I spend a lot of time on this site talking about cleaning and de-cluttering; two things I firmly believe in.  But a couple of things happened this week that brought to light an important life lesson and that’s what I want to share with you today.

Earlier this week I drove to a local farmer’s produce stand.  This family has a beautiful garden with fresh corn, tomatoes, carrots, onions, watermelon, cantaloupe, etc.  I was actually able to give up my vegetable garden this year because their produce is so wonderful and very dependable.

Not wanting to use their plastic bags, I took my own regular shopping bags that I’ve been using since going paperless.  (I’m also trying to reduce my use of plastic, as well as just overall what I put into landfills – but that’s another post.)

When I told the woman to just start putting what I was picking out into my bag, she exclaimed, “Oh, don’t get that bag dirty – it’s so pretty and clean!”

I tried to explain that I bought it to be used, that I always take it to the grocery store, and that it can be washed if necessary, but nothing was going to stop her – I came home with 5 plastic bags!  She just could not stand the thought of getting that beautiful bag dirty.

Earlier today, I had to fire someone.  He just wasn’t working out and in the exit interview we discussed how we both went into this knowing it might not work out, but we wanted to give it a try.  We tried.  Things didn’t click.  We bailed.  The employee was really good about it.  It’s the only time I’ve ever gotten to the end of a termination and received a hug!  (Yeah – he was that glad to be let go!)

Both of these experiences have reminded me of a paradigm I’ve held for a long time:  You learn by doing.  You live by getting the bag dirty and enjoying every minute of it.  Children get it – they have the most fun when they’re getting really good and dirty!   We adults need to re-learn that lesson.  Don’t buy something new just to save it for special occasions.  The dust mites don’t deserve it – you do!  Don’t be afraid to try a job you’d like to go after for whatever reason.  Even if things don’t work out you’ll learn some valuable lessons that will propel your life forward.

Sure, you might have some cleaning up to do, in fact, you probably will have a lot of cleaning up to do, but isn’t that what this journey is all about?

So, go ahead – get that bag dirty!

Until next time,

Live Joyfully!

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Posted under Dental Practice Management, Education, Motivation, Success

Probably the most commonly overlooked problem in the workplace is nutrition.  In fact, if our public schools were to serve children what many of us eat every day, we’d be screaming, “cruel and unusual punishment!” 

If your child showed symptoms of poor concentration, making mistakes out-of-the-ordinary for his/her intellect, and/or moodiness, s/he would surely be examined for some type of disorder.  (And probably put on some kind of medication.)

But how often do you make mistakes and then ask yourself, “What was I thinking,” or, “How did that happen; I know better than that?”  If you have difficulty concentrating on the task at hand, make frequent mistakes, or feel, (or have been accused of), being moody, it’s time to take a look at your diet.

I used to be one of those people who couldn’t stand the thought of breakfast.  Nowadays, I can’t live without it.  Why?  Because the earlier I eat, the sooner I feel good.  Not only does eating wake me up physically, but it gets me going emotionally and spiritually as well.  You know how hard it is to maintain the proper attitude when you’re physically hurting?  It’s really the same thing.

The biggest grievance I see in employee break rooms both in small businesses and corporations alike is the overabundance of products containing high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).  In addition to being blamed for the growing obesity problem in America, HFCS has been linked to diabetes, heart and liver problems, among other physical abnormalities, not so much because of the product itself, (that’s still up in the air), but because sugar, in all forms, robs the body of necessary nutrients that can be difficult to replace, especially if you’re unaware that there’s a problem.  (Until it’s too late.)  But I’m not going to debate the “side effects” of HFCS today – that’s another post!  Let’s just look at the effects of sugar on the body and brain.

When you eat something containing a high amount of sugar, your body’s digestive system goes to work, producing glucose that gets deposited into your bloodstream.  When your blood glucose level is increased rapidly, it stimulates your pancreas to secrete insulin in order to counteract and drop your blood sugar levels.  When that happens, you start to feel lethargic, lose ability to concentrate, feel like you’re in a fog, and start craving something sweet again to “keep you going.”  If you’re too busy to eat at that time, you’ll end up feeling depressed or be in a bad mood of some kind.  It’s a vicious cycle, because not concentrating well causes poor performance which leads to mistakes which causes your boss to yell at you making your mood worse, craving more sugar, causing another spike – you get the drift.

Various studies over the past 30 years have shown that sugar overloading can even lead to job dissatisfaction, even in offices that are relatively stress-free.  Think about that for a moment!

So what do you need to avoid?  Just about everything processed and sweet – your moon pies, jams and jellies, soft drinks, and most of those “health bars” you believe are so good for you.  Especially, don’t make a complete meal on them!!!  My point is this:  Anything can be okay in moderation; it’s overindulgence and addiction that interferes with your concentration, performance, and mood.  A processed oat bar is fine for a snack (although not my first choice) if you know you’re going to be eating in an hour, but it’s not lunch.  You need protein, carbs, and good fat at every meal.  Personally, I still follow the Zone diet as much as possible – not exactly – just closely.  I don’t believe in going overboard on anything.  I just stay balanced, paying attention to how I feel after I eat, and adjust if necessary.  I eat as many whole and raw foods as possible, (very possible during the summer months here in Kentucky), and keep my sugar intake to the old fashioned granulated kind – for my tea – thank you very much!  (If I gain a couple of pounds – it’s the first to go.  I just drink more water until I’m back down to my ideal weight – this trick works so quickly.)

I’ve also noticed that a light lunch works best also – perhaps because I’ve had a rather substantial breakfast – but I’m lighter and have more energy when I eat a salad with some leftover grilled chicken on it.  Half a sandwich with some fruit works well also.

One of my favorite snacks for the afternoon “pick me up,” is fruit.  It satisfies my craving for sugar if I have one, but it also quenches my thirst.  If I have a strong sugar craving, I realize that that means I had too many carbs for lunch, so I’ll add a handful of nuts to my snack and within a half hour, I’m ready to go again.

Be Good to Yourself
Since your diet has such an impact on your level of physical energy, and through it your levels of mental and emotional energy, the more fastidious you are about what you put into your mouth, the better you will feel, the more productive you will be, and the more joyously you can live – and that is so worth the effort!

Until next time,

Live Joyfully!

You can subscribe to this blog here.

Get Inspired!  What do you want to create? Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment has helped hundreds of people create the life of their dreams.  You can read their stories here.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

Get Organized!  Learn the secrets of getting and staying motivated and organized with the Eliminate Clutter and Organize Your Life E-book.  This inspiring book gives you step-by-step instructions for getting control of every area of your life.  Click here for the table of contents and to purchase.

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Posted under Education, Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success, Weight Loss

I love a good meme!  Jennifer at Alaivani.com has tagged me with the challenge of sharing 5 ways to reduce the use of chemicals in our everyday lives.  Since this is a topic near and dear to my heart, I was very ready to bite.  Okay, Jen, here goes.

1. Microfiber cloths.  My mother-in-law got me hooked on these.  They clean everything from the daintiest jewelry to your car, and here’s the best part, with only water.  Tough, grimy gunk usually requires hot water, in my experience, but no chemicals.  They are the best at cleaning windows and mirrors, but I’ve also used them on furniture, floors, litter boxes, the cats, the cats’ ears, silver and brass, you name it.  I can hardly keep enough of them.

2. Organic gardening.  I did something today I’ve never done before in my life – almost 40 years now – I mowed the lawn – with a reel mower.  No gas, no oil, no heavy machinery, no back pain – and it worked beautifully!  Gardening and lawn care is one area I’ve been going chemical-free for quite some time now.  In the garden, the pesticides don’t work any better than the natural methods, so why bother (and waste your money)?  Until last year, my brother was buying a chemical trap to catch Japanese beetles in his garden.  Then I told him my little trick, which I happened upon by accident.  I was cleaning out my car one day when I felt the need for some soapy water.  For whatever reason, I put a few drops of Dawn dishwashing detergent into a mason jar and filled it about half-full of water.  On my way back outside, I noticed my neighbor’s dog running toward me.  Deciding to stop and play with him, I sat the jar down at the edge of the garden. When I went back to it, it was almost filled with Japanese beetles!  I had found a “natural” solution.  I did some research and found out that my trick was really nothing more than “insecticidal soap,” which has been used by organic gardeners for years.  The beetles that don’t make it into the jar are hand-picked off my garden by my neighbor.  He loves his roses and walks around the neighborhood collecting all the Japanese beetles he can find in the interest of protecting his own investment.  Which reminds me that we are all connected and need to watch out for and help one another.  But, back to this post!

3. Blue cat food.  This one may surprise you.  The vet told me that my cat probably had a flea on her somewhere that was causing her fur to fall out on her back.  I treated her for almost one year with a standard chemical.  I noticed that I had to keep using it more and more frequently in order to prevent the problem.  I decided to do some online research, and discovered that there could be additives in her food that she is intolerant to.  So I switched her to Blue and within 2 months her hair grew back in and I was able to stop the treatments completely.  My other cat now has fewer hairballs as well.  Go figure!

4. Open the windows.  My husband has slight asthma that can be triggered by intense odors.  Once the condition gets stirred up, he has a very difficult time getting over it.  A couple of years ago we had to eliminate most air fresheners because even the slightest whiff would bother him.  You know how the house gets stale smelling when it’s shut up for long periods of time?  I decided to open the windows and let in some fresh air, making sure no neighbors were mowing their lawns at the time, (since that would stir up a whole ‘nother set of problems!), and voila – fresh air, no chemicals.  Now I crack a window or two every day to let in fresh air.  It doesn’t take very long so I seriously doubt there’s much energy being wasted if you’re running the heat or A/C.  (Whenever possible though, I turn off such devices and open all the doors and windows.)

5. Now here’s one that will knock your socks off.  Ozonated water.  My husband has purchased a TherO₃Zone unit for his new dental office and I must say, it is very impressive!  This is like a microfiber cloth on steroids!  (Okay – maybe not the best analogy, please forgive!)  The research on this technology is remarkable and if it’s accurate, ozonated water could rid the world of many of our most troubling diseases, including cancer.  In the dental office, it has the potential to replace Lysol for disinfecting purposes.  It is currently being used to treat and eliminate bacteria in the water lines.  My husband has applied it topically to eliminate his minor adult acne.  There are many websites that provide results from clinical research, as well as products for consumer use, and more information – just do a Google search on “Ozonated water” and you’ll be busy the rest of the day.

I was recently challenged by the much-too-common-around-here redneck with the comment, “I’m not planning to live 500 years, why should I worry about the planet?  It’s not my problem.”

Well, my problem is:  This world might not be here tomorrow for all we know, but we now live in an age when it has been brought to our awareness that some of our habits and “conveniences” are destroying the natural resources of this planet that we enjoy now.  My spirit is wounded anytime I harm something that I now enjoy .  Why not do whatever we can to feel good about how we are treating our planet now?

Jennifer, I really enjoyed writing this post; thank you for the opportunity and for thinking of me.

I now tag:  Aaron Potts, Greenwoman, Albert Foong, Michael, Sharleyanne, and Jenny.

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What do you want to create? Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment has helped hundreds of people create the life of their dreams.  You can read their stories here.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

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