I was thinking the other day ... a lot of people place a lot of hope in winning the lottery.
I don't think there is really anything such as coincidence. I think that there is a whole lot more going on than that. Somebody up there clever is still in charge :-)
Anyway - while I was thinking myself admittedly - about all the things I could do if I won the lottery - I got to thinking ... more truly ... the thought popped in my head that if I did win the lottery, I would have nothing left to look forward to.
That is the same about knowing the future.
I don't want to know the future. Don't want to know horror-scopes filled with doom and gloom that are mostly computer generated (had a science teacher tell me that).
I am looking forward to it though. I believe it is going to be good.
But there is a joy in not knowing what it is going to contain.
A long time ago, I felt pretty hopeless. I have my hope renewed though. That is pretty special. For the first time today, I put my youngest child on one of those $2 rides at the shopping centre. I used to be such a tightwad that I had refused to do things like that with my other two children. What a shame.
It isn't the $27.8 million dollars that makes you truly rich - it is those $2 moments with your children, surrounded by your family and loved ones that make you realise that you are richly blessed. Family and true friends are priceless.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Why You Should Celebrate Christmas (Well, well I do anyway)
I have been looking around at so many of the Christmas displays and it has changed since when I was a child - I think the Nativity scene used to be displayed a lot more.
I was reading an article about preparing Christmas decorations around your home, and nowhere did it say about a Nativity scene.
A birth long ago - has it become irrelevant now? Not to me? It's the whole reason for my existence.
That birth was a man - God become man - who declared his love for me and for multitudes of others when he took all of my failures up upon himself on a cross. Then died. I thank God that wasn't the end of the story - it truly is my neverending story.
I thank Him, at the end of the day, that He is there now, on a throne, somewhere beyond the reaches of the heavens, at the ends of the infinite universe, still smiling, knowing that this little child inside of me smiles every day, because of Him.
On my Christmas shopping list, for the very first time this year, I am going to buy myself a nativity scene, and send up a little prayer of thanks.
I was reading an article about preparing Christmas decorations around your home, and nowhere did it say about a Nativity scene.
A birth long ago - has it become irrelevant now? Not to me? It's the whole reason for my existence.
That birth was a man - God become man - who declared his love for me and for multitudes of others when he took all of my failures up upon himself on a cross. Then died. I thank God that wasn't the end of the story - it truly is my neverending story.
I thank Him, at the end of the day, that He is there now, on a throne, somewhere beyond the reaches of the heavens, at the ends of the infinite universe, still smiling, knowing that this little child inside of me smiles every day, because of Him.
On my Christmas shopping list, for the very first time this year, I am going to buy myself a nativity scene, and send up a little prayer of thanks.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Getting Over Monday-Itis (Depression Awareness)
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| Do you feel like you have Monday-itis, more than just on Monday?
Image File -
Creative Commons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Depression.jpg
|
"Blah! ......day!"
Do you feel in a "funk?"
Low energy?
Have you felt this way for a couple of weeks? Are you ok?
If you've felt like this for a couple of weeks, you feel like you've got nothing to look forward to, and you feel like everything is an enormous effort - you may need to get thee (pun intended) to a medical checkup.
Depression is still a somewhat misunderstood subject. But according to beyond blue statistics, one in six men may experience depression within their lifetime, and women are twice as likely to experience depression than men are.
On the subject of mental health - in November men's mental health programs are supported by the "Movember" campaign.
De-Stigmatising Depression and Anxiety
Recently, R U Okay day was celebrated. The word is getting out in the media that depression and anxiety do affect a lot of people, but it is nothing to be ashamed of to get medical treatment for it!!!!
A couple of men (and women) in my group of family and friends go to counsellors, and I closely know people who have been treated for depression.
Stigma is a real issue for perhaps preventing people from seeking treatment, so if you know anybody who is not ok, then please be supportive, not dismissive of their problems.
It is a kind of fallacy that people who say they are "depressed" are seeking attention - if you have to say it to get attention - then you really are asking for help and need to go and get medical assistance. Anybody who says that somebody is just doing something for attention needs to get a real understanding that depression and anxiety are medical conditions!!!
Reasons for depression
Depression and anxiety can begin to happen as a result of a reaction to an external issue, such as job loss or a recent illness, or it can be the result of an underlying medical issue. It may also occur that a series of minor stressors are adding up, and it has been difficult to take care of yourself properly such as getting adequate rest, sleep, nutrition and exercise. It can be a combination of factors that can cause anxiety, stress and depression.
Getting a thorough medical checkup
In any case, a medical check up is in order to assist you to get back to wellness. I recommend seeing your primary health physician - they can help you with a number of different treatment modalities. If you prefer alternative therapies there are some doctors who are holistic medicine practitioners, and can help you develop whole of lifestyle programs such as nutritional support, physiotherapy and massage, exercise physiology, talk therapy with a psychologist or registered counsellor and sleep assistance.
It is very difficult to treat depression with just a prescription, and a doctor who is responsive to the whole person and their wellbeing is a good start. You may need to book an initial appointment with your doctor, and then you can rebook a double appointment so that you have more time with your doctor to investigate the underlying cause of your depression.
Depression can come about as a result of a nutritional deficiency, so don't rule this out either. Depression is a medical condition, not just a made up "imagined state of mind."
How you can help yourself:
Firstly, be gentle with yourself. You may need to lower your self-expectations. Are you being realistic towards your goals right now when you are medically unwell?
Do, however, set goals that are achievable, and that will give you a sense of satisfaction on a daily basis. For you this may include getting dressed and getting up out of bed, and attending to personal hygiene. Eating nutritionally balanced food and getting gentle exercise every day are good goals to adhere to.
Enlist the support of people you trust. If you know that there may be some people within your social circle who have experienced depression before, or that of a loved one, and have been supportive, then you may feel you are able to trust that person to support you.
Do focus on positive aspects of your life. Think of the things you are grateful for. For me, some days it is a case of being happy about having dirty dishes to wash, because that means I have food in the house, and haven't gone hungry. If you have achieved at least one of your goals, such as getting up, then do be grateful and celebrate that achievement!
Spend some time watching comedies, looking for jokes on the internet or reading joke books - laughter is really good for you, and will help boost your mood.
Independent or Self-Publishing Your Manuscript
It started me thinking, I had just graduated from university, and I began to plan a manuscript - a friend of my husband's had written a novel and self published it - this inspired me to get started.
It was a long task, it took me a number of years, I started and stopped it here and there, had my children in between, and the manuscript stayed there unfinished and unpublished.
In the last couple of years, the Kindle has really taken off, and ebooks have become more viable - which is perfect for the independent publisher.
So, I decided to publish my manuscript to an ebook format. From there I discovered Create Space, where I could put my book into a traditional book format. It is a little trickier, but it works too. Now my book - FireStorm - is a reality. Just waiting for my own copy of it LOL.
And so, I have done indie publishing. I have also published a non-fiction on stress reduction - The Savvy Little Guide to Stress Reduction.
The whole process is remarkably uncomplicated.
I have had some friends and relatives read my manuscript and they said it was worth publishing, so after polishing up a few of the chapters - it has gone up.
I grieved a little over not having an "official" career in journalism at a traditional newspaper after graduating from uni with a journalism degree, but the 21st century has seen the advent of "people powered" writing and information, and we share in this utopian world of the internet where anybody can be a writer, actor, film producer - between blogs, youtube and social media, and indie publishing - if you feel you have something to share -
Don't deprive the world by hiding what gift you have embedded in you.
I don't write for the money, it is a hobby I enjoy. If somebody is entertained or informed or somehow helped, then I have done my "job."
Consider putting your manuscript onto Kindle direct, or iBooks, or some other ebook format.
Everybody has got something in them they want to share.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Clean Your House to Improve Your Mood
I have been overcoming the funk mood and Monday-itis by keep on remembering my little kitchen prayer hanging on the wall, gratitude is a wonderful practise.
I came across a wonderful post in a blog Four Little Ducks - about this lady's laundry system for her four children. It is excellent, and she has inventoried her children's clothing in order to keep more organised.
I commented to a relative last week that a dirty house can be downright depressing. I decided that in order to dethrone the yuck mood, that some housework was in order!!!
Sometimes nothing works better than just "having at it."
I find the best thing to do is to tackle one task at a time. It may help to put on an audio book or some music to lift the mood.
The kitchen is also the most critical place in the house - because we all need to eat - a dirty kitchen with gross science experiments in the fridge, open packets in the pantry going stale, dirty benches and filthy plates will (1) cost you money (2) make you sick (3) just looks grouse and makes you feel bad.
Notoriously, I once washed up in a bathtub because there were so many filthy plates in my share house. Desperation makes necessitation of whatever is around.
In the interests of hygiene and if you really do hate wiping up then set up a table nearby with tea-towels all over it, and wash things then drain them on the table with the tea-towels spread over it.
Spray all the bench tops with cleaning product (vinegar works well too) then leave for 5-10 minutes then scrub it.
With the laundry, sort it all out, wash it, dry it, sort into whose belongs to who, then put it away, or get that person if they're capable to put it away.
Pull out the vacuum cleaner and broom, and give the floors a 5 minute once over.
Have a scrub at the toilet, and wipe over the seat.
You will feel a sense of achievement, and a mood boost. You have also inadvertently had an exercise workout as an added bonus.
For a really good regular cleaning system for those of us who are domestically challenged I recommend Flylady.
Bye bye bad mood. Hello clean house and healthy mood.
I came across a wonderful post in a blog Four Little Ducks - about this lady's laundry system for her four children. It is excellent, and she has inventoried her children's clothing in order to keep more organised.
I commented to a relative last week that a dirty house can be downright depressing. I decided that in order to dethrone the yuck mood, that some housework was in order!!!
Sometimes nothing works better than just "having at it."
I find the best thing to do is to tackle one task at a time. It may help to put on an audio book or some music to lift the mood.
The kitchen is also the most critical place in the house - because we all need to eat - a dirty kitchen with gross science experiments in the fridge, open packets in the pantry going stale, dirty benches and filthy plates will (1) cost you money (2) make you sick (3) just looks grouse and makes you feel bad.
Notoriously, I once washed up in a bathtub because there were so many filthy plates in my share house. Desperation makes necessitation of whatever is around.
In the interests of hygiene and if you really do hate wiping up then set up a table nearby with tea-towels all over it, and wash things then drain them on the table with the tea-towels spread over it.
Spray all the bench tops with cleaning product (vinegar works well too) then leave for 5-10 minutes then scrub it.
With the laundry, sort it all out, wash it, dry it, sort into whose belongs to who, then put it away, or get that person if they're capable to put it away.
Pull out the vacuum cleaner and broom, and give the floors a 5 minute once over.
Have a scrub at the toilet, and wipe over the seat.
You will feel a sense of achievement, and a mood boost. You have also inadvertently had an exercise workout as an added bonus.
For a really good regular cleaning system for those of us who are domestically challenged I recommend Flylady.
Bye bye bad mood. Hello clean house and healthy mood.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Simple Effective Permanent Weight Loss Tips
About five years ago now, I had gastric banding. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars on gastric banding. I have lost over 100 pounds, but it wasn't just the physical band that helped me, I had to change my way of life.
I had a lot of emotional eating issues. There is really only one secret to absolutely permanent weight loss -
1. Learn to love and respect your body.
Why should you love and respect your body? You have only got one, it is the vehicle that you are transported around the earth on, and the tool for which you accomplish everything that you desire upon this earth.
Looking after it will make you feel better within yourself. Eating well and doing gentle exercise will get the weight off (don't rush it) and essentially you will begin to enjoy being in your own body.
Do the best you have with what you have got.
Treat yourself with respect - I believe God made me and loves me -
1 Corinthians 6:20
"You were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and soul, which are God's."
The first commandment is to love God. The second one is to love our neighbour as we love ourselves - so many people have trouble loving themselves, they they can't love others easily. Those of us who have responded to being loved ought to share a little encouragement.
Believe me - you are loved - and you are worthwhile. Give yourself a hug or some flowers if nobody around you is, and celebrate the wonderful individual that you are.
I just want to share some other simple tips with you that I have picked up along the way:
1. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and veggies, and drink plenty of water. If you don't like the taste, sneak veggies into your meals as a sauce, or drink veggie juice - eventually you will get a taste for it. If you like fizzy soda - drink soda water, with a twist of lemon or lime. Eventually you will lose the taste for the sugary stuff.
2. Reduce the size of your dinner plate. My stomach had been overstuffed so much that it was very hard for me to diet - so now I don't "diet" - I have permanently changed my way of life. If you slowly reduce the amount of food you serve yourself, and eat protein at each meal, you will feel fuller for longer. I serve myself on a bread and butter plate. Also put your fork and knife down in between mouthfuls. You will eat slower and allow your body to turn on its full signal properly.
3. Get sleep. If you are sleep deprived, your body and brain will crave junk food. If you can't sleep, see your doctor.
4. See your primary health care practitioner for a regular check up and to get some good health pointers. See your healthcare practitioner to also get clearance to exercise if you need to.
5. Do some gentle exercise to reduce your stress, and to help you sleep. It also helps with weight reduction. I find that doing PraiseMoves as exercise really helps me. I also look for more incidental opportunities to do exercise. I park the car at the back of the parking lot so I have to walk further, I take the stairs, I get up and hang out my laundry. I do my own gardening. In the beginning I was so heavy that the best exercise for me was walking up and down the lanes of a pool. Be gentle with yourself. The weight will come off as you make slow, permanent change.
Stress is not good for trying to lose weight, as stress causes cortisol, a hormone which causes the retention of fat in areas like the stomach. As I reduced my stress, I lost weight as part of the process.
I have put more of my weight loss and stress reduction journey into my ebook, The Savvy Little Guide to Stress Reduction.
I had a lot of emotional eating issues. There is really only one secret to absolutely permanent weight loss -
1. Learn to love and respect your body.
Why should you love and respect your body? You have only got one, it is the vehicle that you are transported around the earth on, and the tool for which you accomplish everything that you desire upon this earth.
Looking after it will make you feel better within yourself. Eating well and doing gentle exercise will get the weight off (don't rush it) and essentially you will begin to enjoy being in your own body.
Do the best you have with what you have got.
Treat yourself with respect - I believe God made me and loves me -
1 Corinthians 6:20
"You were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and soul, which are God's."
The first commandment is to love God. The second one is to love our neighbour as we love ourselves - so many people have trouble loving themselves, they they can't love others easily. Those of us who have responded to being loved ought to share a little encouragement.
Believe me - you are loved - and you are worthwhile. Give yourself a hug or some flowers if nobody around you is, and celebrate the wonderful individual that you are.
I just want to share some other simple tips with you that I have picked up along the way:
1. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and veggies, and drink plenty of water. If you don't like the taste, sneak veggies into your meals as a sauce, or drink veggie juice - eventually you will get a taste for it. If you like fizzy soda - drink soda water, with a twist of lemon or lime. Eventually you will lose the taste for the sugary stuff.
2. Reduce the size of your dinner plate. My stomach had been overstuffed so much that it was very hard for me to diet - so now I don't "diet" - I have permanently changed my way of life. If you slowly reduce the amount of food you serve yourself, and eat protein at each meal, you will feel fuller for longer. I serve myself on a bread and butter plate. Also put your fork and knife down in between mouthfuls. You will eat slower and allow your body to turn on its full signal properly.
3. Get sleep. If you are sleep deprived, your body and brain will crave junk food. If you can't sleep, see your doctor.
4. See your primary health care practitioner for a regular check up and to get some good health pointers. See your healthcare practitioner to also get clearance to exercise if you need to.
5. Do some gentle exercise to reduce your stress, and to help you sleep. It also helps with weight reduction. I find that doing PraiseMoves as exercise really helps me. I also look for more incidental opportunities to do exercise. I park the car at the back of the parking lot so I have to walk further, I take the stairs, I get up and hang out my laundry. I do my own gardening. In the beginning I was so heavy that the best exercise for me was walking up and down the lanes of a pool. Be gentle with yourself. The weight will come off as you make slow, permanent change.
Stress is not good for trying to lose weight, as stress causes cortisol, a hormone which causes the retention of fat in areas like the stomach. As I reduced my stress, I lost weight as part of the process.
I have put more of my weight loss and stress reduction journey into my ebook, The Savvy Little Guide to Stress Reduction.
Affording Christmas
Christmas should be a joyful time of celebration, getting together with loved ones and relaxation. It should be a time where we remember how much we have to be thankful for, and to appreciate one another.
I was reading the Tightwad Gazette, and it was referring to how there comes a certain price/amount of gift/level beyond where gifts become meaningless, and it is different for every person and family.
My two oldest children have disabilities, so when they were younger, my husband and I spent a lot of money on them, to "compensate" them for any lack they had. I am sad to say one Christmas they got horribly disgusted when they were given pyjamas by some relatives. I am now teaching my children about appreciation while they are still young enough to accept my advice (LOL).
A sign I made now hangs on my wall, it reads:
(Info available at www.elefantz.com, also Handmade magazine, Volume 30, number 7, Express Media Group 2012)
"Thank God for dirty dishes - they have a tale to tell - while other folks go hungry, we're eating very well. With home and health and happiness, we surely shouldn't fuss, for by this stack of evidence God's been good to us."
My husband and I are going to be putting on a meal for my brother, his wife and their family. That is our gift. On top of that, we have agreed that we can give the children a gift that is either (1) free, (2) handmade (3) from a second hand source or (4) under $5-$10.
When you start looking at items, and seeing them in terms of "how many hours is it going to take me to work to pay for that thing," when really your children want time with you, and that is completely priceless - it brings new meaning to the gifting selection!!!
Different families may be on different levels of income, and whatever that threshold may be will be different - apparently in the royal family they give very, very simple understated gifts - like pairs of socks. If royalty can give a pair of socks, there is no shame in undies and socks!!!!
For sources of gifts this year, I have started looking now. The local supermarket has been a good source, when I have hunted down the back on the clearance rack, I have scored some really good buys that are end of line products. I thought they would make excellent gifts. Some of these end of line purchases I am going to combine together in a basket for the receiver (in my husband's family) so that the value is worth a lot more than the set budget.
It is the time and the selection and the thought that goes into it that matters, not the material wealth behind it.
This year, for Christmas and the time of celebration, I am going to go to bed that night, knowing that I haven't maxed out a credit card and I will sleep well. That is going to be a gift to myself!!!
I was reading the Tightwad Gazette, and it was referring to how there comes a certain price/amount of gift/level beyond where gifts become meaningless, and it is different for every person and family.
My two oldest children have disabilities, so when they were younger, my husband and I spent a lot of money on them, to "compensate" them for any lack they had. I am sad to say one Christmas they got horribly disgusted when they were given pyjamas by some relatives. I am now teaching my children about appreciation while they are still young enough to accept my advice (LOL).
A sign I made now hangs on my wall, it reads:
(Info available at www.elefantz.com, also Handmade magazine, Volume 30, number 7, Express Media Group 2012)
"Thank God for dirty dishes - they have a tale to tell - while other folks go hungry, we're eating very well. With home and health and happiness, we surely shouldn't fuss, for by this stack of evidence God's been good to us."
My husband and I are going to be putting on a meal for my brother, his wife and their family. That is our gift. On top of that, we have agreed that we can give the children a gift that is either (1) free, (2) handmade (3) from a second hand source or (4) under $5-$10.
When you start looking at items, and seeing them in terms of "how many hours is it going to take me to work to pay for that thing," when really your children want time with you, and that is completely priceless - it brings new meaning to the gifting selection!!!
Different families may be on different levels of income, and whatever that threshold may be will be different - apparently in the royal family they give very, very simple understated gifts - like pairs of socks. If royalty can give a pair of socks, there is no shame in undies and socks!!!!
For sources of gifts this year, I have started looking now. The local supermarket has been a good source, when I have hunted down the back on the clearance rack, I have scored some really good buys that are end of line products. I thought they would make excellent gifts. Some of these end of line purchases I am going to combine together in a basket for the receiver (in my husband's family) so that the value is worth a lot more than the set budget.
It is the time and the selection and the thought that goes into it that matters, not the material wealth behind it.
This year, for Christmas and the time of celebration, I am going to go to bed that night, knowing that I haven't maxed out a credit card and I will sleep well. That is going to be a gift to myself!!!
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