There’s no such thing as too much healthy humor.

But sometimes healthy humor seems hard to find.

Healthy humor isn’t waiting for you on your front porch.  You gotta look for it some days, and some days you gotta make it happen.

They say ‘one good, deep down to the belly’ laugh a day is good medicine.

Here are some ideas to take in BIG doses:

• Read or listen to something funny
• Rent funny videos and movies
• Laugh out loud
• Surround yourself with upbeat people
• Surround yourself with pets
• Look for the humor in every situation
• REMEMBER TO LAUGH AT YOURSELF.

Live in Zen. 

My storage closet is full of STUFF.

I’ve been going thorough this STUFF lately and I’ve come to a conclusion…

Going through STUFF is great.

It’s a treasure hunt.

I didn’t realize what STUFF I had until I went through my STUFF.

I’ve found that I’ve got some good stuff, and I’ve also found that I’ve got stuff that’s just stuff.

I used to think that if I amassed a whole bunch of stuff, I’d be set for life.

It hasn’t turned out that way.

What I have learned is that I have lots of STUFF that I never use and will never need.

We all have closets full of STUFF.

STUFF is so complex.

STUFF is too much.

STUFF is overwhelming AND underwhelming.

And STUFF is full of memories.

I have plastic bins full of photos… priceless pictures taken with care because when they were taken, you only had 24 or 36 shots on a roll of film.

It wasn’t that long ago that I took my film to One Hour Photo at Wal-Mart to develop.

I don’t even know if One Hour Photo at Wal-Mart exists anymore.

The digital age changed how we all took and developed pictures.

I rarely print out photos today.

My PRINTED PICTURES from years back are part of the closet STUFF.

My kids were little then.

These pictures record the days when two little boys didn’t think twice before jumping into 50 degree water to swim, spent days searching for tadpoles and trying to catch fish, and rode bikes through anything they could get them through, regardless the damage or injury.

Function ruled over form.  Cargo pants were cool because there were so many pockets for rocks, bottle caps, and whatever else was found.  Name brand clothing didn’t matter.

These days weren’t so long ago, yet they are…

When you go through STUFF, you’ll find these pictures.

And you’ll go through them.

Looking at these pictures is soothing.

Looking at these pictures softens my heart and soul.

Sight and stress relief is a wonderful thing.

Sight can trigger stress, and sight can relieve stress.

I’ve added a couple of photos of two goofy, sweet, precious boys to my desk.

I feel the smile grow on my face whenever I pause to take a look at them.

Smiles are good.

Smiles remind me to remember what’s important and what’s not.

Go through some STUFF and find photos that make you smile.

You won’t regret it.

Live in Zen. :)

Here’s something new…

What do stress relief and your shirt have in common?

Hmmmm…

No… it has nothing to do with wearing it too tight…

I couldn’t answer it, either.

But it turns out,

That wearing SOFT FABRICS, such as

Silk,

Cashmere,

Can LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE.

The SENSE OF TOUCH is a de-stressor (think massages, hugging, etc.)

So wear a soothing shirt on a day you KNOW will be stressful to ease the day. You’ll be practicing good stress management.

Live in Zen. 

To ALL Moms…

‘Real’ moms

Step moms

Pet moms

Adoptive moms

etc…

YOU MAKE THE WORLD GO AROUND!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!!

I spend half of my waking hours outside, and living in Southern California, that means I see A LOT of sun.

Sunscreen is a part of my life now.  I apply it every day.

But I didn’t always…

I used baby oil mixed with iodine as a teenager to suntan… crazy, huh!

Now, I see my dermatologist every six months for a full body check for signs of skin cancer.  One of the last things that I want to deal with is skin cancer.

My dermatologist is only part of the equation…  I’m the second half.

I have to REALLY KNOW my body; be aware of the moles, freckles, changes, etc.  I can’t rely on my dermatologist to spot all the dangers, but it’s great to have her on my skin cancer prevention team.

The Skin Cancer Foundation (www.skincancer.org) has devised an easy way to inform us of skin cancer’s early warning signs.  Here they are:

A – Asymmetry – draw an imaginary line through a mole.  If each half doesn’t match (i.e., the mole is asymmetric) make an appointment with your physician.

B – Border – cancerous moles tend to have uneven borders.

C – Color – be aware of moles with a variety of color (tans, black, browns, blues, and reds).  This is a skin cancer warning sign.

D – Diameter – melanomas are usually larger than a ¼ inch in diameter.

E – Evolving – moles that change are a skin cancer warning sign.

Skin cancer caught in time is almost 100% curable.  So go check yourself out and learn your skin.  See your physician if you have ANY concerns… it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Enjoy the outdoors, and apply your sunscreen, each and EVERY day!

Live in Zen. :)

I saw a new flower today on my morning walk.

I haven’t a clue what it is.

And I didn’t have my camera with me, so I can’t share it with you.

But I can say that, had I not been walking, I never would have seen it… being that it is SUCH a small flower.

It’s the little things that you see when you SLOW DOWN.

It’s the little things that you see when you OBSERVE.

It’s the little things that you see when you WALK.

Or stroll along a path,

Or sit outside.

I can’t say it enough, the importance of taking a few minutes EACH DAY and getting outside to WALK.

You won’t see a butterfly fly, or a gladiolus bloom, or a calla lily wilt inside (OK… perhaps you’d see a calla lily wilt inside).

The point is…

Walking is free.

Walking is simple.

The great outdoors is calling.

Answer it… it hates being ignored.

Nurture your soul.

Nurture your mind.

Nurture your body.

And find your new flower.

Live in Zen. 

When a habit emerges, the brain stops fully participating in decision making.” says Charles Duhigg, the author of “The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business.”

Scientific studies prove that, when we get into a habit, good habit or bad habit, we actually change our brain to perform the habit automatically.  WE ARE THOUGHTLESS.  Have you ever felt that you were OUTSIDE of your body, watching what was happening when you were doing something that you knew you should NOT be doing?  I have.  When a habit is automatic, our unawareness of its practice makes it that much harder to stop.  When you are on auto pilot, you are not present in the moment; you are not engaged in your own life.

This makes sense as to WHY it is SO HARD to break a bad habit!!!!!

If you want to change, if you want to break a bad habit, you HAVE TO BECOME AWARE OF AUTOPILOT, AND YOU HAVE TO TURN IT OFF.  You have to ENGAGE.  You must BE PRESENT in the moment. You must be mindful.

My biggest habit to break to date… smoking.  Smoking was my EVERYTHING… my reward, my comforter, my solitude, my friend… how ironic is that, that something so dangerous was SO soothing?  I have been smoke free for quite a while now, but I still miss the TIME that I got to be ALONE with something I felt NEVER judged but always supported me.  I know that sounds wacky, but it’s true.

My next habit to break?  My lack of ACTION with my 401(k).  I TOY with next steps, but I rarely IMPLEMENT the next step… its my lack of follow-through I need to eliminate.

One thing I have learned when it comes to breaking a bad habit:  the longer autopilot is off, the easier it gets.  I used to think that NOT functioning was easier (i.e., autopilot), and slowly, with time, I’m learning that FUNCTIONING is easier than NOT.

Break a bad habit.

You have nothing to loose, and EVERYTHING TO GAIN.

Live in Zen. 

The average American spends three to four hours daily glued to the television… 3 to 4 hours!!!  The more hours of television a person watches, the higher the risk for that person developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. 

Screen–Free Week (April 30 through May 6) encourages Americans to shut off the television and get off the sofa.  Here’s how to enjoy the week sans the boob tube:

Turn everything off.  EVERYTHING!!!  Turn off the Internet, cell phone, gaming systems, and MP3 players.  Unplug all gadgets and gizmos as much as possible.

Engage your mind.  Try something new — read, write, draw, create, cook.  Awaken a spirit and imagination dulled by electronics.

Socialize.  Strengthen bonds with family and friends through meaningful conversations, dinner dates, or reunions.

Move your body.  When we’re “wired in,” hours pass unnoticed, and suddenly, it’s too late to go outside to walk.  Unplugging give you’re the opportunity to create new healthy habits; walking, running, going to the gym, or playing sports with friends.

Get up and out of the house.  Go take a walk with family and friends, and UNPLUG!

Enjoy Screen-Free Week, and live in Zen. :)

We get a basket of fresh, locally-grown organic vegetables delivered to our doorstep every two weeks. 

This is the best way that I’ve found to:

1. Eat organic
2. Eat fresh
3. Plan meals with little thinking (when the food comes to me, I have less to figure out regarding what to cook)
4. Eat variety.

It’s been said that you can save, on average, 100 calories per meal by cooking at home.  At three meals a day for seven days, that’s 2,100 calories a week, 8,400 per month, and 100,800 per year.  WOW!  It adds up… eating fresh, home prepared meals can save a TON of calories AND your waistline.

Check out www.localharvest.com for fresh, locally-grown organic vegetable programs in your area.  You can also check out www.farmfreshtoyou.com (our youngest son uses them ).

Eat fresh, at home!

Live in Zen. 

Saturday, April 28, 2012 is World Tai Chi Qigong Day.

What does this mean?

If you haven’t already, find out about the ancient art of Tai Chi and Qigong, and how these two practices can benefit and enrich your well being mentally, physically, and emotionally.

What are the benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong?  Personally, I’ve found both:

• Slows your brain (and that’s GOOD)
• Clears your head (that’s REALLY GOOD)
• Slows your breathing (more GOOD)
• Promotes deep breathing (more GOOD)
• Promotes mindfulness (more REALLY GOOD)
• Promotes inner, outer, and environmental awareness (… more… you know  )
• Promotes meditation
• Gently moves muscles that you never knew existed
• Promotes good coordination
• Promotes good balance.

WHEW!

I am not great at sitting meditations, but I have found that Tai Chi and Qigong slow my thinking down enough with gentle, slow, movements that I can do a moving meditation… and it is PURE BLISS.

Check www.meetup.com for World Tai Chi Qigong Day events local to your area.

You can also check out www.WorldTaiChiDay.org for information.

Live in Zen.