A Simple I Love You

I've worked in healthcare for 33+ years. But before that I was a music teacher. But to get there I had to get thru student teaching. I went to a Catholic college so my student teaching was supervised by two older nuns.

They were mean to me. 

But I digress.

 Despite her meanness the older of the two nuns gave us one piece of really good compassionate advice. Yes, the old lady really had a heart. I think that realization stunned me as much as her advice.

I can't remember her name.  I've blocked it out due to the emotional trauma she caused me. But I've never forgotten her advice. It's gotten me thru many difficult situations. 

So, here it is: 

When you stand before an unruly class or have to deal with someone unpleasant look at them and think to yourself, I love you.

I love you.

It changes your heart. It really does.

So on this day before Thanksgiving I pass along the mean, but compassionate, nuns advice. Give it a try. It'll change your life.

Choices

I went to a health lecture a couple years ago. The speaker said something life-altering.  It's not that we are living longer; it's that we are taking longer to die.  Statistics are showing the average persons health is failing the last ten years of life.

What do want your end of life quality to be?

We must be deliberate, thoughtful, serious and responsible about giving our bodies the nutrition it requires. Illness is your body crying out for help, for nutrients it isn't getting and love it isn't feeling. When we give our body the nutrients it needs our immune system can overcome nearly every disorder. A healthy immune system, in fact, kills cancer every day in your body.

Processed foods, fake sugars and fast food are killing us.

In good choices, in the attitude of gratitude and being aware and attentive to your wellness, both physical and emotional, your whole life will be richer.

Share your smiles.
Stop smoking.
Eat healthy whole foods.
Exercise.
Take time to appreciate the beauty around you.
Be grateful.

Namaste......

Life's Blinks

Life can change in a blink. As tough and frustrating as they are I am grateful for those blinks. It is in those blinks we have a choice to focus on the negative and wallow in self-pity or re-treasure the things in life you’ve taken for granted. It’s in coping with those blinks you grow wiser and change the things in your life which do not support your health and happiness. Life's blinks make you stop the "busy-ness." How often are we so caught up in "busy-ness" we lose focus of what is truly important to our health and happiness? Sometimes in slowing down and stopping the "busy-ness" we find much in our lives for which to feel gratitude. There is something good to be found in each of life’s left turns. Always look for the positive. It’s there. Always.

Go sit somewhere comfortable. Ponder this:

What in your life does not support your health and happiness? What makes you truly happy? How can you have more of that in your life?

Don't be like the young man who looked at a Harley and said "I'll never have that." Thinking like that he's right. He won't. How often so many of us cut ourselves off from what we want by how we think!

So what makes you truly happy? And what are your positive steps to having it in your life?

I'll ask you again, What in your life does not support your health and happiness? What are some positive steps you can take to change that?

The Day I Met An Angel

You may, if you've read my writing for any time, recall I was diagnosed in 1987 with Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease which eventually morphed into mostly Lupus. Though today I am now in remission nearly ten years, back in the late 80's early 90's I wasn't doing so well. My pulmonary physician referred to me in his notes as "unfortunate" and "steroid dependent." He had sent me to pulmonary rehab which in the end really didn't do much for me. Well, it did depress me. I was at a low-point emotionally and physically.

Not having a washer or dryer I would take my clothes two blocks away to the local "Duds N Suds". One day during my low-point I was doing my laundry and a poorly dressed lady came in. She walked straight up to me and asked if I knew God loved me. I replied "yes I do" I confess more to get rid of her than in belief. I didn't see her leave. She just disappeared. I never did see her again. Interestingly she didn't have any laundry with her. I believe to this day and always will believe; she was an angel sent from God to remind me, to pick me up and remind me and give me hope. Because hmmm, I really hadn't been living as though I knew God loved me. On some level I knew it. I just needed a kick in the pants. The love in that lady's eyes and her question was more than a kick in the pants. Those few moments changed my life.

Those few moments contributed as much or more to the remission I would finally achieve, as did the nutrition and nutritional supplements I added to my food-plan. Do you know someone who is chronically ill? You can be their angel.

When you feel like there's nothing more for you but dying; when because of illness you feel you don't have much left to contribute or there is no hope of wellness and then someone cares enough to reach out to you and tell you God loves you; that they care about you; it changes your life. It creates hope. An action of caring puts a fire under the will to live and gives renewed worth to a life. This month is Lupus awareness month. I've always had mixed feelings about the focus on "awareness." Nobody can really understand the difficulties of coping with a life with Lupus unless they've experienced it.

You can, however, change a life by a simple gesture. Offer to take them shopping,to do their shopping for them, to take them to their doctor appointment or to bring them a meal. It's hard to ask for help. Don't wait for them to ask. If you know someone who is battling a chronic illness go let them know you care. Be someone's angel. Tell them God loves them. He does.