention in the jobs bill showdown.
"I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families," Brown explained in a statement. "This Senate jobs bill is not perfect. I wish the tax cuts were deeper and broader, but I am voting for it because it contains measures that will help put people back to work.A lot of Brown's online followers weren't buying it. RINO (Republican in Name Only) was one of the mildest epithets hurled at him on his Facebook page. A few samples:
· Scott Brown is a traitor
· You voted for it because you are a coward. RINO. Just another politician. So disappointing.
· You, sir, have made me regret my first political contribution EVER.
· You let me down like Tiger Woods, Scott.
On Twitter, critics summed up their disappointment in 140 characters or less:
· Nice sell out! You realize this is just a useless pork program. U turned on the people that put u in. We will remember!!
· Senator Brown: You Weren't Elected for Bipartisanship
The reaction from blogger Don Surber was equally brief and bitter: "I feel like a sucker right about now. We've been teabagged. Brown/Biden 2012."Daily Kos found similar comments on FoxNews.com and FreeRepublic, and noted that the Drudge Report "even went so far as to Photoshop Brown to make him look like Satan" for its top story Tuesday morning. (Click for screen shot.)"Tea Party folks, pay attention and get on the phones," Michelle Malkin exhorted her readers. The conservative pundit said, "Those of us who knew all along what we were getting -- a game-changer who vowed to torpedo Demcare, but who was not an ideological conservative -- are not surprised.""How long before the teabaggers are drawing Hitler mustaches on Brown, who they revered not long ago?" wondered True/Slant's Sahil Kapur. "It'll be telling what happens if/when Brown ends up voting with progressives on other issues beyond economic policy (like abortion, gay marriage, etc.)."Kapur predicted that Brown would not win re-election "because there's no conceivable way he'll be able to balance the desires of Massachusetts constituents with the radical elements of today's conservative movement."Brown's decision to side with Democrats drew an "oh my" from Hot Air's Allahpundit, who saw the vote as part of a political calculation. "Obviously he needs to signal the left-leaning indies back home who voted for him that he'll break their way sometimes.
Even armed with a huge war chest for 2012, he ain't getting re-elected as a party-line Republican," the blogger said. Because Reid's bill is relatively modest and "essentially symbolic," said The New Republic's Jonathan Chait, Brown and the others who crossed the aisle took this opportunity to "burnish their moderate credentials rather than spend political capital to advance their party's agenda."Still, that explanation doesn't sit well with a lot of bloggers on the right. "It's all about protecting his seat, and I get it. But that doesn't make it right," complained Lonely Conservative.Reid expressed hope that picking up five GOP votes for the bill to give small businesses tax breaks for hiring unemployed Americans signaled "the beginning of a new day" in the Senate. But Newsweek's Katie Connolly thought it was "a little disheartening" that it took so long for a glimmer of bipartisanship to emerge -- and only then over a fairly benign measure.
The fact that so many other Republicans opposed the bill or didn't vote at all "just shows how divided the Senate remains," she said on The Gaggle blog."I have no doubt that in a saner time, a majority of Republicans would have happily voted for this bill. In the new, idiot era of politics, the content has ceased to matter, and all that counts is rooting for your team to block the other team from scoring," Daily Kos blogger "ukit" lamented.
Filed under: Nation, Politics, Top Stories, The Point
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