http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20276768,00.html
Isn’t it strange how a topic can be so difficult, controversial and complicated for some people, but a seemingly non-issue for others?  The bottom line is that biological predispositions for different metabolisms in conjunciton with lifestyle is responsible for one’s figure.  So, why are people always looking for ’simple rules’ to ‘obey’ in order to get what they want?

Exercise and eating right cannot be a chore, or even something you do.  It has to be more than a habit, it has to be a way of life.  In order to change what you eat, and how you excercise, you need to change who you *are*.

Exercise

1. Begin why completing each of the following sentences:

I am ___________________.
I am ___________________.
I am ___________________.
I am ___________________.
I am ___________________.
I am ___________________.
I am ___________________.
I am ___________________.

2. Think about the activities you perform now that are related to exercise. List them below, and how often.

3. Think about the activities you would like to perform that are related to exercise.  List needed changes (in kind or frequency) below.

4. Think about the social relationships that are linked to the activities above.

How do the impressions of others prevent exersise changes?

How do the impressions of others facilitate exercise changes?

5. Describe the changes in your social relationships that would help you meet your goals.

6. Consider the positive eating habits that you practice on a regular basis.

-social factors?
-physical factors?

7. Consider the negative eating habits that you practice on a regular basis.

-social factors?
-physical factors?

While no magic solution exists, it is important to realize that by eating healthy food coupled with regular exercise you can increase your health without resorting to crash diets or excessive exercise.

Think about the way in which you exercise.  You can exercise by running or lifting weights or walking around the block.  You also exercise by going to a place that you’ve never gone before, thinking about a controversial issue in an entirely new way, or actively empathizing with someone that has done you harm.  You exercise by listening to new music, or old music with a new appreciation.  You exercise by visiting a museum, or seeing the art in the world around you.  One famous artist made Campbell’s Soup famous in this way…

Now, the question is: How will you exercise today?

Technorati Tags: art, challenge question, cognitive power, conversation, emotional power, exercise, increase, physical power, practice

• Recycle!  Look for programs in your area and get involved. 
• Reuse items or give them to those who can use them
• Go Vegetarian (at least a few days per week)
• Ride your bike to places you need to go
• Buy produce and other products locally
• Reduce or eliminate paper usage
• Replace household cleaners with greener cleaning products
• Meet with clients online rather than in person
• Compost to reduce household waste
• Grow some fruit and vegetables
• Use native plants in your yard to reduce watering
• Change lightbulbs in your house to CFLs or LEDs
• Turn down the thermostat
• Reduce seafood consumption
• Use natural skin care products
• Use reusable shopping bags

One of the best ways to be green is to simply start asking questions.  Ask where products come from, how they are made, what processes are used, what ingredients are in the product, and if fair labor was used? 

When you see an item you no longer need, ask yourself how you are going to get rid of it.  Also, think about how the decision to get rid of an item can affect others and the planet.  By simply making an effort to understand the impact of your everyday actions and lifestyle choices we can begin to change our communities. 

One great book on the topic is:  365 Ways to Live Green: Your Everyday Guide to Saving the Environment

Recently, I found a fascinating book on this “The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People”, and I wanted to give a bit of commentary on a few that I found most interesting:

• “Your Life Has Purpose and Meaning“. Avoiding existential crisis is always a good idea… Niven cites a study of older Americans showing that ‘having a purpose’ is one of the best predictors of happiness.  Of course, studies like this cannot tell use *which* purpose is best, this we must define for ourselves…
• “Use a Strategy for Happiness“.  You are not fated to be happy or unhappy!  Although there may be genetic influence on tendencies to depression, there are many strategies we can all use to increase our happiness. Unhappy people tend to think more about unpleasant events, and things that have gone wrong in their lives. Focusing on the positive isn’t being dishonest with yourself, or delusional.  We can recognize negative events from the past without belaboring them and allowing them to unnecessarily impact our current state of being.  Choosing to focus on positive events, and learning from them, can enable us to be more happy and productive in the long run…
• “Be a Peacemaker“.  Nevin cites a study that the avoidance of problems between loved ones can reduce contentment by 15 percent.  Not only will you be impacted by the unhappiness and conflict of others, you might internalize it in the process. If you learn to tolerate and accept the unhappiness and problems with others, you may be more likely to accept that in yourself as well.
• “Pay Attention–You May Have What You Want“.  It is ok to have a strong drive for success.  However, although creating a new goal is the best way to progress, doing so will stimulate additional unsatisfaction.  Of course, this unsatisfaction motivates further action….but we need to enjoy the reward at the end as well!  Make sure you use the “carrot” in addition to the “stick” to get from point A to point B in your professional as well as your personal life.
• “Be Open to New Ideas“.  Being able to adapt to the circumstances around you will enable you to better take advantages of happiness opportunities that come your way.  If you are open to new ideas, you can find more ways to be happy, even if your social or financial surroundings change over time…

Of course, there are 95 more suggestions, all with research support, but I don’t want to go into them here.  It would be interesting to build a type of *Exercise schedule* based on this and other research, however…. I believe I just might do that!

I’ll update when I add it as an “Optimize Happiness Activity” to the Products Section…  Fun times!

Technorati Tags: activities, happiness, happy, meaning, niven, optimize happiness activity, purpose

You do not use utensils to eat Ethiopian food and all of the food is communal so it is a very different eating experience compared to traditional American eating which is very private and intended only for one individual to consume. 

I think that the Ethiopian style of eating lends itself to a slower pace, increased conversation, and more time spent savoring the meal and time spent with friends and family.

Creative commons photo credit at flikr: Ethiopian Food

Technorati Tags: cooking, ethiopian, food, recipes, vegetarian

Here are some questions to ask yourself to get on the right track:

Identify Where You Are:  What are my strengths?  Weaknesses?  What positive things do others say about me?  Negative?  What acheivements have I made?  What areas need the most work?

Identify Where You Want To Be:  What are your goals?  How do you want to better yourself?  Why do you want to acheive those goals or improve yourself?  What do you receive if you acheive your goals or improve?  What are your short term goals?  Long term goals? 

Identify Steps to Make Towards Acheiving Goals:  What steps will I have to take to acheive my goals?  What do I need to learn?  Experience?  Improve?  What resources can I take advantage of to meet my goals?  What is my timetable for my goals?  What time during the day can I set aside to meet my goals?  Who or what stands in your way?  What can you do to eliminate obstacles?

Your plan should pave the way to bridging the gaps between where you are and where you want to be.  Creating such a plan will help to make sure that you are constantly growing and becoming the person that you desire to be.

Technorati Tags: goals, personal development

I was reading one of my old favorites, The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien, and it occurred to me that we can find many of the different characters within ourselves.  For instance, oftentimes we feel great burdens, great power, the desire to study history (lore), or fight for a cause.  How do we handle these?  Sometimes it can help to look to literature for assistance:

• Look to Frodo and Sam when you feel burdened…  It will help you realize the value of friendship and purpose.
• Look to Gandalf when you feel powerful…  It will help you realize the value of wisdom.  Also look to Saruman, for that will help you realize the danger of relying on it to serve selfish purposes.
• Look to Gimli and Legolas when you feel angry with someone… It will help you realize that even bitter enemies can become the closest friends: Race and discrimination can be overcome!
• Look to The Lady Eowyn when you feel threatened or helpless… It will help you realize that there is strength to be found in unexpected places: Both from allies abroad, and within yourself.

[Creative commons photo credit at flikr: The Lady Eowyn ]

I’m sure there are others that could reflect important states of being in instructive ways…  I’m interested to hear others’ thoughts:

• What characters in literature resonate?
• How can they teach us to live better lives in our own worlds?

Technorati Tags: books, history, literature, lord of the rings, reflection

The article even highlights that America’s high consumption of meat is contributing to a number of global concerns - global warming, disease, high commodity prices, etc. Surprisingly, this article does not even mention eliminating meat entirely from the diet as a viable solution. It would seem that the most socially responsible & health oriented choice would be to eliminate meat consumption and make healthier choices to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Is anyone else a vegetarian?  Why do you choose to be or not to be vegetarian?  Does the environment, health, or commodity prices play into your choice?

A great book for those new to a vegetarian diet or who are just interested in eating healthier is this book:

The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide To A Healthy Vegetarian Diet

Technorati Tags: healthy diet, news, vegetarian

Of course, these sources of pain are not independent of one another.  If you’re hurt emotionally, you can feel physically ill, and certainly think unpleasant thoughts; if you’re hurt physically, you will also feel bad, and your plans for the day or even the rest of your life can take a turn for the worse.

However, when we are hurt, we often fail to differentiate the different sources; and, this can be problematic because it is going to be difficult to fix an emotional problem if it is really a pattern of thinking that is hurting you.  Now, the question is: What are the sources of your pain physically, emotionally, and mentally, and what steps can you take to better identify them and overcome them?

Technorati Tags: challenge question, emotional pain, emotions, feelings, sources of pain

Market your business creatively and inexpensively by distributing press releases, blogging, and writing helpful articles on your website that help address a problem that concerns your customer base.  You can also offer to teach classes or give a speech on a topic related to your business.  While most people are cutting marketing and advertising budgets, you should take advantage of lower advertising rates and increase your marketing efforts.  Cutting essential costs in marketing and providing poor customer service is not going to increase your business prospects in the short or long-term. 

You should invest a large portion of your efforts in maintaining current customer relationships rather than trying only to gain new accounts.  While new customers are important, current and former customers are more likely to purchase from you.  It is important to remember to follow-up with customers after purchases.

Try not to allow fear and paranoia get to you.  You have to tune out all of the doom and gloom and focus on what is best for you, your business, and your employees.  Do not sit idly by and wait for the economy to change.  You must change your part of the world by being brave, spending money on your business to make it grow and by hiring the right people to do the job.  Cutting costs as a knee jerk reaction has never been proven to save a business in the long-term.  You must be frugal where appropriate and extravagant when needed to succeed in any market.  Do not sacrifice who you are or what your company represents just to make a few dollars.  People will remember how you and your organization reacted to these stressful times.  To survive in this economy, thrive even, requires immense inner strength and a unyielding resolve to succeed. 

Remember:  The poor economy is temporary, your reputation is not… 

Technorati Tags: bad economy, business, consumer demand, economic crisis, entrepreneurs, hostile economy, marketing