Why Live Vibrantly is for You!
Live Vibrantly revolutionizes the way you live!
Proven and time-tested foundations that transform how you think, achieve,
live, feel, plan, create, rest, grow, do business and impact other people
SO YOU CAN THRIVE!
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You can improve your life dramatically with regular exercise, even after a serious illness. Maybe you fell off of your exercise routine sometime during the pandemic with gyms closing and opening and closing again, but don’t let yourself use that as an excuse. Here’s why:
Every day you’re not exercising, you’re allowing your body to decay—literally! It’s just a chemical fact. When your body notices a “shut down” like not exercising (or not eating), it “helps” you by tearing down fiber or muscle so that you can “survive” the situation that caused the shutdown. The body is very efficient. If you’re not using a muscle it gets rid of the muscle as quickly as possible so that your body doesn’t need to support it with blood, nutrients, etc. So, the less active you are, the more “fit” fiber you lose. The more active you are, the more “fit” fiber you build.
If you want your body to work for you, work it! Little by little you can increase the time and intensity of exercise.
Work it in in several ways:
1. Cardio (of any kind from elliptical to dancing)
2. Strength training (of any kind from weights to resistance to toning)
3. Stretching (lengthening muscles makes your body more limber to move easier)
Make movement a priority in your life and in each and every day. However much or however little you can do each day – just do it! You will not regret it!
QUOTE:
“Joy is the most magnetic force in the universe.”
–Danielle LaPorte
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Intentional Passion
When you have an idea of the things that you gravitate toward joyfully, try some of them out. How do you feel when you are doing them? Does it give you “life” or drain the lifeblood right out of you? Do more of the things that GIVE YOU LIFE!
If you don’t have the opportunity to do that in your work at work or home, be sure you set aside ample time outside of working hours to spend significant time doing what gives you life — THAT’S WHAT YOUR PASSIONATE ABOUT and that’s where you’ll discover your purpose!
QUOTE:
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”
–Virginia Woolf
When was the last time you really paused and recognized what your food tastes like? What is the texture? The sensation?” Next time you’re eating, pause to ask yourself these questions and see how eating can bring even more joy to your life.”
Be a slow eater! Here is why:
*A recent study out of Kyushu University in Japan found that people
who take time to chew slowly have better digestion and feel fuller,
faster.
*Researchers also found that, on average, slower eaters had a smaller
waist circumference and lower body mass index.
TIP:
QUOTE:
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
-Abraham Lincoln
Theorists and philosophers warned us at the beginning of the technological age that if we didn’t control technology, it would control us.
Reagan Bach shares:
“Going slow means investing in the things that matter long term and that take time to develop, so that we can move quickly and become successful over the long haul.”
We CAN slow down. We don’t have to allow the technological age to push us into high speed and drive us to distraction. Geir Berthelsen founded The World Institute of Slowness, as a Think Tank in 1999.
In Carl Honoré’s 2004 book, In Praise of Slow, he describes the slow movement:
“It is a cultural revolution against the notion that faster is always better. The Slow philosophy is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace. It’s about seeking to do everything at the right speed. Savoring the hours and minutes rather than just counting them. Doing everything as well as possible, instead of as fast as possible. It’s about quality over quantity in everything from work to food to parenting.”
While Live Vibrantly focuses on everyone in all walks of life, let’s look at how you focus your work:
For those of you in business, it is important to remember some things Regan Bach teaches:
“These are the aspects of business that suffer and ultimately fall apart at the seams when companies focus exclusively on moving fast. Many companies aim to gain market traction first, and then deal with everything else (culture, communication, HR, etc…) once they get there. That’s like attempting to summit Everest first, and then dealing with setting up base camps after the fact.”
TIP:
How about pausing today and asking yourself what you can do to slow life down?
Here are some resources for you:
In Praise of Slow – Carl Honore
https://www.carlhonore.com
The World Institute Of Slowness
https://www.theworldinstituteofslowness.com
QUOTE:
“You are only as young as your spine is flexible.”
–Joseph Pilates
Ever watch a 15-year old body move compared to a 70 year old body? What’s the difference? A lot of it is flexibility. We get to keep our healthy, youthful flexibility if we’re willing to work at it by stretching regularly. And stretching improves posture, range of motion and also prevents loss of range of motion.
TIP:
In under 15 minutes of yoga or any kind of stretching every day (or even every other day), you’ll feel better and look better AND keep from looking old as those years tick by.
Cheri Clampett has great ways for you to make your own stretching routine in her The Therapeutic Yoga Kit.
And here’s a free, quick daily routine for you on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCAnb1RkXvE
QUOTE:
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
–Stephen Covey
I’m often asked, “How do I cram more into the time I have? I seem to never get it all done.” Well, here’s a little story:
TIP:
1. If you haven’t mastered the use of the Achieve Road Map yet, stick with it. It will soon become a habit and it will make you as calm and productive as Suzanne.
2. If you have questions about how to effectively use the Achieve Road Map, send me a question at the bottom of this page link:
https://livevibrantly.life/about/
Happy Getting Things Done to each of you!
QUOTE:
“The key to achieving your aspirations lies not in ‘being a success’ but rather in working to reach your unique potential…”
–Robert Kaplan-
Good Morning!
Do you live “the good life?” The Greeks “good life” is characterized by a life of thriving with purpose at its core.
TIP:
Review 1-5 above. Take a few minutes quietly. Now – specifically, ask yourself and answer these four questions:
“What activities have I enjoyed doing the most throughout my life?”
“What has provided the happiest moments in my life?”
“What do I want most at this point in my life?”
“What can I simply not live without in this world?”
QUOTE:
“There is an intense hunger for genuine community where people feel related in truly human ways.”
–J. Douglas Holladay
Good Morning!
TIP:
Focus this week on connecting with people more intentionally:
● Listen really well.
● Ask questions that show real empathy and curiosity (see above)
● Actively reflect back feelings.
● Celebrate with those that are celebrating
● Feel with those who are feeling strongly
● Make someone’s day through how you relate to them!
QUOTE:
“The attitude is very important. Because, your behavior radiates how you feel.
-Lou Ferrigno
Good Morning!
The company, Whitespace says:
"An individual who has the openness, honesty, and subtlety to perceive the nuances of their attitude in each moment, and the concentration necessary to make corrections as necessary is truly an unlimited person. For it is our attitude which determines the reality we live in and the opportunities and experiences we are available to.” (bewhitespace.com)
What kind of attitude do you want? It’s your choice, you know. Or do you know? Choose to relax and just be with what is, or even enjoy what is. It may not be what you would have preferred, so can you switch gears and choose to prefer it?
Can you dance in the rain?
TIP:
Here’s how to retrain your brain (grow new positive neural pathways. Just google neuroplasticity*):
If you notice your attitude isn’t serving you:
1. STOP (OR PAUSE)
2. Make a new choice to switch gears and attitudes.
It’s that simple. When you do that over and over, you grow new positive neural pathways. When that happens you find that you now automatically see and feel differently than you used to and have a much more joyful, free flowing, VIBRANT life.
Remember what Zig Zigler said: “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”
*Neuroplasticity, also known as neural plasticity, or brain plasticity, is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. These changes range from individual neuron pathways making new connections, to systematic adjustments like cortical remapping.
QUOTE:
“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.”
-John Milton
GOOD MORNING!
Ever had an epiphany? An illuminating discovery that shifted your reality? A bit of insight that helped you see/think differently than you saw/thought before?
That’s what we mean when we say, “pick up a different lens to see through.” When you do pick up a different lens or several different lenses to see through you are allowing an epiphany to happen on purpose instead of by chance. It opens you up to new ways of seeing and thinking. It helps you expand as a human being and have a larger life view. That’s what happens when you have an epiphany. You suddenly see more than you saw before.
I remember the day I realized that there are at least 100 right ways to do/see most everything. When we stop blocking different views and stop defending our solo view, our world opens up, our anxieties can lessen, our acceptance expands…WE BECOME MORE VIBRANT!
Here’s an example from my life:
The moment I stopped wishing someone would adore me and started giving freely to others—recall the valentine story* on February 8, 2021?—my life began to change. That was a slow moving, slow in coming epiphany—A real change of perspective that eventually paid off in spades (the more I give, the more I get) even though that wasn’t even part of the motive. I continued to find other little ways, little acts of kindness, little words, little cards, little gestures to make people happy and show them gratitude (and it paid off to me in that it made me happy to make others happy!) The happiness snowballed and showed up all around.
TIP:
Want to feel more calm and able to ride with the tide and go with the flow? See how many different lenses you can try on this week. Ask you friends and coworkers how they see things and just listen and drink in what they say. Guard against blocking their view with your view shield. You don’t have to believe and adopt their view. You can look at it, view all sides of it and either pick it up and hold on to it or lay it down. But just knowing other views frees you up and calms you down.
Doubt it? Try it!
Full story: I was always so sad when Valentine’s Day rolled around if I didn’t have a love in my life. One Valentine’s Day I decided I would try something different. I bought some inexpensive kids valentine’s packs and carried little valentines around with me all day. I handed them out to strangers as well as people I knew. They were first reluctant, then surprised, then so happy and said things like, “THANK YOU SO MUCH. This is the only valentine I will get today.” Epiphany: By focusing on making other people happy instead of my sadness resulted in my own happiness! I was shocked at how happy it made ME to hear how much happiness the little valentine’s gave them! I was happy all day instead of staying home and sulking. I created a perspective shift and an attitude change from sad to exceedingly happy. I picked up a new lens through which to view Valentine’s Day. The long-term benefit was that I started looking for little ways I had never seen/known before (perspective shift) to bring a little joy to people on a regular basis.
Try not to think of a pink elephant. Try to not have any thoughts for the next 60 seconds.. How did it go?
Why Live Vibrantly is for You!
Live Vibrantly revolutionizes the way you live!
Proven and time-tested foundations that transform how you think, achieve,
live, feel, plan, create, rest, grow, do business and impact other people
SO YOU CAN THRIVE!
Neuroplasticity, also known as neural plasticity, or brain plasticity, is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. These changes range from individual neuron pathways making new connections, to systematic adjustments like cortical remapping.
So you now know you can actually rewire—retrain—your brain without a surgeon, mechanic or tech specialist! By intercepting and editing our thoughts in the present we are laying a foundation for how we will naturally think in the future.
It’s simple, but not easy. Last time (August 2, 2021), we touched on growing new neural pathways and neuroplasticity. Yep, we have pathways in our brain that we can reroute—sort of like the direction apps on our phone reroute us if we choose to go a different way to a destination.
Would you like to be in the positive attitude automatic mode? You CAN! It takes a little work to do the rerouting, but it is simple,
by using the brain’s ability to change* through growth and reorganization of our personal neural networks
TIP:
AGAIN, Just STOP… PAUSE and ask yourself:
FOR SITUATIONS: Well what good could come out of this? OR Sure this is bad, and what’s the good here?
FOR PEOPLE: Yep, they can be a pain and what good do they bring to the table? (Sometimes it helps to remember where they came from and why that might have affected them and made them be this way–compassion.)
Do this over and over and you will discover that you are automatically seeing the good and experiencing more joy in life.
If you do that often enough, the old route in your brain (neural pathway) will shrink and fade into the background and the strong route you have chosen will light up instead.
Why Live Vibrantly is for You!
Live Vibrantly revolutionizes the way you live!
Proven and time-tested foundations that transform how you think, achieve,
live, feel, plan, create, rest, grow, do business and impact other people
SO YOU CAN THRIVE!
“I was a truck driver with limited formal education and then a US senator and finally ran for the presidency.”
While running for governor, he was known to have said, “My opponent has charged that I have been in jail in four states for drunkenness and disorderly conduct. That’s a damn lie. I was in jail in six states.”
With his colorful language and straight talk, he won election after election by a landslide. Why? Because he was so incredibly real. By sharing his flaws so openly and vulnerably, he became ‘everyman,’ and people loved him for it. The public knew him as a flesh-and-blood human rather than a celluloid, perfectly scripted politician.
TIP:
Just be yourself. People will be more drawn to you because you’re real. The world is starving for authenticity. Give it freely.
“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.”
–Brene Brown
“Be so completely yourself that everyone else feels safe to be themselves too. Authenticity requires vulnerability, transparency & integrity.”
–Michael Bliss
– Garbine Muguruza
Good Morning!
Today is the birthday of a very special person who is dear to me. It is my brother who is big in the honey world. He tends bees and officiates organizations that assist beekeepers. He spends a lot of time and love on the bees he tends and they, in turn, benefit greatly by producing absolutely wonderful nutritious honey. We could also benefit greatly by eating that wonderful honey as we tend to the health of and nutrition for our bodies. Did you know that high-quality honey is RICH in Antioxidants that can help lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol? Honey can actually lower triglycerides!
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Something to Buzz About
So let’s start buzzing about honey. Why not begin transitioning from eating refined sugar to using honey instead?! You can either just take a couple of tablespoons of honey in the morning and one at bedtime as a supplement OR use honey throughout the day as the sugar substitute of your choice. I love to use honey in my coffee or espresso macchiato in the mornings and anytime during the day that I want to sweeten anything. (It took me a while to get used to the different taste. Now I love it! There are instructions on the internet for substituting honey for sugar in baking. So try some SWEET and TASTY HONEY to punch up your nutrition!
– Melissa Etheridge
How noisy is your world, your life? We have traditional noise. We have visual noise (clutter). Now we have lots of digital noise, don’t we?
Do you feel differently when your out in nature as opposed to in your home or office?
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Reducing Digital Noise
Well, here’s a tip. Become a minimalist in the areas of turning down the noise in your life—the visual noise, the sound noise as well as the digital noise. Digital noise??? “What is that,” you may be asking? If you’re wondering, you might want to check out the book, Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. You probably want to think about letting digital noise drink up all your valuable life.
– Kenneth H. Cooper
Let’s make exercise easy and doable during these difficult times. You don’t need to make it a chore or take a giant chunk out of your day. You just need to make sure you get some sort of exercise 5 to 6 days a week. Here’s an easy way to make that work for you.
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Exercising throughout the day can be fun
Pick an exercise you want to do. It can be skipping rope, dancing, taking a walk. You can even do pushups or situps– actually anything at all.
Then, set an alarm to sound off every hour and do 5 minutes of whatever you have selected.
If you do that every hour for 8 hours, here’s what happens. By the end of the day, you’ve done 40 minutes of exercise! If you do 10 pushups every hour, by the end of the day, you’ve done 80 pushups. It all adds up to staying fit!
– Fyodor Dostoyevsky
A 2010 study published in Applied Psychology found that individuals with high levels of eudemonic well-being—which involves having a sense of purpose along with a sense of control and a feeling like what you do is worthwhile—tend to live longer. Other researchers found that well-being might be protective of health maintenance.
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Identifying your Purpose for Living
If you have already determined your purpose, be sure that you get to devote time to it regularly especially if your purpose is something other than what you do day in and day out.
If you haven’t already determined your purpose, jot down thoughts about why you want to keep living.
What would you not be able to live without? I’m not talking about things like food, water, or your cocktail choice. I’m talking about why do you want to keep living? It can be as simple as I want to keep living so I can read OR paint OR learn OR be here when my children need me OR work on my boat OR…anything at all.
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Productivity
In my coaching with business owners and key executives, I’ve watched them get tons more accomplished when they use my system that began with Stephen Covey’s Habit #2 in his book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It works! Try it at home AND at work: Begin With The End In Mind! Before you dive in decide clearly where you want to end up—with the project, the day, the week. See how much time you gain. See how much more time you have left for the things that enhance your life so you can LIVE VIBRANTLY!
– Sean Stephenson
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Authentic Exchange
Next time you talk to your partner or close friend, ask them how all this has been affecting them—really affecting them. Ask them what they have been thinking most about during this time of perhaps less business, less running from social activity to the next. Have an authentic exchange with them rather than just a “what have you been doing.” Many people report they are finding a more connected place with people and touching in at a deeper, more gratifying level.
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Morning Mindset
Rather than waking up in the morning and checking your phone, why not keep an uplifting, inspirational book next to your bed or by the chair you sit in while you drink your coffee. There are hundreds of inspirational books. You likely have at least one, if not several on your bookshelf. (If you don’t, send me an email and I’ll give you a few suggestions.) Grab one. Get it ready for tomorrow morning. Watch how the right mindset changes your day.
– Steven Furtick
How would it affect you to spend your time being angry and feeling sorry for yourself for having been convicted and sentenced unjustly? Alternatively, how would it affect you to spend your time productively like studying for the bar exam, or writing a best selling book, or becoming amazingly fit? Isn’t it a matter of perspective?
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Transforming a prison into a passport
When you find yourself in a difficult situation or a bad mood, ask yourself a couple of questions: “How am I seeing this?” (What lens are you looking through?) and next question: “What good might come out of this?” In other words, “How can I make this a passport rather than a prison?” It all depends on what lens you decide to pick up and see-through because if you change the lens you see through, the things you see change. As Salman Rushdie said, “Reality is a Question of Perspective.”
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Stop Eating Junk
Just stop eating junk. You don’t have to just eat raw veggies. But you don’t want to have a regular diet of fast food, sugar, and white flour. It’s okay to eat those things occasionally, but not all the time. It’s a simple tip and it is pretty easy to do, so begin today and notice how much better you feel by next Monday! I think you’ll be surprised!
GOOD MORNING!
A very senior executive who I coached was always completely scheduled—never time to even think quietly. When I helped him pick up a new lens to see that time for not working was the most important determinant of the quality outcome OF his work, we instituted several blocks of time on his calendar. We called those blocks of time “GreenTime.” In his mind the color green indicated nature, natural, refreshing, spring-like time—renewal time. Actually the use of green in those blocks of time in his calendar became green because green was a color he hadn’t yet used in his color-coded calendar ☺
Here’s what he said about what happened when he instituted GreenTime: “I initially thought that using Green Time would simply return some sanity to my life, with little blocks of time that I was in control of, rather than being driven mad by a never ending string of time filling commitments. But Green Time was much more than that. It underlined what was important and how much of my time was being wasted on phony emergencies. Before long I had more and more green time and more and more productivity and peace. Green time is now the most important time in my calendar.”
TIP: Green Time helps you have space to THINK about the things that truly can make a difference–EXPAND YOUR VISION. SO, if you don’t have GreenTime blocked out in your calendar, begin this week! Call it GreenTime or anything, just guard that time as if it were the most critical meetings you have for your business or your life—because it is!
GOOD MORNING!
Want to feel really good and be free from aches and pains? Want to be fit, strong and healthy until the day you die? Then EXERCISE!
Here’s my motivation for continuing to exercise and makes me nervous when I can’t.
Exercise builds strength like this: Exercise triggers a chemical called cytokine 6, a decay messenger molecule, which causes inflammation and pain. That reaction causes cytokine 10, a repair messenger molecule to come to the rescue. cytokine 10 combats the inflammation and repairs what exercise does so growth occurs (muscle repair and growth and other great things—like keeping us young and healthy).
Marathon runners have a hundred times normal levels of cytokine 6 by the end of the race. Your level of cytokine 6 is a measure of how much exercise you do, how much inflammation you cause, and how much growth (or decay reversal, age reversal) you will receive from cytokine 10.
Without exercise there is a slow, steady drip in our muscles and bloodstream of cytokine 6 (that’s the chemical process that makes us decay as we age), but not enough to trigger the cytokine 10 response (the chemical that jumps in and reverses the decay).
The only way to trigger cytokine 10 (and stay healthy and young) is EXERCISE. Want to jump up now and exercise hard? I do!
TIP: So the tip is very simple today: Exercise more DAILY and grow younger as you do!
GOOD MORNING!
When you know why you’re alive, and what makes your life meaningful, you will want to be able to look backward at your life from its ending phase and see all those things that have made you smile or cry with joy. That vision of the future will create a new passion to live life with purpose, and it will energize you with daily momentum. That’s the power of working backwards.
That is also what helps you dance in the rain rather than just weather the storms. That’s what gives you the sparkle, the passion, the vibrance that lights you (and a room) up.
TIP: If you’re not quite sure of what will make you glow with joy when you look back on your life from your end point, take some time to toy with that thought.
Walk on the beach or in the forest. What makes your life glow? It will come to you… It could be that having had deep, meaningful relationships will give you that glow. It could be that leaving a legacy of instituting reciprocally beneficial relationships gives you that joy. It could be that having been a mentor in some way to as many people as possible gives you that joyful glow. It could be that creating forums (even if just fun, social forums) for people to connect with people gives your life meaning and purpose. One thing for sure, it will be the thing that matters to you. And thinking and planning backwards will energize your day and enlarge your vision!
– Ari Meisel
GOOD MORNING!
Answer this question: Why should I be productive?
The simple reason to be productive is to create what you desire in life – to realize your chosen outcomes. If you ARE achieving your desired outcomes at the pace you like, then game over. You’re good—you’re GREAT!
On the other hand, if you’re not achieving all your desired outcomes, this week’s tip will take you to the next step toward achieving. But regardless, you’re still GREAT!
As Ari Meisel, productivity genius, says in his latest book, On Productivity, “It comes down to doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason—and nothing else.”
(BTW: In a phone conversation several years ago, it was Ari who gave me the roadmap for launching Live Vibrantly).
TIP: Here is your next productivity step after the Implementing Your Priorities tip.
From your Achieve Road Map, put everything you want to accomplish on your calendar during a specific time slot based on how long you estimate the action will take. Aren’t things that need to be accomplished are as important as appointments? So schedule them. It also helps you refrain from overcommitting. If there isn’t enough time available in your schedule, you simply won’t do it.
– Aaron Ben-Ze’ev
GOOD MORNING!
Let’s eliminate aloneness at home and in your work!
Relationships are how we expand as a person, as a business AND how you will get the most out of life. Does that surprise you?
Drs. Arthur and Elain Aron’s Self Expansion model tell us that efficacy–your ability to produce desired results–comes down to obtaining resources that make reaching your goals possible.
Financial resources, yes. Focus & priority setting, yes. But more importantly, human resources (CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS) with people have been found to determine efficacy and getting the most out of our lives as well as business success.
Here is an excerpt from Dan Sullivan’s latest book, Who Not How:
Research shows that relationships, not will power, are what help you overcome life-limiting and success-limiting habits (even addictions).
TIP:
Get out there (even if it still has to be on zoom) and make connections, build relationships. What relationship will you improve or even create today?
And check out this great book about the power of relationships and connectedness:
– Joel Weldon
GOOD MORNING!
Would you like a solution? You might ask, “A solution to what?” Actually it is a solution to almost anything that is upsetting, dark, painful or just not good.
You can even make it a game, like Joel Weldon talks about in his talk (video link below)—The Glad Game—How to Find The Glad In Spite of the Bad. His rules for the Glad Game are in this week’s tip. Over and over, you hear me say that seeing the good eventually becomes automatic and changes your life and your level of success in your life and even your business. It’s a matter of focus. The bad or negative things don’t vanish, they just take their seat in the background and slowly fade when we focus on the good in the situation or in the person.
Just like Joel says in his talk, “Life is filled with imperfections, but when you play Joel’s Glad Game and you focus on finding something positive about everything in your life, you will see solutions you never imagined existed before and then the world will never notice the imperfections!” And neither will YOU!
You might even say, “This sounds too Pollyannaish.” It IS!
Here is the dictionary definition of Pollyanna: “An excessively cheerful or optimistic person.” Would you rather be an excessively cynical or pessimistic person? It’s a choice you get to make. Just know that part of living vibrantly is authentic optimism and joyfulness!
So here’s the tip:
Here it is: Joel Weldon’s 2-step rule for The Glad Game:
Please play this game starting today. Every moment can be a new beginning for you. At any moment in your life, you have a choice to focus on the pain or open your thinking and look for the good in spite of the bad.
Remember: The choice is to Live Vibrantly or to Live Sluggishly and Fearfully
FINAL TIP: Watch Joel’s talk. It will make you laugh while you learn.
– Erik Pevernagie
GOOD MORNING!
Only when I finally listened to that yearning tug to paint again, did my life become excitingly vibrant—in every area of my life. Three years before, I kept having this feeling and vague vision of my arm swooping up very quickly on a very large canvas with a paintbrush in my hand. I wondered what that meant. I hadn’t painted in years and when I had painted with oil and watercolor years before for many years they were all painstaking, careful, strokes achieving representational works. I remembered one of my college art teachers beckoning us to paint rapidly to keep our thoughts from interfering and creating intentional creations instead of painting from our inner being (whatever that meant). I now know what he meant and it is very freeing and life-giving to paint from that place of feeling and passion.
Now I also LIVE from that feeling place that first drew me to painting and art and being my authentic self, the person I was born as. I am using the skills I learned from my teachers and from my experience, but I am regaining the pure joy of being me and using that to paint with all the wonder of exploration and expression. Painting is once again as dear to me as it used to be before I got so dominated and concerned with “doing it right”. I paint from a more authentic and joyful place rather than to satisfy some external standard or gain some outside approval. Remember the movie and song Born Free? We are born free, how great to rekindle that original passion and wonder and put that ahead of technique or rules or the lenses of others.
So here’s the tip:
– William Shakespeare
GOOD MORNING!
In 1923, nutritionist Victor Lindlahr wrote, “Ninety percent of the diseases known to man are caused by cheap foodstuffs. You are what you eat.” Today, we know this phrase simply as, “You are what you eat.”
I will add: You not only are what you eat, you are everything you swallow. That includes what you drink, what supplements you take—everything that goes into our mouth affects our energy levels, our health, our looks and our vitality. It also can affect how much or how little pain we have.
Hummm….does that make you want to take stock of what you’re putting into your mouth on a regular basis? It doesn’t mean you can never again eat and drink those yummy “bad” things, it simply means we all need to eat and drink healthy MOST of the time, not ALL of the time.
Here is your vibrant tip for the week!
Try this: 5 or 6 days a week, eat and drink well, take your vitamins and minerals. Then 1 or 2 days a week (or you might even want to limit it to 1 or 2 meals a week) eat and drink whatever you want. That’s easy enough, right?
Don’t deprive yourself forever. Eat and drink well most of the time knowing that you get to reward yourself for good choices occasionally with something fun. Deferred gratification is a wonderful habit to get into in almost every part of your life. Try it!
– Karen Duncum
GOOD MORNING!
How did you sleep last night? What was your mood when you woke up today?
Huffington Post reports that “mood and perspective play a significant role on our mindsets before bed, which can in turn influence our quality of sleep.” They also affect our mindset when we wake up in the morning. Isn’t it, therefore, important what we watch, listen to, read, talk about and think before we go to sleep? Huffington post also said, “Think about your own experiences — is there a difference in how you sleep when you’re feeling good about things vs. when you’re feeling stressed or down? A lot of that may have to do with what you’re thinking about as you settle into bed.”
The University of Manchester studies found that people with higher levels of gratitude and positive thoughts before bed slept longer and reported better rest quality than those with more negative thoughts.
Want some good news about this?
Rosie Osmun at Amerisleep reports, “You can train yourself to kick negative thoughts and flip the switch from negative to positive. It’s not about suppressing the unwanted thoughts, which often backfires, but changing gears (and dealing with negative thoughts at a more appropriate time).
Here is your vibrant tip for the week!
TAKE CHARGE: Be your own authority in your sleeping and waking mindset. Be conscious and intentional about what you watch, listen to, read and think about before you go to sleep. If harsh, negative content tends to affect you, don’t allow it in several hours before you sleep. Take in uplifting, vitalizing, gentle content before you sleep. Count those blessings!
– Henry S. Lodge, M.D.
GOOD MORNING!
You can improve your life dramatically with regular exercise, even after a serious illness. Maybe you fell off of your exercise routine sometime during the pandemic with gyms closing and opening and closing again, but don’t let yourself use that as an excuse. Here’s why:
Every day you’re not exercising, you’re allowing your body to decay—literally! It’s just a chemical fact. When your body notices a “shut down” like not exercising (or not eating), it “helps” you by tearing down fiber or muscle so that you can “survive” the situation that caused the shut down. The body is very efficient. If you’re not using a muscle it gets rid of the muscle as quickly as possible so that your body doesn’t need to support it with blood, nutrients, etc. So, the less active you are, the more “fit” fiber you lose. The more active you are, the more “fit” fiber you build.
Here is your vibrant tip for the week!
If you want your body to work for you, work it! Little by little you can increase the time and intensity of exercise.
Work it in in several ways:
Make movement a priority in your life and in each and every day. However much or however little you can do each day – just do it! You will not regret it!
– Dr. Kypros Nicolaides
(Watch his story on Netflix: Surgeon’s Cut, episode 1: Saving Lives Before Birth)
GOOD MORNING!
Dr. Kypros story on Netflix was entitled, “Saving Lives Before Birth”. The story of this remarkable and compassionate Fetal Surgeon is truly inspiring. I hope you can see it.
The doctor learned deep into his career that he had a type of blood Cancer that would kill him. But he wanted to work until his very last breath. His life’s passion was to save the lives of babies at risk in the womb. He has invented several processes and continues to invent and perform the procedures to save the lives of babies.
What a reminder to us that life is so much more than the breaths we take. It is about what takes our breath away. As we live with purpose we feel passionate! Dr. Kypros: “I lived all my life with the feeling that you must not waste time.”
Here is your vibrant tip for the week!
Living the Life you Love
If you are not already extremely passionate about something in your work or in your life, don’t delay in finding the thing(s) that truly juice you! What do you just LOVE doing? What makes you happiest? When do you get in “the zone…in flow*.” Flow is when you lose track of time and aren’t even conscious of where you are. You are totally absorbed in what you’re doing.
What were you doing in your life when you were in that flow state? What do you recall in your life that made you want to leap out of bed in the morning so you could go do it?
If you want to know more about achieving Flow States you can watch the 2004 TED Talk by the pioneering researcher of Flow below this text:
* flow state, also known colloquially as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. Wikipedia
– Paul J. Meyer
GOOD MORNING!
Eight weeks ago we talked about setting priorities when the Vibrant Wheel had rolled around once more to productivity. It has rolled back around to it again.
Did you actually implement the tip of 8 weeks ago and determine your priorities? Now let’s take that a bit further. After you have your priorities set, how do you stay focused on the right priorities and not fall back into old habits of just doing “stuff?” Do I ever have a tip for you—and it’s FREE!
Here is your vibrant tip for the week!
Have a Simple Plan for the Week
If you want to stick with your top priorities that will take you closer to reaching your life objectives and greater success, use my weekly one-page tool. You can print it right off the website. Just go here now. You only have to decide once a week what you will accomplish (1 or 2 things) that week because the tool already has your annual, quarterly and monthly goal on it. So you just decide what, this week, will take you closer to reaching those longer term goals. It is simple and easy. Try it for free “You can print it right off the website. Just click or tap here now!”
– Desmond Tutu
GOOD MORNING!
A wise person (Henry Cloud) said what research also tells us, “There is a difference between solitude and isolation. One is connected and one isn’t.
Solitude replenishes, isolation diminishes.” Even when we have “stay at home orders” or social distancing dictates, human beings need (not want, NEED) connection to be healthy. Some of the reported consequences of social isolation are physical health issues, mental health issues, personal relationship problems, job related problems. We truly need connectedness.
Here is your vibrant tip for the week!
Be creative in finding ways to be with others. Here are a few:
Exercise with a friend, or even a few friends or family members at safe distances. Get together at a safe physical distance in a huge room (like a gym) or in the street and sing or dance or just sit in a circle and chat. Spend time in a park or dog part. Talk with strangers. Hang out in your front yard and interact with neighbors. If weather doesn’t permit you to be outdoors, join group internet exercise classes or discussion groups.
The real tip: GET CREATIVE! BE WITH PEOPLE!
– Buddha
– Jesus
– Lao-tzu
GOOD MORNING!
I’m sure you have heard this before:
Watch your thoughts;
They become words.
Watch your words;
They become actions.
Watch your actions;
They become habits.
Watch your habits;
They become character.
Watch your character;
It becomes your destiny.
The way we think is extremely powerful. Our thoughts DO determine our future.
Here is your vibrant tip for the week!
Thinking about our Thoughts (all the time)
Just STOP. Give yourself a moment to BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR THOUGHTS. STOP several times a day and ask, “What am I thinking right now. What is it possibly leading me toward.”
Be very very careful about taking in negativity. Our culture is swimming in it. Carefully select who you listen to and what you allow into your thoughts. Realize how very suggestable we are.
Ask these three questions about information you are consuming: Is it true? Is it good? Can you do anything positive with it?
Don’t you want YOU to determine your future instead of “them” –whoever “them” is to you?.
– Renee Swope
GOOD MORNING!
How many times have you said to yourself: “I knew this, but now I really know!”
A successful businessman, last month, said this to me:
“You’ve been saying that to me for years, but I guess I was only ready to hear it—see through that lens—and change my perspective about my entire way of operating in my business now. I guess it is true that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. You, my “teacher” have been there for a long time saying that, but only today did what you were saying to me—teaching me—actually appear because I am finally ready to take off my old lens and pick up that new lens. Now I see it. I get it and my entire business life can finally change.”
Sometimes, we all need to change the lens we see life through. Usually the only way we make life even better is by picking up a new lens, a new perspective. How?
Here is your vibrant tip for the week!
Picking up a New Lens for a Better Life
You really can experience greater success in business and in life by finding new ways of seeing. How can you do this?
– Patricia Compton – FMTV Food Matters
GOOD MORNING!
Quick question – what is the most foundational part of nutrition?
Here is a hint. It has zero calories. No one is allergic to it. Without it you have about 3 days left to live. You knew right away. It is water.
Last time we talked about nutrition as one of the 8 pillars of Living Vibrantly, the tip I gave you was the book entitled, FOOD – What the Heck Should I Eat. Please read that book! It has many great answers.
Here is another critical fact for your health: It is highly likely you need much more water in your life. Water is critical to Living Vibrantly! Water is a huge part of nutrition. Drink more water!!
Here is your vibrant tip for the week!
Drink water for both health AND beauty: Since we need water to support nearly every body function—including sleep, digestion and metabolizing food, go here to calculate how much water you need to drink every day.
Did you know that water even plays a role in regulating your body temperature and making your muscles and organs function either vibrantly or poorly? If none of that matters to you, but beautiful skin matters, did you know that lots of movie stars and models always have a giant jug of water with them for that very reason?
– Lilly Pulitzer
– Maya Angelou
GOOD MORNING!
I am so glad that spring is coming! I can feel it in the air, can’t you? Spring is about new life, new starts, growth, hope, and moving from darkness to light and cold to warmth. It is a movement from surviving winter to thriving during spring and into summer.
Many (most?) of us have had a cold, dark winter for a while now. Have you? There are certainly plenty of reasons why we have experienced a metaphorically cold and dark year. Are you ready for spring!
Don’t you want to spring forward into a thriving life now? All of the 8 pillars of Living Vibrantly are here to help you THRIVE in your life. They are ways to thrive at all times and circumstances. They are a way to choose life. Practicing the 8 pillars is a way to create Spring Time in life, each and every day of the year.
So SPRING INTO LIFE! Choose to thrive!
Here is your vibrant tip for the week!
Don’t just enjoy the Living Vibrantly Monday Morning Minute emails. Actually implement them.
Take each tip each and every week and SPRING INTO ACTION—Implement each tip each week. If you do take the tips and put them into action by the end of 52 weeks you will be thriving (not just surviving) in your life!
Now is the time to SPRING INTO ACTION to THRIVE!
– Maldonado
GOOD MORNING!
Being healthy and fit is foundational. We feel strong when we are. We feel confident about ourselves when we are. We think clearly when we are. Our mood and vitality is better when we are.
But what is the foundation of being healthy and fit? I have something really cool to share with you! I want to share with you how I have gotten stronger and pain-free. I can do things that I couldn’t do 3 years ago when I started doing an hour of foundation training twice a week. The older I get, the stronger I get. And I never have back pain anymore! That’s pretty remarkable, isn’t it?
Maybe you haven’t heard about foundation training yet. You want to. And you can do it in just 12 minutes a day if that’s all the time you have. So, what IS foundation training?
“Foundation training is a set of movements that teaches individual muscles to act in concert with one another. Helping the muscles act together in a chain means that you can disperse your weight more evenly and maintain postural alignment.”
Here is your vibrant tip for the week!
Take a look at this TED talk given by the founder of foundation training:
That’s the tip—plus start doing foundation training. You can do it for FREE in just 12 minutes a day by watching the video below:
You will be amazed over time how much better you feel. If you prefer an award winning athlete/personal trainer to work with you in person or on zoom, here’s a great one:
Derin Stockton: derinstockton@me.com
– Kushand Wisdom
GOOD MORNING!
The most successful people work top-down, they work from their top priorities and down from there. That way they are always focused on what they know is most important (and most satisfying). Successful people are fantastic at delegating–at moving things off their action list that are not vitally important for them to personally do. They are great at measuring their productivity by how it connects to their top priorities.
Want this kind of life? Keeping activities aligned with your purpose and passions? Being able to let go of the small stuff and really celebrate the important things in life? What a life, right?
Last week we talked about your TOP priority: Why Are You Alive. Once you know that answer you can name those top priorities and as a result turn that unsatisfying discipline of time management into the enriching and life affirming practice of living with FOCUS.
Here is your vibrant tip for the week!
6 Powerful STEPS to Setting Priorities and Using Your Time:
If you want my simple AND EASY one pager to walk you through those steps, just let me know.
– Mark Twain
GOOD MORNING!
Once you become who you were born to be (authentically—not who you are being conditioned by society, parents, church, teachers to think you are supposed to be) it becomes so much easier to see why you are alive. So each day we ask ourselves: “Am I being the real me?” This question is especially beneficial when we feel troubled or anxious.
If the answer is ever no, isn’t it time to become the real you? And from that authentic place of YOU, what will make you satisfied and happy about your life when you take your very last breath? That’s why you are alive.
Here is your vibrant tip for the week!
Once you are you, do a little eyes closed, deep breath exercise: Imagine you are laying on your deathbed. You’re not in pain and sure you wish you could live a little longer, but you’re okay about dying because you can say, I really have lived a good life.
I’m happy about my life because I ____________________________
What goes in your blank? That’s why you are alive.
– Karen Duncum
GOOD MORNING!
We have all heard and said “Attitude is Everything!”. Well – it really is! Last week we started developing some ways to shift our perspective. Have you noticed with a shift in perspective that it also produces a shift in your attitude and emotions? They all tie together. Would you like to have a more positive attitude? Good news – you can make that happen.
It simply takes the ability to STOP yourself and redirect your thinking. This is a very important skill, but it takes consistent practice and application. Let’s work some more on this critical life skill (shifting our perspective and attitude) and as we do create a new and very healthy and vibrant habit!
Here is your vibrant tip for the week! – Three Steps to change your attitude right away:
Please take a moment and consider what in your life right now is producing anxiety or some sort of negative emotion. Don’t worry if it is a small thing. Those come often in our lives and are great occasions to work on transforming our attitude.
The three steps in creating an attitude shift (if it is anything less than vibrantly joyful or compassionate) are again:
You’ve just instantly, intentionally and consciously shifted your attitude! Do it again and again. You will be amazed at the change in your life!
– Stephen R. Covey
GOOD MORNING!
We have all heard the quote: “Knowledge is power.” Today, I want to have you think about this in a new way. Of course, we need to know things to be able to achieve our goals and to be effective in our life. But there is something very important about knowledge. Are you ready?
This is a huge key to Vibrant Living: Each day you must choose how you are going to look at the events of the day. If you don’t consciously make this choice – here is what will happen to you: You will react automatically! You will see the world as you have been conditioned to by your past. And you will be trapped in your old ways.
Every time you see your world, choose your lens. Yes.. “Knowledge is Power.” But knowledge and wisdom and vibrancy come from how we choose to see what is there. Now you know, if you didn’t already know, that you always have at least two ways of seeing the same thing. Since you now know that you 1) see the world as you are conditioned to see it or.. 2) you can see the world in an unconditioned way so you have the opportunity to open up whole new vistas for yourself—fresh ones that make you more vibrant, happy and joyful.
Here is your vibrant tip for the week! – To give yourself fresh perspectives for 2021, here’s what you can do: Frequently, in fact, every time anything produces emotions or strong reactions in you:
MAKE THE DECISION: How do I choose to see this?
If you choose to accept this mission you will be amazed what new, fresh perspectives you will be living from in 2021!
– John Updike
GOOD MORNING!
Good Morning!
It is Valentine’s week! I LOVE Valentine’s Day. What a great day to connect with people—even strangers. Every year I buy little kid’s valentines and hand them out to strangers and make them happy. That makes ME happy too. I hand them out when I pick up my dry cleaning, at the grocery story, at the post office, at the coffee shop, even in the parking lot when I go to my car. I would even hand them to a police officer if he were stopping me and I would surely give them to the firemen. You can’t imagine how many times these strangers have said to me, “Oh, thank you. (big smile), you really made my day!” It’s fun! EVERYONE WINS!
Instead of a tip this week, I’ll give you quotes and let you make your own love connections:
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
–You know where this came from, don’t you?
“Love cures people—both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.”
–Karl Menninger
“All we need is love.”
–Everyone knows where this one came from, right?
“The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.”
–Morrie Schwartz, from Tuesdays with Morrie
“Who, being loved, is poor?”
–Oscar Wilde
“There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.”
–Friedrich Nietzsche
“Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.”
–Maya Angelou
– Anon
GOOD MORNING!
It’s that time of year, isn’t it? When you say, “Why the heck did I eat all that yummy, not so healthy, food for weeks during the holidays? Now what? We go on crazy kinds of diets or try, mostly unsuccessfully, to cut back or try to work it off through extreme exercise. Guess what? There’s a simple solution! If you don’t relish the idea of dieting once again, then don’t! Just learn more about what is good for you and what is not (you may think you already know, but you might be surprised) by checking this book out: FOOD: What The Heck Should I Eat by Mark Hyman, MD.
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – What Fuels Us?
Don’t diet. Simply eat the right foods…and eat less than you did during holidays. Make it a habit to share meals with someone or share them with yourself the next day. Follow these 2 simple steps (and the 3rd one if you must):
Good morning,
Last week I shared with you how my experience with Covid began and was then diagnosed. Prior to testing I became very sick for 24 hours then the symptoms dissipated. After the official diagnosis my symptoms and suffering really ramped up. But, what I want to share with you today are the practical blessings and vitality that I received from dear friends and family. This has been so meaningful and touching to me (has even brought tears to my eyes many times) and reminded me how much of Living Vibrantly is bringing that care and vitality into the lives of others, especially when their life is hardest and most challenging. Those people have been my angels.
Hugs – Karen
Friday, Jan 8th – How do I get supplies?
For good reason, when you have Covid you are immediately physically distanced from everyone. I am new to town. How can I get food and medications for my long ordeal?
:)) I remembered a former client at Raytheon Vision Systems, Day, who lives nearby. And although we haven’t been in close contact for several years, I called her and asked, “Do you know of a good delivery service here in the valley?” She instantly replied, “It’s me”. When I insisted I couldn’t let her do that for me, she insisted, “Karen – yes I want to do it. We are all in this together. Let me get your emergen-C plus anything else that you need and deliver it to your door”. She went to the grocery store and sent me texts and pictures to be sure she was getting the right things that I needed, then delivered them to my door along with a beautiful surprise:
Friday, Jan 8th – How do I fill my prescriptions?
:)) Cherry & Annie insisted that I keep my phone right by me, have the # of a cab company by my phone to get to the hospital & call local pharmacy to have an oximeter delivered. They paid for the oximeter. They said they wouldn’t sleep that night unless I had it all.
:)) I dialed a local pharmacy near by my new place and was fortunate to get to talk to the Pharmacy Manager. I told him “my friends are really worried and they asked me to call and have an oximeter delivered tonight so they could sleep tonight so that they would not worry that I was going to die in bed alone.” The pharmacist paused and then he said: “ Let me gather what you need and we’ll get it delivered by USPS tomorrow”. I paused. And then asked if there was any way to get it today. He paused again. “ I will deliver it myself after my shift ends at 9:00pm.” I almost cried to think that someone who had been working all day and I’m sure just wanted to be home was so kind and caring. My friends were amazed and relieved and slept well and so did I.
Saturday, Jan 9th – My siege begins
I hardly have enough energy to get up and boil an egg. No one tells you about how this affects your emotional state. It feels like my normal filters are gone. Every kindness is very touching. Every lack of kindness is even more painful. Every sweet thing, every moment of beauty, every phone call, every text is very touching. I almost cry each time someone checks on me. I find myself thinking deeper and feeling deeper. And it’s nice to be able to be that in touch with myself—With my feelings and with what is actually important in life. I am suffering, but it is also a time to think and feel deeply.
I was told sunlight and vitamin D would help. I lay on my bed with the sun streaming in during the afternoon hours, resting and trying to start to heal.
Sunday Morning , Jan 10th – Reflections on Sun and God
As I lay in bed this morning looking out my window at the dark sky I got to witness the sky turning light. As the sky began to get a touch of light I thought about the sun and I thought that the sun is like God—always there—he’s always there or she’s always there. It’s only when we rotate the right way that we are exposed to the sun. The only reason we’re ever in darkness is because we turned our backs to the sun—to God.
When we rotate toward the sun—toward God, we are in the light again. So if we ever feel like we’re in the dark or in a dark place all we have to do is turn toward the sun—toward God. Because the sun is always there shining brightly. God is always there shining brightly—always present—always there for us.
Monday, Jan 11th – Grapes and Candles
Feeling awful. But It was 70° so I thought I should get out and go for a little fresh air. I drove to the Vineyard that is right next to where I live now and got out and walked a few feet, felt the breeze–the nice fresh air and took in the beautiful views. It made me feel more vibrant and healthier.
Tuesday – Thursday, Jan 12th – 14th – Very sick, but blessings continue
Wednesday morning. Someone I have never met at my medical group called me for my TeleMed appointment and immediately insisted that I go to get a Covid test in nearby Solvang. They could see me immediately if I could get there by 11:30am. I raced to get there.
I was examined by Dr. Jason Morris, he is a former ER doctor. No diagnosis. Should get Covid test results in a few days. But Dr. Jason Morris said, “Remember, every single thing you put in your mouth is a drug. It affects you physically and mentally, so be very conscious about what you eat and drink especially when you’re sick. Mostly fruits and vegetables with some protein. Also keep doing what you’re doing because it’s obviously working (referring to massive amounts of vitamin C water along with the herbs I got from my acupuncturist that I take to stave off a cold).”
Friday, Jan 15th – Focusing my mind on recovery
After these very bad Covid days, last night before I went to bed I set this thought in my mind, “When I wake up in the morning, I will be on the road to recovery. I will feel worlds better.” I DO! I was able to get up and take my first shower in several days.
Here’s what I have tried to keep in mind (although with Covid brain, thinking is difficult)…we MUST keep ever present in our minds: Keep our eye on the ball–the good goal. No matter what the challenge, whether it be Covid, business, personal problem. Focus on the good. Focus on the desired outcome, not the dreaded outcome. Don’t listen to all the possible dreadful, bad outcomes. Don’t listen to what bad might happen. Don’t allow that to sneak in and scare you. Think about what the good is that might happen and believe that it will. I’m told prayer teams all over the country have been praying for me. I am so very grateful, because I can tell today that I am now on the road to recovery.
What I have had reinforced during Covid is what I have been practicing for years: See the good. Say the good. There is always a good side to everything if we just look for it. There is always something good. Find it. Focus on it. It will change our lives! It HAS changed my life.
Good is healing. Bad is bad. Good produces vibrance. Live Vibrantly!
Second Covid Weekend (Jan 16-17) – Still Sick but Thankful
Still a little queasy. No energy. I sleep all the time. But I am feeling thankful.
The outpouring from caring, loving people doing so many things to lift my spirits and help me heal touches my heart every single time. These flowers sent from my cousins in Oklahoma were the most surprising. They followed a giant delivery of groceries my tummy can handle from two dear friends, Shelley and Lynn, in Santa Barbara. 😢😘 Thank you everyone ❣️
:)) More caring packages appeared: a ginormous canister of Gatorade and a whole box of Emergen-C from Will and Darlene
Monday, Jan 15th – Recovery in sight
Calls into 2 doctors: I can now go out in public they say with a mask. I can now start working my way back. Start with a very slow 10 minute walk. No testing because the system is overburdened. I don’t believe that I shouldn’t be retested. I set up a test myself–not an easy task.
People have asked what it is like having Covid. I really can’t answer that for everyone’s Covid because I understand it affects everyone differently. I can only tell you what it is like for me. Every single day is different. Symptoms come and go (they jump out and surprise you and go away just as fast) and then return. The constants for me have been:
The symptoms that come and go: fever, chills, headache in the base of my skull and neck, nausea (sometimes extreme—I couldn’t eat in the first few days and again for a few days a week later), sneezing or congestion (however, I am so fortunate and thank God every day that I don’t have the respiratory symptoms.)
Here’s how it happens…You’re going along thinking everything is better and you’re on the road to well and then something strikes. It is sort of like a Star Wars movie where they are doing just fine and then a beast rises up out of the sand or the swamp and grabs you.
Wednesday, Jan 17th – As I write this
I am going to be taking it easy for at least another week or so. I feel so much better, but am so wiped out. I also want to make sure I am not contagious so I’m waiting for the test results. But I am very thankful for all those angels :)) who have lightened my load and brought hope and energy and vitality into my sick room. In quarantine, if you live alone, you don’t get to see another living soul for days on end, but all the love I have been sent by so many has pulled me through.
Thank you all from the depths of my heart! ❤
Back to sleep again, Karen
Cal Newport has written a very digestible book called “Digital Minimalism”.
As you might expect, the book is about reducing the amount of time spent on digital devices. However, it is more than that. It explains very clearly why we should be spending less time staring at our cell phone screens and then gives concrete suggestions about how to achieve that goal.
He does this by dividing the book into two parts.
The first is what he calls “Foundations”. The second is “Practices”.
The first section, Foundations, explains why you should reduce your use of digital technology. Cal Newport is a professor of computer science at Georgetown University so he is well placed to comment on how people use technology.
This is not an anti-technology tirade. Instead, it is a well thought out treatise on why and how to use our technology in a way that truly enhances our lives.
Among the arguments he makes, he distinguishes between connection and communication. Communication is akin to conversation. He points out that when we trade text messages back and forth, we lose a lot of the intimacy that is gained from a face-to-face conversation.
Gone are the expressions and intonations we use as feedback in our old analog lives. He also points out that when we lose our ability to verbally express ourselves and receive immediate feedback, we also lose our ability to empathize.
Also, the number of young people suffering from various anxiety disorders has risen due to the rise of social media.
The practices section of the book explains how to reduce the use of our digital platforms. It is divided into four parts; Solitude, don’t click like, reclaim leisure, and join the attention resistance. Notice, once again, that he is not advocating the abolishment of the use of our cell phones and social media. He is promoting the intelligent use of them.
One interesting example is that of Abraham Lincoln who spent many solitary hours. Despite the many demands on his time and energy, Lincoln decided to spend nearly half his time in solitude when he could think. The book expands on this concept with modern writings and examples.
The essence of solitude is that it gives you time for unhurried self-reflection.
The next chapter tells us not to click “like” in social media. I doubt you would be surprised to hear that human beings are social animals. In fact, many of the activities spent using our digital services is to connect in some way to others.
Ironically, when we spend more time on social media receiving and giving likes to others, we are spending measurably less time conversing and meeting with others. In other words, too much time on social media makes us more anti-social. People become more socially isolated.
There is no great mystery here. We have all seen how some people seem consumed by social media. However, his argument is that most of us do not realize how much time we are spending surfing the net or seeing what’s new on our favorite social media site.
He then changes gear to talk about the importance of leisure and the types that he feels are truly beneficial. From my perspective, this is the best and most useful section of the book.
He shows how to minimize the use of technology and make it work. He has a couple of examples of how not to do it that resonated with me. For example, cold turkey makes it harder. Plan it out first.
He then talks about the types of activities, such as board games or learning new low-tech skills can help you become less dependent on technology.
He also talks about ways to make it more difficult to access technology such as the use of light phones or apps that block access to certain sites at prescribed times of the day.
You might find it ironic that I downloaded this book and have read it online. I have also used my Surface tablet to write this review.
I would also call myself a digital minimalist as I rarely surf the net or binge-watch Netflix. However, it explains very well why we can get stuck in a digital groove without even realizing it.
It also gave me insight into why I see others have fallen into the social media maze or haze. It also gave me a few ideas about how to reduce my social media usage even more. One of the best ideas is to develop a seasonal and weekly leisure calendar. It is best to be as specific as possible.
This book is less than 300 pages and filled with useful ideas and thoughts. I would recommend it to anyone. The stories about the people, some famous and others not, is worth it alone. You will probably read parts and think that you know that. However, most people will learn something important about themselves and the technology that surrounds us. You have more control than you think but you have to put your mind to it.
by Stephen Hamer
If you’re looking for part II click here.
Hi all,
Each week in the Live Vibrantly in Difficult Times Monday Minute, we talk about simple but profound ways of applying the eight pillars of Vibrant Living no matter what the circumstances. Well – this is surely one of those extreme circumstances for me. As you can tell from the title: I am Covid positive and sick at home and under quarantine.
So what can this have to do with Living Vibrantly? A lot more than I would have even suspected. So much care, vitality, and encouragement is streaming into my life – at a time when I really need it. I am so grateful for a myriad of day by day blessings. I hate having Covid, but I love the vibrant people in my life. And these are the stories you seldom hear. So that is the story I want to tell you!
Wed, Dec 30th – Moving Day (day Zero of Covid?)
Moving is always a trial. I had just moved from Santa Barbara into my new little home in Buellton.
It was a 12 hour day on top of many long days juggling my work, clients, and move. I was worn out. The next day the movers came down sick.
Mon, Jan 4th – Early Warnings
Early afternoon. Felt a little strange and low energy. Decided I should go buy a thermometer at the local CVS along with some other supplies that I needed after my move…. Late afternoon: Freezing cold. Could not get warm for the life of me. Went to my old standby – three gigantic glasses of vitamin C water. 101 temp. Went to bed with three giant blankets on top of me.
Tues, Jan 5th – Some Progress
I woke up the next morning not feeling very good, but a heck of a lot better than I did the night before. I had no fever and no chills. I went ahead with my client coaching calls. But I must admit the first client call I had to make while lying down (I must also admit that I fell asleep for about a half a minute while she was talking). But I felt good enough to think I was just recovering from the fever the night before. But, put a call into my doctor. Set up a TeleMed appointment for the next morning.
Wed, Jan 6th – Not so fast: “Get a Covid Test”
Wednesday morning. Someone I have never met at my medical group called me for my TeleMed appointment and immediately insisted that I go to get a Covid test in nearby Solvang. They could see me immediately if I could get there by 11:30am. I raced to get there.
I was examined by Dr. Jason Morris, he is a former ER doctor. No diagnosis. Should get Covid test results in a few days. But Dr. Jason Morris said, “Remember, every single thing you put in your mouth is a drug. It affects you physically and mentally, so be very conscious about what you eat and drink especially when you’re sick. Mostly fruits and vegetables with some protein. Also keep doing what you’re doing because it’s obviously working (referring to massive amounts of vitamin C water along with the herbs I got from my acupuncturist that I take to stave off a cold).”
Friday, Jan 8th – “You are positive”
10:30 AM. The clinic calls and tells me that I tested positive for Covid. I needed to quarantine for 10 days from the onset of the symptoms – Jan 14th. I tried in vain to get more info on the test, but they don’t share test details with patients, just the yes/no result.
This is all I can write for now. But, in part 2, I want to tell you about some incredible people who have brought light and vibrancy to my quarantine.
Back to sleep, Karen
To read part II click here.
– Anon
GOOD MORNING!
There is seldom a circumstance or a set of circumstances that precludes living an inspired life. In fact, the tough times that we go through are often what we need to look at our life in a new way, get back to fundamentals, make things better at a deep level, and really live–feel FULLY alive.
We all want 2021 to be better for us, yes, for everyone. I, for one, really can’t wait for normalcy to return. But living vibrantly is just too important to wait for easier times. It can be challenging, and it may take some creativity. It may take some brainstorming to think of new things. But the things that can help us (at least in parts of each day) feel fully alive are possible for us.
Answer this question: “Who do you want to be and how do you want to live when you finally exit this long hard tunnel of difficult times?”
Even in these times that make it more difficult recreationally and socially, it is still incredibly important to live with gusto…with a zest for life. What are things you can add or add back into your life that would, in fact, find you saying, “I’m living a life that would make ME jealous.” ???
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – A life of gusto and zest
Without social activities, without movies, concerts, community events, this is a time to dream up new, enjoyable—more than that–actual fun things to do that bring us joy. Now is the time to get creative: brainstorm with a friend or friends on the phone, on zoom or gathered together in a circle, 6 feet apart. Make it a game: At a very rapid pace, everyone pops out one fun/enjoyable activity and then the next person does, the next person does. There is no positive or negative judgement allowed. You can take turns being the scribe to capture all the ideas or one person can volunteer for that job. You’ll end up with a whole list of joy-bringing, maybe even innovative things to help you “live a life that would make you jealous!”
– Gene Tunney
“Karen – Do we have your correct birthdate? Because I don’t believe I have ever treated a woman your age or even 20 years younger than you who is as healthy as you are.”
— My ER Physician
It is no fun being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, but it was worth it to get such a good report from an ER doctor after 6 hours of tests that determined that I had a simple but extremely painful exercise injury. This injury is common in athletes, but it often brings them to their knees, requiring a stretcher to get them off the field.
There is no scarcity of exercise methods, programs videos, venues, recreational vehicles for fitness. Why then do too few people exercise adequately? Maybe because they don’t know the science behind what happens in and to your body when you do exercise and when you don’t exercise. Did you know that exercise triggers a chemical process in our bodies that produces renewal and anti-aging? Actually, the chemical process (if you exercise hard 6 days a week) actually can reverse the aging process. That’s science, not just Karen talking. THAT’s one of the big reasons why exercise is so vitally important. It keeps our bodies younger inside and out.
I’m living proof of that.
Karen
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Younger Next Year
Get the book Younger Next Year by Cris Crowley and Dr. Henry S. Lodge (yellow cover for males and pink cover for females) and discover the details of the chemical process that occurs when we exercise and the resulting benefits! It changed my life—literally when I read this book 8 years ago. It can change your life too.
Science tells us that EXERCISE IS LIFE CHANGING! It truly is.
– Danielle LaPorte
As we move hopefully into 2021 and hope for a healthier, more normal, and vibrant year, let’s take some quiet time to think about if we are journeying with purpose into what we are passionate about—or even being passionate to find our purpose. Take some time to notice how you feel when you are doing what you do. Does it enliven and invigorate you? Do you feel more fully alive when you are doing it OR does it drag you down and drain you? To be vitalized—vibrant, we need to spend a tremendous amount of our time—our life—doing what passionately draws us toward it. What pulls you magnetically in? What are you naturally drawn to?
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Intentional Passion
When you have an idea of the things that you gravitate toward joyfully, try some of them out. How do you feel when you are doing them? Does it give you “life” or drain the life blood right out of you? Do more of the things that GIVE YOU LIFE!
If you don’t have the opportunity to do that in your work at work or home, be sure you set aside ample time outside of working hours to spend significant time doing what gives you life—THAT’S WHAT YOUR PASSIONATE ABOUT and that’s where you’ll discover your purpose!
– Charles Spurgeon
Good Morning!
Forgive me for saying these words at this time of year: “Social Distancing.” Wow! . . . Did that produce strong emotions in you? I wish the term could be “Physical Distancing,” so we would know we still need to and get to be social. We cannot wait to leave “social distancing” behind! Connection to people is in our very DNA. We are not whole without others. Family, friends, faith, and good will make life truly worth living.
A recent scientific study concluded:
” Social connectedness was found to be a stronger and more consistent predictor of mental health year-on-year than mental health was of social connectedness.”
Thanks – but we knew this without the science. We are made to gather together. It is absolutely essential to our well being. Tis the season (isn’t it?), to make this a priority in our lives, however challenging it may be right now.
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Holiday Gatherings
In the spirit of these holidays and in your human spirit – find some way to gather with someone this holiday season. Perhaps a small gift of a quick visit at the door with a neighbor, perhaps an unexpected Zoom call or facetime call. A meal in a safe spot. It is essential for you and it is essential for them. Find some face to face time. The difficulties of this time will make it extra special. Have a little social proximity wherever you can.
I mention this article in the December 14th, Monday Minute “Use Honey, Not Sugar”. This was orginally found on the Medical News Today site here.
People have used raw honey in traditional medicine for hundreds of years. This sweet, natural substance may contain healthful elements that processed honey does not have.
Honey provides a range of health benefits. Raw honey, which comes straight from the beehive, contains healthful bee pollen, bee propolis, and plenty of antioxidants.
Research has not confirmed that raw honey has more health benefits than regular honey, but some people believe that the processing and pasteurization that regular honey undergoes diminishes many of the beneficial elements. Some people believe that because of this, raw honey provides more health benefits than regular honey. In this article, we compare the health benefits of raw honey and regular honey.
Honey is a sweet, golden liquid made by honeybees. Honeybees store their honey in small, hexagonal cups called a honeycomb. Raw honey comes straight from the honeycomb.
Honey from the hive contains bee pollen, beeswax, and parts of dead bees. Honey manufacturers will usually pass raw honey through a filter to remove as many impurities as possible, but some generally remain. It is still safe to eat.
Unlike raw honey, regular honey undergoes a pasteurization process. This means manufacturers have heated it to kill yeast cells that can affect its taste, increase its shelf-life, and make it look more transparent and attractive. However, pasteurization may adversely affect the number of nutrients in the honey.
Some historical evidence estimates that humans have used honey for over 8,000 years. During ancient times, people would have used raw honey, but today, most people use pasteurized honey.
Honey naturally offers the following healthful properties:
antibacterial action
wound-healing effects
dietary antioxidants
anti-inflammatory effects
Raw honey also contains bee pollen and bee propolis, which is a sticky, glue-like substance bees use to hold their hive together. Regular honey may not contain the same levels of bee propolis and bee pollen as raw honey.
A 2017 review on honey and a 2015 review on bee pollen report that bee propolis and bee pollen can offer anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer properties.
The following sections explore seven evidence-based health benefits of raw honey.
Researchers believe that some of the main health benefits from honey come from its antioxidant content.
Natural honey contains a range of compounds that act as antioxidants, including phytochemicals, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid.
Antioxidants reduce oxidative stress in the body by mopping up free radicals. Scientists have linked oxidative stress to a range of chronic health conditions, including many cancers. By eating an antioxidant-rich diet, people can reduce their risk of chronic disease.
Some people believe that pasteurization reduces the number of antioxidants in the honey, meaning that pasteurized honey may not offer the same benefits as raw honey.
There is no specific research into how pasteurization affects the antioxidants in honey, but studies show that heating other foods can reduce their antioxidant content.
Honey contains specific nutrients that can make it a healthful addition to the diet.
The exact nutrition and chemical composition of raw honey varies between different countries and environments and depends partly upon which types of flowers the bees gather their nectar from. Regardless of these factors, honey still contains healthful compounds, such as antioxidants, amino acids, and vitamins.
One tablespoon or 21 grams (g) of raw honey contains 64 calories and 16 g of sugar. These values may vary between brands and batches.
Natural honey naturally contains small amounts of the following vitamins and minerals:
Honey naturally contains sugar. A little more than half of the sugar in honey is fructose. Research has linked fructose to various health problems.
However, even with its fructose content, honey may be a healthier option than table sugar. Some research suggests that honey may offer a protective effect against diabetes and some types of honey may help improve cholesterol levels.
People who have diabetes or who are on sugar-restricted diets may choose to eat honey in moderation to avoid significant changes in their blood sugar levels. Pure honey has a glycemic index (GI) of 58, meaning it has a medium effect on blood sugar levels.
– Wayne Dyer
On Sept 14 I introduced you to the vibrant habit of always starting your day with the end in mind.
Click here to review that Monday Minute.
This week I would like you to imbed that habit in your thinking by doing something as you begin each day this week. That is our big tip for the day(s) below.
Have a Wonderful Vibrant week,
Karen
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Working Backward
It is far easier to understand the concept and power of starting with the end in mind than to do it regularly. So here is your assignment for this week. It is going to require just 5 minutes each morning and some reflection during the day.
Each morning: As you begin the day ahead answer this:
What outcomes will make this a successful and satisfying day?
– – Not activities! Outcomes! – –
Write these outcomes down… As you go through your day answer this simple question:
This will change your priorities and your focus and ultimately ….. your day!
And, if you keep doing this, you will soon learn to work your day backward as you start with the end in mind.
And guess what? If you consistently do this, you will be doing one of the two critical things that highly successful people do with flying colors!
– Henry Ralph Waldo Emmerson
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving day. But wasn’t it an unusual one? Did you, like me, feel a heaviness along with the thankfulness? I just know you were especially aware of the hurt, loss, and isolation that 2020 has brought. It is a year most of us did not expect in our lifetime and yet here we are.
I’ll say this for 2020: it has brought me is a deeper appreciation of the people in my life. Right now I value being with friends and loved ones more than ever. For that, I am truly thankful.
This underlines a huge opportunity for each of us. Don’t miss it!
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Gratitude
You can change your day today and the life of someone else. It is very simple to do. You have everything you need.
This is it: Express Some Gratitude Today.
How do you do this? It should take no more than 5 minutes.
This will make a big difference for someone in your world. And it will make a real difference in your day and life. If this sounds simplistic to you, you are right. It IS simple. But it is profoundly rewarding – for both of you!
Make it a habit and do it regularly. Don’t wait for 2021.
– Oprah Winfrey
GOOD MORNING! It’s Karen here with your VIBRANT TIP FOR THE WEEK!
Feeling some lethargy during this pandemic?
I’ve never seen people talking about passion without watching their eyes light up, so let’s talk about it today. Wikipedia says about passion: Passion is a feeling of intense enthusiasm towards or compelling desire for … something. I can feel really tired, and if I start working on something I’m passionate about, almost instantly, I’m full of energy!
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Passion Equals Energy
If you’re not feeling enough positive intensity in your life, or if you’re tired, think about a time in your life when you felt intense enthusiasm!
Ask yourself what you were doing or watching or experiencing when you felt that intense enthusiasm. If it was healthy, just do more of it right now. If you can’t, then close your eyes and daydream about when you were doing it. When I can’t paint, I just stop and think about how I feel when I AM painting. It feels really good. It makes me light up and gives me energy.
– Ajahn Brahm
It’s hard to not complain about our strange world circumstances right now, isn’t it? Ask yourself if complaining changed anything at all? Ask yourself how it makes you feel inside when you complain. Ask yourself how it makes others feel who hear you complaining? Complaining drags our energy down, doesn’t it? Hummm….. Perhaps complaining isn’t the best road to feeling fully alive, being vibrant, right? It’s a choice: Want to feel good or feel bad?
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Say No to Complaining
Next time you hear yourself complaining out load or even silently, just STOP! Then ask yourself, “What is happening right now around me that is good or beautiful or uplifting?” There is never a time that you can’t see, feel or think a good thing. Even if you are in a pitch dark room, all you have to do is think about a wonderful memory and it will make you smile and raise your energy level.
– Nathan W. Morris
During this pandemic, many have said that since they couldn’t do everything they were doing before, they found that they were able to focus on what was actually important. They found that all those things they thought were important before, didn’t really need to be done AT ALL. This time of not doing helped them have the time to do things that have proven to be very valuable.
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Decide what you are not doing!
Since your success is determined by what you don’t do. Here are a couple of ways to start doing only what really matters:
I mention this book in the October 26 vibrant minute about Noise in our Lifestyle as a great resource if you would like to know more about the author’s philosophy for technology use that he has seen improve countless lives. He suggests a thoughtful method to decide what tools to use, for what purposes, and under what conditions. He talks about digital minimalists being calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without glancing at their phones. He shows how digital minimalists are rethinking their relationships to social media and rediscovering the pleasures of the offline world
– Steven Furtick
How would it affect you to spend your time being angry and feeling sorry for yourself for having been convicted and sentenced unjustly? Alternatively, how would it affect you to spend your time productively like studying for the bar exam, or writing a best selling book, or becoming amazingly fit? Isn’t it a matter of perspective?
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Transforming a prison into a passport
When you find yourself in a difficult situation or a bad mood, ask yourself a couple of questions: “How am I seeing this?” (What lens are you looking through?) and next question: “What good might come out of this?” In other words, “How can I make this a passport rather than a prison?” It all depends on what lens you decide to pick up and see-through because if you change the lens you see through, the things you see change. As Salman Rushdie said, “Reality is a Question of Perspective.”
Sometimes in life it is the things we take for granted and assume are basic that can turn out to hold surprising benefits when examined in a new light. That is what I experienced in reading the new book by James Nestor: Breath. It is one of those books that is such a wonder to find. Where you ask yourself – why didn’t I know this? A book that once again reminds how fantastic is the human body and how simple practices can make a big difference in the quality of our life.
Let me share just one way (of many) that this book has changed my breathing and my life for the better. I never thought about how important it was to breathe through my nose rather than my mouth. Honestly, I kind of assumed, since childhood, that the mouth is for eating, talking, and breathing and that the nose was for smelling and ahh… also for breathing. So when it came to breathing there were given two choices: the nose for small breaths and the mouth for the big ones. Breath reminds us, pointedly, that the truth of the matter is that the nose (and not the mouth) is designed for breathing. The nose warms, humidifies, and filters air and the mouth does not. In fact, there are big health issues associated with mouth breathing, and so many of us mindlessly and habitually do it. This one chapter has changed the way I breathe. I now focus on breathing through my nose – even while exercising. And it is really better! Simple and profound and worth the price of the book, for sure. And there is much, much, more to discover in Breath. Check out the author page and get a copy through our Amazon affiliate link. You will breathe and live easier and better.
by Will Frye
Here’s why you might want this book that I talked about on September 14th Vibrant Minute: What you do first thing in the morning sets the tone of your whole day. When you wake up, answer to question prompts that will make you feel positive and appreciative of your day. Morning Mindset is ‘A Daily Journal to Get You in the Best Headspace Every Day.”
You can easily check this book out on Amazon by clicking on the picture of the book cover.
When I talked about Morning Mindset on September 14 I referenced Dr. Dweck’s book. She said, “The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects…you life. Here’s a taste from ReadinGraphics that might help you decide if you would like to read her book: Your mindset—how you see yourself—shapes how you respond to people and events, to affect your outcomes. In this book, Carol Dweck draws on 20 years of research to explain how you can recognize, understand and change a fundamental mindset to impact all aspects of your life.
When I gave you the productivity hack in September 14th’s Vibrant Minute, I referenced this classic book.
Here’s a summary of the book by Hubspot:
” The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey is a self-improvement book. It is written on Covey’s belief that the way we see the world is entirely based on our own perceptions. In order to change a given situation, we must change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must be able to change our perceptions.”
You can get Hubspot’s full summery of the book here:
AUTHOR’S SUMMARY: This exuberant and compelling book explores how you can cultivate not just a specific passion, but passion as a mindset—a stance—that helps bring vitality to all your engagements, from work and relationships to creativity and spiritual life. Vital Signs examines the endless, yet endlessly fruitful, tug-of-war between passion and security in our lives, the wild in us and the tame, our natural selves and our conditioned selves, and shows us how to stay engaged with the world and resist the downward-pulling forces that can drain our aliveness.Vital Signs also encourages courageous inquiry into our dis-passion—where we’re numb, depressed, stuck and bored in our lives—so that we can rework these tendencies in ourselves, claim our rightful inheritance of vitality, and get our spark back.
If you were on the Live Vibrantly 8 part Webinar series, you heard the science behind the critical need for exercise to keep our bodies operating vibrantly. It also explains how exercise is the best anti-aging solution. The full title explains why to read the book: Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy – Until You’re 80 and Beyond.
Here is the Publisher’s Summary:
Younger Next Year is about how to turn back your biological clock. How to become functionally younger every year for the next five to 10 years, and continue to live with vitality and grace into your 80s and beyond.
Harry’s Rules (Harry being Harry S. Lodge, M.D.) are only seven, but they completely reverse the typical path of aging. Exercise six days a week for the rest of your life. Quit eating crap. Connect and commit. And to prove it is his star patient, the no-punches-pulled Chris Crowley, a 70-year-old who left the slippery slope of retirement and turned his life around. Harry tells you what to do. Chris tells you how. And their argument is irresistible.
You have responsibilities. You think about the future, the 401K, the kids’ schools. There’s one other thing you can’t afford not to think about: yourself. Marrying science and reality, Younger Next Year is a convincing and passionate argument that if you train for the Next Third of life, you’ll have a ball. Follow its simple rules and you’ll find yourself in perhaps the best shape, in mind, body, and spirit, of your life.
I mentioned this in the August 17 vibrant minute about nutrition as a great resource if you are interested in knowing more about what real foods to eat for a healthy immune system and a glowing, vibrant life.
You can easily check this book out on Amazon by clicking on the picture of the book cover.
– Jacques Prevert
Good Morning!
Have you noticed that the overall feeling in the world during this
difficult time is not as vibrant as it was? That’s why it behooves
us to work extra hard in our lifestyles to seek it out. An uplifting,
vibrant sprit is not only important to both our well-being, but also to our immune systems. Today’s tip is for that very purpose.
Have a Vibrant Day,
Karen
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Attitude
Think of ways to elevate your feeling of vibrance—like how you
feel when you drink a large glass of ice water on a hot day. What are the things you can do to achieve that? Make a list—a sign—and post it on your mirror or on your computer screen so you don’t forget them.
Here are a few of mine:
I’m a people person, so I go to the wharf where there are many people social distancing, but enjoying themself.
Another one: The other night I went to the Rose Garden park where people were gathering in small groups for picnics or just socializing. I could almost feel the joy of the people’s hearts gathered together, forgetting all about the pandemic, but remembering social distancing.
For me, just observing happy people can feel uplifting even if I’m not participating.
― Jim Rohn
FOOD, What the Heck Should I Eat?Good Morning,
Many people tell me they have a lot more time to read during
these difficult times. If you’re one of those people, you might
want to add this one to your reading list:
FOOD, What the Heck Should I Eat
by Mark Hyman, MD.
Dr. Hyman informs us what we need to eat in order to feel good, boost our immune systems, and have life-long health. Who doesn’t want that, right? In today’s tip, I’ll give you a sample of a healthy menu.
Have a Vibrant Day,
Karen
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Nutrition
Here it is: Just eat real food. That’s the tip.
But what does that mean? Three simple steps:
Pretty simple, yes? Now, I didn’t say easy, I only said
it was simple. It will take some getting used to, but you will be amazed at how much better you’ll feel and your immune system will thank you.
― Susan C. Young
Good Morning,
Isn’t it wonderful that our world has opened up enough during this difficult time to allow us to see each other out in the world (at safe distances)? When we’re with people, the “feel good” chemical that naturally occurs in our systems—serotonin—increases. It’s uplifting to be with people we enjoy, so what safe things can you now do with people that you couldn’t do before?
Have a Vibrant Day,
Karen
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Connectedness
Find walking partners and walk and talk six feet apart. You can even set up a schedule that allows you to be with a different one of your friends every week. You can even go swimming with a friend at a safe distance. If you feel safe eating with friends outdoors, meet one for breakfast, and sit at opposite ends of a table for 4. Have a picnic in a circle—six feet apart. You may be surprised how good you feel and may even experience a sense of being “filled up” emotionally!
– Henry David Thoreau
Hello again,
Feeling vibrant during difficult times can sometimes be as simple as picking up a new lens to see through. Open mindedness takes much less energy than defensively holding to a single perspective. Being open to hearing other points of view can be very freeing and uplifting even if you don’t agree with the others’ opinions. You might even say that it’s life-giving— vibrant living. Sometimes it is as simple as just laying down your sword. You may say, “that’s not always easy to do.” That’s true. But it becomes easier the more you do it.
Have a Vibrant Day and week,
Karen
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Perspective
Try this: Next time someone starts voicing a perspective that is much different from yours, rather than defending your position, be curious. Ask why he or she feels that way. Be open minded; not judgmental. You will be surprised at how freeing this is, and you might just learn something you didn’t know. Try it. You’ll actually feel the difference.
– Oprah Winfrey
Good Morning,
How are you staying engaged with life during this pandemic? Are you able to stay the course with your purpose, your passion? New studies show purpose gives you resilience and we all need resilience during this difficult time, don’t we? Forbes recently reported, “People with a sense of purpose are more engaged … they realize their interests and passions. Passion gives you the fuel to stay the course, and when it may not seem possible, you do it anyway.”
Have a Vibrant Day,
Karen
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Attitude
You can start or restart your purpose engine by asking yourself these three questions:
This is a great time to be doing those things!
― Hellen Keller
Good Morning,
You may not want to hear this, but you’ll be glad I shared it with
you: Research has shown that even a small amount of
negative brain activity can lead to a weakened immune system,
making you more prone to illness.
Our attitude can be shifted easily based on our environment including the people with whom we spend time. Ever notice how you feel when you’re subjected to the negativity of another person? Then notice how you feel when you’re around a positive, sunny personality. Not only during difficult times but all the time, it is important to limit the amount of time spent with negative
people.
Have a Vibrant Day,
Karen
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Lifestyle
To be healthier and happier, surround yourself with positive, uplifting people. Find ways of avoiding negative, complaining people. It is really that simple! It is not always easy to do, but the solution is simple: Just exit negative people from your life as if your life depended on it—because it does!
– Anon
Good Morning,
Making the most of your life begins with making the most of every single day. This doesn’t always mean getting many tasks accomplished. Sometimes it means setting aside time to simply relax and be intentional about enjoying your day. Of course, it also means accomplishing things that are priorities as well as the things that just flat need to be done.
Have a Vibrant Day,
Karen
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Productivity
A simple tip to squeeze the most out of your time is to set a block of uninterrupted time to knock out those important, necessary things that need to be done. (Interruptions rob us of about 50% of our time because of the way our brains work.) Then you have more time to do the high priority tasks and the things you relish doing. That’s important! Try doing one thing that you absolutely LOVE every single day and see if you don’t feel at least a twinge better about your life!
– Gene Tunney
Good Morning,
A great birthday card I got on the outside said, “How do you keep looking so fabulous.” On the inside, it said, “And please don’t tell me it’s what I eat and exercise!”
Fortunately or unfortunately, exercise is a giant key to a healthy immune system. “Over the last four decades, many studies have investigated how exercise affects the immune system. It is widely agreed that regular moderate-intensity exercise is beneficial for immunity,” as reported by Science Daily.
Are you saying, “Do I have to? When do I fit it in?
Have a Vibrant Day,
Karen
P.S. Please forward this to others you think would benefit. There is a button below for people to sign-up. It is absolutely free to all! Thank you!
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Exercise
I HAVE GREAT NEWS about EXERCISE. You can make exercise part of your regular day when you don’t have a time block to exercise. Here are a few ways you can easily do that. Try making movement part of everything you do like stand up when you take a phone call and march in place while you talk. You can even take a walk around the house or your office while you talk on the phone. I asked myself, “Why do you think you have to sit while you’re on the phone?” If you live or work in a multi-level, go to the next floor to use the facilities or get a drink or water. Just move all day long.
— Loren Eiseley
Good Morning,
Part of being healthy with a strong immune system is staying hydrated. Water helps to carry oxygen to our body’s cells, which results in systems that function well. It also works to remove toxins, so drinking more of it helps prevent toxin build up which has a negative impact on our immune systems. Since staying hydrated helps to naturally eliminate toxins and other bacteria that may cause illness, water can help keep you healthy!
But how do you know when you need water?
Have a Vibrant Day,
Karen
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Nutrition
Here’s an easy clue. Are you tired?
When I get tired during the day, I’ve learned to ask myself, “Are you thirsty, tired or hungry?” If I can’t answer that, I just drink an entire glass of water and guess what? Eight times out of 10, I’m not tired anymore. Use tired or even hungry as signals to drink a glass of water. It might even help you lose some weight! For sure, it will help you feel more energized while silently boosting your immune system!
― Roy T. Bennett
Good Morning,
Some exciting news for you this morning: Optimism boosts Immune Systems! Research has found that as people become more optimistic, they show stronger cell-mediated immunity, the flood of immune cells that respond to an invasion by foreign viruses or bacteria.
Ever been around a negative person or watched too much news and observed how it made you feel? Just exit left. When I learned that it’s not mandatory to stay around negativity, I felt free.
Have a Vibrant Day,
Karen
P.S. Please forward this to others you think would benefit. There is a button below for people to sign-up. It is absolutely free to all! Thank you!
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Lifestyle
Today, give yourself permission to just walk away from negativity whether it be a person or media. If it is walking away from a negative person, it’s easy to do. Make a polite excuse. Even, “Oops, it’s time for me to have my next glass of water” will do for an excuse for someone who is especially annoying. If it’s media, just turn it off. You’ll be saving the day for yourself—and that’s really important for staying healthy!
-William James
Good Morning,
Wondering what staying home and social distancing have to do with our happiness? Neurological research shows that we are drawn to one another and automatically shake hands, hug, touch the arm of the person we are meeting because touch produces serotonin, which feels good. We want more of it, and we seek out contact. So what can we do during this difficult time of not being able to touch others and in many cases not even able to see others? That’s one of the reasons websites like Zoom and Facetime have surged in popularity. People are hungry for contact with other human beings. We want to see each other and touch each other. So, what can we do about that?
Have a Vibrant Day,
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Connection to Others
Remember the commercial that said, “Reach out and Touch Someone? ”That’s exactly what we can do. Do some Zoom or Facetime breakfasts, coffees, lunches, happy hours or dinners with friends, family and colleagues. Connect and reconnect. You’ll be surprised how good it makes you feel. It fills that empty place within you up because it releases serotonin into your system.
– Doe Zantamata
Good Morning,
When your safety and security needs are unsure or even pulled out from under you, what can you do? No matter how high you are on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, when challenging times like we are experiencing in our world right now, the base or foundation (food, water, safety and security) has been shaken a little or even a lot. What can you do to feel more calm and stable—maybe
even light-hearted?
Have a Vibrant Day,
Karen
P.S. Please forward this to others you think would benefit. There is a button below for people to sign-up. It is absolutely free to all! Thank you!
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Attitude
This can change your entire day! When I wake up in the morning, instead of grabbing my phone or turning on the TV to check the news, messages, or emails, I have what’s called a habit stack. That’s a short stack of quick–easy habits that start me off on the right foot. First, I think of 3 things I’m grateful for (some people like to grab their gratitude journal and write them down, some people like to pray their 3 gratefuls). Next, I get up and look in the mirror and SMILE! (Smiling releases “feel good” chemicals.) Then I read something quick and uplifting. There are hundreds of daily inspirational books. You probably have one around your home. Try this morning uplifting habit stack or make your own. It was a life-changer for me and it may be for you too!
– Mae Jemison
Good Morning,
Here’s a great way to boost your immune system and stay healthy during these challenging times. Research has found a strong link between living one’s life with a sense of purpose and enjoying a robust immune system. That’s true especially when our sense of purpose is something we are passionate about. But, what if you have trouble figuring out what you are passionate about?
Sometimes thinking too hard gets in the way of great thoughts. Sounds funny, right? Maybe even ridiculous? But it’s true.
Have a Vibrant Day,
Karen
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Passion and Purpose
When I can’t figure something important out, I use a great technique I call Rapid Thought Writing. It’s easy. Here’s how:
Write about this as fast as you can without stopping to think and without ever lifting your pen or pencil off the page: “What would I do if I didn’t have to make money or save money or take care of anyone but myself.” Just start writing. You might even be writing silly things like, “I don’t know what to write about, but I’m supposed to just write fast so I’m doing that.” The more you write, the more will come. Maybe not today, but if you do this rapid thought writing in the morning for several days, you’ll be surprised what will eventually come to you. I did this for seven years straight every morning. It changed my life. I found my passionate purpose.
Follow your passion. It will lead to your purpose.
― Pete Hautman
Good Morning,
Since “being part of a pack” is critical for emotional well-being, it is important to find new ways to stay connected during this time of social distancing. True connection is a primal need and is intricately formed in the workings of our brains. Research tells us we pick up signals from facial expressions and body movements. Those visuals are transmitted to our brains so we “see” the other person’s emotions via mirror neurons. Because we see and feel their emotions, they now see and feel our emotions and a true connection is made. I’m just scratching the surface and simplifying it for our purposes.
Have a Vibrant Day,
Karen
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Connectedness
It’s especially important to find ways to stay connected during this time of isolation. Zoom gatherings and facetime can help. Someone I know said he is finding it energizing to work with a couple of people on a project to help others during this time—even though they have to work and meet virtually. Some people are driving to parking lots and each sitting in their own respective cars in the driver’s seat (to stay the appropriate distance apart) and talking through their open windows. What can you do to stay closely connected with others?
– Henry David Thoreau
Good Morning,
Do you know anyone who has not been impacted by what has been going on for the past six weeks? Few things are more important to us than our well-being.
If you feel unnerved by being isolated, you are not alone. Not knowing how long this will last can make you feel out of control which adds to the anxiety you and your loved ones may be feeling.
On the plus side, a friend told me that her son misses school. She said that she was sure she would never hear that. Maybe his grades will see some improvement.
Today’s tip will help you deal with the uncertainty of our current circumstances.
Have a Vibrant Day,
Karen
Karen’s Vibrant Tip for Today – Attitude
If this approach sounds naïve and simplistic to you, you are right. It IS simple. You need to shift your tendency to focus on the positive from focusing on what worries you.
How do you do this?
Stop 3 to 5 times every day to see what is good around you. In fact, let’s practice right now. Stop and look around. What you appreciate and enjoy right now? What can you be grateful for? As I look around, there is a beautiful red cardinal sitting in a tree in my backyard. He comes most days. What do you see?
Make it a habit and do it many times each day. After you have done it for a week, see how you feel and let us know.
Greetings,
My name is Karen Duncum. I am a coach and licensed counselor. I am passionate about helping people live their best lives–vibrant, healthy lives.
I have been establishing new ways to help people in addition to my coaching practice like eBooks, webinars and company engagements. Just about the time I was getting ready to launch this newsletter the Coronavirus pandemic was ramping up.
These events have lit a fire under me to get this out even sooner. Rather than simply titling my letter “Living Vibrantly” I am (for now) calling it “ Living Vibrantly in Challenging Times”.
My goals for these brief messages:
How often will you receive it?
You’ll find it In your inbox by the time you get up once a week.
My life’s work has been based on my passion for better living – for Vibrant Living. Living that can be vibrant and meaningful in every stage and situation, every season of life, good times and challenges, energy and tiredness, all of it. This is what I want to share with you each week.
Welcome!
Karen
P.S. Please forward this to others you think would benefit. There is a button below for people to sign-up. It is absolutely free to all! Thank you!
Each edition of Karen’s Weekly Minute will focus on one of eight topics.
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