A Boomer's Footprint

Category: Live Life Blog

  • Enjoying better health

    I know the two words “health issues” cover a very broad spectrum. And since I am not a medical professional, I will avoid specific examples and remedies.

    I want to focus on a concept of living in good health.

    As we know from personal experience or the experiences of others, overcoming a health problem can frustrating, time consuming, and expensive, especially if diagnosed with a severe illness,  disease or ongoing medical condition.

    While we have excellent medical care available in this country, there can still be conflicting opinions on the best course of treatment. A primary consideration should be to address a concern immediately. The longer symptoms continue the worse a condition can become.

    One caveat, be cautious of your reliance on medical information learned on the web. It is best used to prepare yourself for a medical appointment.

    The best health tip I can give is to Practice Prevention!

    We all know what we are “supposed to do” but as a reminder here are some benefits of 6 top health choices:

    -1- Get enough sleep – sleep strengthens memory, curbs inflammation, improves physical performance, helps maintain a healthy weight, lowers stress, and helps avoid irritability.

    -2- Eat five small meals a day – we are what we eat so chose healthy foods. We know what they are – read labels, eat low on the food chain, eliminate empty calories, avoid processed foods and excess fats, salt and sugar.

    -3- Meditate – meditation improves creative thinking, promotes better relationships, reduces stress, increases immunity, creates emotional balance, and helps with weight loss.

    -4- Exercise regularly – choose an activity that you enjoy to provide both cardio-vascular and strength training. Exercise can help control weight, combat health conditions, improve mood, boost energy and promote better sleep.

    -5- Drink plenty of water – adequate water consumption improves the brain, mood and the skin, aids in weight loss, fuels muscles, assists with digestion and helps fight sickness.

    -6- Reduce stress – it assists in weight loss, increases happiness, promotes better sleep, increases life expectancy, provides relief from aches and pains, and increases memory.

    Did you notice the similarities in the benefits, the unstated one is that by gradually incorporating healthy choices into your daily living, you can improve the quality of life tremendously.  As you begin to feel better, your outlook improves and your desire to feel even better increases.

    This is a good treadmill to get on.

    So to begin choose one of the options from tackling obstacles post:

    (1) Pick the easiest health improvement option and work it into your life and schedule. The benefit for this choice is you can begin to see results quickly.

    (2) Pick the most needed item, persevering until it becomes a healthy habit. The benefit for this choice is that you can create a long term change in your life style.

    Why is it so hard to follow best health practices?  To ensure success, connect with a health buddy and follow a plan together.

    Good luck.

  • Tackling obstacles

    When we begin the process of making life changes, the number of issues we may face could seem overwhelming.  It becomes hard
    to decide where to begin.

    If you made the list of items in your life which need improvement last week, then you know what I mean.

    My list included over 75 items. While this is a long list, I broke my list into small steps, which I could accomplish in an hour or two, a day at the most.

    If you listed big items on your list, rework it by breaking the tasks into smaller, manageable steps.

    Once you are happy with your list, review it and prioritize the tasks.

    There are two options here:

    (1) Pick the smallest obstacle to tackle first. The benefit for this choice is you can complete a task and check it off the list.  Right away then you achieve a success.

    (2) Pick the largest obstacle and begin there, persevering until you have completed it. The benefit for this choice is that you can make a substantial improvement in one area of your life.

    Here are some factors to consider when making your first priority:

    • Are you ready to overcome this obstacle?  If you are not emotionally and physically ready to accomplish a task, it will not happen.

    • How much time you have available today, this week? Be realistic about your schedule.  If you day or week is already committed, can you find any time to work on a problem?

    • Do you have the necessary tools to complete the task? If you are cleaning out the garage, do you need new shelves or boxes for better storage?

    • Do you know how to solve this problem or do you need to get help? We may not have all the skills to handle every task or problem we face, be prepared to ask for help.

    When working through issues, it is best address them one at a time.  Contrary to some popular thoughts, multi-tasking rarely works.

    The brain does not function at its best with many distractions, and by starting and stopping projects.  This is true on a personal
    level and while completing work projects.

    Next week we will look at how to overcome a health issue.

  • Overcoming Personal Obstacles

    Beliefs, fears and doubts are not the only things standing in the way to achieving our goals and dreams.

    Our past circumstances and outcomes do not have to impact our chance of  attaining success today. We all have had experiences,
    which have challenged us. It is probable that obstacles will surface in the future.  This is the nature of life. We live, we learn and
    we move forward with a positive spirit and belief in our abilities to create the life we want and deserve.

    We do this by making small changes each and every day in our lives to minimize our action and reactions to the obstacles we face
    and by making  better choices for today.

    This next section of the program includes 10 weeks of overcoming obstacles.

    Some of the topics are:

    • cleaning up messes
    • procrastinating
    • not delegating
    • non-working relationships
    • managing time
    • work environment
    • disorganization
    • our physical environment

    Don’t freeze and panic thinking about what it will take to change our environment and work habits.  Changes do not happen overnight.  This is why throughout my program I encourage you to take small steps, making progress 10 to 15 minutes a day will get the job done.  What is crucial is to get started and stay consistent with your efforts.

    Begin today by making a numbered list of all of areas in your life which need fixing or improvement.   Be honest and complete. If your list is 100 items long, so be it.  At least now you know. Writing things down, makes them real and your list will give your a starting point.

    So far mine are:  20 unread magazines, stacks of mail, saved reference articles to read and file, a full hallway closet, unfiled folders, disorganized clothing shelves, and more.  If you have similar projects you are not alone.

    Let’s commit time this summer while enjoying the good weather and late nights to also take steps to improve our life.

  • Eliminating obstacles

    The process to overcome our fears, doubts and negative self- talk is not easy.  Many of these obstacles have built up over a long period of time.

    We identify with them. We believe they are who we are, who we will always be.

    If limiting beliefs, fears and doubts are standing in the way of achieving your goals and dreams, then what is there benefit,
    how are they serving you? If fears and beliefs are bringing us the life we desire, then we must make a change.

    Change takes strength, courage, consistent and regular action.

    Most important, however, is this fact – if you are not ready or able to change – change will not happen.

    When you are ready to change, begin by taking small steps to attain your goals and dreams.

    To start, pick one small obstacle to work on – either a fear, a doubt or a limiting belief. Focus your energy and attention on it.

    Use on of the options from the last three blogs to work on your issue.

    Picture how your life will be different without this obstacle. What thing can you accomplish, what activity can you try, what action can you take?

    Will you climb a mountain, change jobs, end a relationship, begin a new hobby, work on your health or financial picture?

    Keep working on your changing process. Don’t let small setbacks derail  your progress. Keep at it, keep fighting, keep trying.

    Once you have succeeded in overcoming one small roadblock, use the feelings of accomplishment to propel you onto your next hurdle.

    You can do it!

  • Changing bad habits

    One reason we are stuck with negative or limiting beliefs, doubts and fears is because they become engrained in who we are.

    They become habits. We have many beneficial habits in our lives, which make getting through each day happen effortlessly.

    However, some habits stand in the way of our achieving the dreams and success we want for ourselves in life.

    Some of these bad habits are hard to break because they become enjoyable and we want to keep them.  This is especially true
    about our relationships with food.

    We can close out eyes and vividly remember the smells, tastes, and textures of many foods that we are “addicted” to. Regardless of how many times we read about the harmful effects of these foods, We can not stop eating them!

    According to wikipedia, a bad habit is a negative behavior pattern. Behaviors are acquired and develop over time. Habits are actions we take over and over again. Habits become unconscious, automatic thoughts and actions we take when we encounter a situation, which are based on prior experiences. With bad habits, these actions may not give us a desired or different result from the past.

    Changing a bad habit is possible. We can learn what it takes and put new actions into practice in your daily life to change the
    engrained habits of a lifetime. We can even learn to change the nature programmed into your genes, but it will take determined
    actions, over and over again, to reprogram your mind and change yourself.

    Here are 7 ways to break a bad habit:

    -1- put it in writing – use your journal to write about a bad habit – include exactly what is the habit, what do you do before engaging in the habit, what benefits does the habit bring you (this is important because we usually experience something satisfying from the habit), and what is an alternative habit choice.

    -2- make it conscious – become aware of when we engage in the habit, such as picking at nails, watching TV, eating junk food, running late for an appointment, procrastinating, etc.

    So many habits are mindless, routine, we don’t THINK about doing them. We can focus on our choices and decide if they are giving us the results we desire.

    -3- choose an alternative behavior – decide what to do instead. By being prepared with healthy food alternatives, we are less likely to reach for an unhealthy one.

    -4- choose positive thoughts – use positive language to adopt change. Instead of saying – “I am not eating any junk food today”. State – “Today I will eat a piece of fruit for snack.” Then of course, do it!

    -5- have patience – changing a long standing bad habit is not easy and it will take time.  Take small steps on a regular basis.

    Use the phrase  “Just this one time” and choose the side small salad instead of the order the french fries (So often “just this one time” for fries is every time!).

    -6- engage an ally – identify a friend with a similar bad habit and work together to change.

    -7- Reward yourself – the Pavlov method can work. We can focus on what reward we will earn for sticking to our goal.

    Choose an appropriate one – when You choose to eat fruit every day for snack, do you want to sabotage your efforts with a big banana split at week’s end?

    In summary, bad habits, which have developed over time can be changed.  Take regular, consistent action to succeed.

  • Overcoming Fears

    We all have fears to face.  Overcoming them is possible.  It is a skill we can learn.

    One problem – we often cling to our fears, because they are part of who we are. There is a comfort in sticking with what we are know, even if it is standing in the way of achieving success.

    Here are 8 steps to help you overcome fears.

    -1-  Awareness – pay attention when you are experiencing a fear.

    As a third person observer analyze exactly:
    what is the fear – be specific
    what were you earliest memories associated with this fear?
    is there any truth to the fear for you now?

    Eg. –  a fear of heights – are you afraid of all high places, or just when outside, when alone, on a cliffside, or a tall building?

    -2-  Adopt Positive thoughts – when you are thinking –  I can, I do, I have, etc., you are more open to overcoming fears, rather than holding on to them.

    -3-  Take action – when you encounter a fear, just one time, take the action you are afraid of.  The result may not be  as scary as you thought it would be.

    -4-  Gratitude (again) – this technique is so helpful in many levels. When we express gratitude we focus on what is working,  rather than what is not.  Expressing gratitude increases our confidence in life.

    -5-  Journaling – this method brings us awareness of our fears. We can use journaling to analyze them and to identify where we can improve, overcome the fear and move forward.

    -6-  Talk it out – many people experience similar fears and doubts as us. Sharing our experiences can make us feel that we are not alone and can provide insight into changes that are possible.

    -7-  Read, read, read – libraries, bookstores, online sites are full of materials, which address this topic in much more detail.  They often include helpful worksheets.

    -8-  Hypnosis – when you are faced with an overwhelming fear, that is making a negative impact on achieving success in life, this technique may be your answer.  Under the direction of a trained hypnotherapist, you can program your mind to eliminate fears and other negative habits.

    These are just a few techniques to overcome fears.  Before using any of them, follow tip #7 and read more about the exact process and potential side effects you may experience when working to overcoming your fears.

    Like always take small steps to achieve big success.  Just begin.

  • Overcoming negative self talk

    We can all be victims of negative thoughts and self- talk. This behavior can drain our energy, sabotage our success and
    progress, and keep us from living in the moment and leave us stuck in the past or pondering some unknown future.

    The more negativity we engage in, the stronger they become and the harder it is to break free of this destructive habit.

    While changing into a more positive thought process can be difficult, it can be done.

    Here are 8 actions you can take to become more positive:

    -1-  Smile – just the act of smiling, even if forced, can change your thoughts and mood. Try it now.  What changed for you?

    -2-  Surround yourself with positive people – attitudes are infectious.  If you are around negative people, you can become even more negative.

    -3-  Change your language – when you are thinking a negative thought, change it into a positive statement.

    Example  – “I will have a hard time completing that task” becomes “I look forward to new challenges and learning opportunities.”

    -4-  Focus on others – When we invest time and energy in the needs of others, we naturally bring a warm and happy feeling to ourselves.  Someone less fortunate, or facing a real disaster can always use our help.

    -5-  Express gratitude – when  we are thankful for our blessings, we focus less on what is not right. Read or write in your gratitude journal.

    -6-  Take charge of your happiness – Remember we always have a choice in life. Choose to be positive.

    -7-  Meditate – taking time to focus internally relieves the outside negativity and pressures.

    -8-  Keep your imagination in check – out thoughts can run wild, mostly towards the negative. Use your imagination to picture everything going as planned.

    Most importantly, keep working on developing a positive spirit.

    It may not happen overnight but “you can do it.”

  • Limiting beliefs and obstacles in the way

    We create a vision for life, we dream of all that we can have, be, do, say, inspire, empower ourselves and others to be the best
    that we can be.

    We set goals, make a plan.

    We create our vision board, we visualize about the activities, the feelings we have living our dreams, we write out and say our
    affirmations regularly.

    And yet, we struggle, we stumble, we fall, we are stopped dead in our tracks. Yes, it is hard enough to make any change in life even if it is to have something which we say we really, really want.

    We try to do better, to change but then life throws at us obstacles and challenges which we have faced in the past.

    This next 15 week series is a challenge to face what is standing in our way to achieving our dreams.

    Our fears
    Our doubts
    Our procrastinations
    Our negative thoughts
    Our negative beliefs
    Our hectic schedule
    Our old habits
    Our emotional baggage
    Our past failures
    Our messes
    Our negative friends, relatives and others
    Our disorganization
    Our time wasters
    Our physical limitations
    Our defeatist attitude
    Our inaccurate perceptions of our reality
    Our past bad choices
    Our endless lists
    etc., etc., etc…..

    WOW – even to me this list is overwhelming.  And the truth is that we may not be successful in making all of the changes we want and desire in just 15 weeks.

    But we must start somewhere and at sometime so why not now. As we proceed through this process of change, we focus on taking “small steps” each and every day.  To learn to reward ourselves for success and not punish ourselves for failures but to take the missteps and learn from the experience.

    Slowly, gradually, we will find the strength, the will power, the belief, the fortitude to stick to our plan to make all of our dreams come true.

    This blog is a perfect example for me.  My post is due today at  3PM, PST and here at 10AM I was wondering how to complete it and all of my other “Priorities” on today’s list.  So rather than fret and agonize and talk myself out of success in getting things done, I buckled down and one by one, I checked off 5 items, posted the blog early and I am out the door.

    I did it, you can too!  Join me on these next 15 weeks of thoughtful analyzation and deep conversation with self to conquer some limiting beliefs and obstacles standing in our way.

  • Gratitude and appreciation

    Our attitude is key to achieving our dreams. We discussed developing and maintaining a positive attitude, which can be easier said than done.  The important thing to remember is that when negative thoughts creep into our consciousness, we can acknowledge them and replace them with a positive statement – perhaps something from our affirmation list.

    Another tool for creating a positive attitude is to recognize gratitude and appreciation for all that we have right now.

    “Happiness is itself a kind of gratitude.” Joseph Wood Krutch

    Life constantly presents us with obstacles and challenges but they are not more than we can handle and each one offers us a learning and growing opportunity.

    When we practice gratitude and appreciation we are focusing our thoughts and energy on all that is good and what is working for us in our life, we are attracting more of the same to us. We can choose to embrace the positive rather than the negative in life.

    Two popular techniques to practice gratitude and appreciation are:

    Journaling –  each and every day take a few minutes to write down a few, simple gratitude statements.  Reread them with enjoyment and pleasure that we are blessed in many ways.

    Carrying a touch stone – a touch stone is a small,  meaningful object you carry with you everyday. Each time to reach into your pocket or purse and “touch” your piece is a reminder to take a moment and be more present in the moment and feel grateful for your blessings.  The piece can also helps change a negative thought or situation by reminding you that even a negative situation you may be in will pass.

    To sum up this section of using our attitudes to achieve our dreams, keeping a positive outlook using these simple tools activates the Law of Attraction to help make our dreams come true:

    a vision board
    affirmations
    visualization
    gratitude journaling

  • Using our vision board

    The use of a vision board was popularized by the movie “The Secret” and it’s focus on the Law of Attraction.  This law had been used and kept secret for many years by some of the wealthiest people in the country.

    The movie educated more of us about the benefits of using a positive belief system to attract what we want in life.

    Since the movie aired, thousands of us, have experiences success in many areas of life – beyond the measure of financial wealth.

    Creating a vision board was the first step in achieving success. We stated  what we want for ourselves in life.

    Today I will share two powerful techniques to use with the vision board: Visualization and Affirmations.

    Practice one or both of these techniques daily to ensure success.

    Visualization

    “Visualizing is daydreaming with a purpose.” Bo Bennett

    Create your day in advance – take a moment in the morning with your calendar in front of you and visualize how everything that day will go according to your plan, the plan you established to make your dreams come true.

    With your vision board in hand, sit in a comfortable position, take a deep breath and relax.  Picture in your mind a goal on your board with all of the details, sights, and sounds that this vision encompasses. Picture your exact vision happening just the way you imagined.

    Who is with you? What are you feeling?
    What are you doing?
    What will you accomplish each day to make your dream come true?

    Affirmations

    “Every thought we think is creating our future.” Louis L. Hay

    Every thought or statement we make is an affirmation. Whether the thought is positive or negative, it affirms a belief to be true for you.

    The purpose of writing and using affirmations is to create of list of positive statements will reinforce and inspire you to achieve your dreams.

    A few guidelines to create you affirmations are:
    – Use positive language, stated in the present tense
    – Make them short and specific
    – Use action words
    – Make them personal

    Some of  my affirmations are:
    – I feel and look great.
    – I give my self permission to be powerful.
    – I attract all the right people to work with me in business.
    – I experience abundance and prosperity in my life.
    – I communicate often and openly.

    Begin with a few statements for yourself.  Choose one priority from your vision board and write down 5 or 6 statements about the goal.  Read them to your self every day.  How quickly can you memorize them and speak them from the heart?