Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Wise Ways for Life
Have you ever noticed how some people seem to have it all together? They are unstressed and peaceful, no matter what, no matter their age. Research shows that these people often have common traits or common habits.
            Here are some ideas to consider:
<    * Don’t do anything you will have to lie about later.
      * Practice preventive maintenance in every aspect of your life, i.e. your car, your health, your  teeth, your personal relationships.
<    * Do not procrastinate which is stressful. 
      * Hard work is often just the accumulation of easy things you didn’t do when you should have.
<    * Take 30-minute walks every day, an easy way to cure stress and a great way to think.
<    * Seek the friendship of non-worriers.
<    * Simplify all areas of your life.
<    * Before speaking your mind, ask yourself if it is true, necessary and kind.
<    * Every day, do at least one thing you enjoy.
<    * Laugh often. It’s good therapy.
<    * Don’t sweat the small stuff.
<    * Learn to live one day at a time.
<    * Focus on understanding and loving.
<    * Reflect on the fact that we are trinity: body, mind and spirit.
<    * Hardening of the heart ages people more than hardening of the arteries.
<     * Lack of interest wrinkles the mind and the spirit.
Have a great day!




Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Post-truth Era
To quote the Oxford Dictionaries, post-truth is a state “in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” That is certainly true of politics today when pure lies are seen as truth because some people believe whatever they see on social media.
            A Stanford University survey found that in this day and age most of the people who get their news from social media don’t know the difference between real and fake news. Truth is no longer as influential as it was when everyone read major newspapers and knew that opinions were based on facts, not emotions. They also knew that the news printed in newspapers and seen on major television networks had been confirmed by reliable sources. In our current post-truth era, whatever anyone posts online can be seen as being the truth, and the more followers the more believed the fake news is it seems.
            It is very sad to see so many people not taking the time to base their opinions on reliable sources, preferring instead to go the quick route of instant media. How does that affect the transmission of important and vital information so that the public will see and understand it as being the truth? I don’t have the answer, other than the fact that instant media is a reality which will not disappear tomorrow.
            Every age has its problems and concerns, of course. Reversing the post-truth era is certainly one we should all want in this day and age. How to do it is of course the question. Enticing people who use instant media to become more responsible could be an option, but I’m not holding my breath.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Positive View
As I was stepping out on a particularly cold morning a few days ago, so was my neighbor. I commented that that cold weather was far from over, however he had a more positive view. He pointed out that the days were already getting longer and that we would see the January thaw any day. And then, after a short February, March with its warming rays would appear. Interesting view given that we are all aware that time simply flies by after we reach a certain age.
            I thought that was a motivating way of looking at the two months of cold winter weather still in the offing in our part of the world. Rather than complaining about the less-than-welcome temperature, my neighbor is concentrating on the better days to come. And the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Don’t let the bad of today get you down because the good of tomorrow is not far behind. It puts the This-Too-Shall-Pass adage into concrete action.
            Can this positive view be used in other aspects of our lives, I wondered. A gentleman who manages a small store in my neighborhood certainly thinks so. He broke his right arm when he fell on an icy patch a week of so ago. When I commented that he must feel frustrated at having to rely on others to do things he can’t manage with his arm in a sling, he replied that it had its benefits. He said that it gives him a chance to sit down more often, and that when he uses the computer he has to input with his left hand. “A little awkward at first, and slower, but I’m getting used to it. Besides, doing things using your non-dominant hand from time to time is good for the brain. So it’s not all bad.”
            He is right. Research is showing that making an effort to do some things with your left hand (if you are right handed – or vice versa) is proving to be helpful in the prevention of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It is something I try to do often.
            So that man is right. A positive view on whatever happens in life has its benefits. We only need to look for them.


Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Another Year

As 2016 came to an end, surreal was designated by Merriam-Webster as the word of the year.  Surreal (meaning strange, abnormal) was chosen because it was looked up significantly more in 2016 than in previous years. No doubt because people wanted to make certain they understood what it meant since it was used extensively in the coverage of events that took place in the last twelve months. It was chosen to qualify important happenings from terrorist attacks to the U.S. election.

         It’s also a good word to qualify what I feel as I contemplate that I will soon be one year older. And it is certainly surreal that by adding enough years, the number could become very impressive! But to counteract this feeling my resolution this year is that I will not waste time bemoaning my age. After all, as the saying goes: Do not regret growing old. It’s a privilege denied to many. 

          It is indeed a privilege to be able to enjoy our families while many are only memories to those they loved. And I have been especially blessed. You see, I am the only survivor of my high school graduating class. Of course it was a small class at a small all-girl school. There were only eight of us, but seven were not blessed with growing older. They all passed away in their prime years in a variety of ways. And here I am, unable to relive my youthful years with those who knew me then, but then again I can laugh with my grandchildren.

           So what if wrinkles become deeper with each passing year and my pace a little slower, I’m still the same person I was twenty years ago. Of course, then I didn’t give much thought to the reality that would be mine further down the road. I see that as a good thing because each decade has its own demands and opportunities.

           As we get older we only need to look around and expand our horizons to see the many blessings we have been granted and how much we can still give and enjoy no matter our circumstances.

            I plan to make 2017 a year where I forget my age to focus on my wisdom.

            Happy New Year to all my readers.