Fascinating stuff - sitting may be killing you!
A short presentation that I came across by being a fan of Dan Millman on Facebook. If you don't want to go through the entire (but short) presentation, just know that it's a good idea to interrupt sitting whenever possible and stretch, walk, do jumping jacks, whatever, just to get the blood flowing again. The human body simply wasn't made for sitting...
Monday, May 16, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Messages to healthy women - what they would have done differently before their cancer
The strongest stuff is sometimes found in the least likely of places, which was definitely the case with this powerful article. I saw a fragment of it on my friend's refrigerator, and ended up googling it down to a Czech fashion magazine. The article discusses what female cancer survivors would have changed in their lives now that they know what they know. I found the article so captivating (and important!) that I took the liberty of doing a fast translation into English and posting the result below. But as a quick summary, here are the common themes:
MESSAGES TO HEALTHY WOMEN – WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY BEFORE MY CANCER…
- sleep, rest and relax more
- don't put so much on your plate
- spend more time with family
- start putting yourself first
- do not neglect ordinary illnesses (listen to the body)
- don't be such a perfectionist
- learn how to say "No" more often
- and probably above all, like yourself more!
So basically nothing new, radical or surprising. How many times have most of us heard this stuff before? But are we doing it? Will we really need to experience a serious illness or crisis before we really do this stuff? Why is it so hard to actually listen to advice like this? As I have struggled with these issues as well -- and I believe that I have made lots of positive progress on them thanks to fabulous teachers -- I hope that through my blog I can provide some information and inspiration for how to actually begin with this stuff. Or how to get even better at it. Because I truly do believe that taking these messages seriously is extremely important!
=============================================================
MESSAGES TO HEALTHY WOMEN – WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY BEFORE MY CANCER…
Eat lots of vegetables, don’t smoke and exercise regularly -- we already know all that. But what would fifteen women really have done differently than before when they found out they have cancer? We asked them. It’s clear to them now.
Sleep and rest more
“I wouldn’t get so stressed out about every little thing or human stupidity. Lots of people can really hurt you mentally and actually get a kick out of it.
I would also sleep at least eight hours per day and rest if I had just gone through a difficult time at work. It’s good to ‘turn off’ for some time and just do what you enjoy, take a walk or spend time with the family.”
Iveta, 37
Don’t be just a “good girl”
“I realized that my life is only my own and my decisions have the same weight as everyone else’s. I can always say my opinion, even if the others don’t like it. Before, I tried to act like a ‘good girl’, but I only suffered as a result of this. I also try to delegate more duties to my family. Not to grandmas and grandpas, but to my children and my husband. And, strangely enough, they are handling it patiently. But unfortunately I have to say that we realize these ‘truths’ only after we experience an illness. I would have never thought like this when I was healthy. Too bad.”
Věra, 33
Don’t put so much on your plate
“I would have chosen my tasks much more carefully and I wouldn’t have put so much on my plate. When you get the needed perspective, you discover that it doesn’t make any sense anyway. I also easily absorbed stress and nervousness from my surroundings. So today I am a freelancer, I work at home and that’s ideal for me. I am calm, focused, and I decide what I will do and how and when I will do it.”
Eva, 53
Don’t cry over spilled milk
“Today I know that life should be taken seriously, but with reserves. Avoid stressful events and search for all positive things that excite us. Don’t cry over spilled milk and search for joy and satisfaction.”
Jarka, 65
Start putting yourself first
“Before my illness, I subordinated my life to my handicapped daughter who is in a wheelchair. Personal life and interests went aside. I lived in permanent stress whether everything would go well, whether my daughter wouldn’t get ill, whether I would be able to take care of her. I knew that I had to slow down and start thinking about myself, but I didn’t know how to do it.”
Marta, 51
Do not neglect the flu
“I would never neglect ‘ordinary’ flus, colds or other illnesses. It’s not heroism, but risking one’s health. Illnesses should be spent in bed. And I would definitely not smoke -- I quite before my first chemotherapy. And I don’t miss it.”
Ivana, 54
Don’t rush
“I didn’t smoke, I ate healthily, did sports and had a great man beside me. So where was the mistake? I didn’t want to notice fatigue -- hooray to events, sports, job, household work. Flus, colds, but mainly constant allergies -- I didn’t pay attention to any of them. If I could turn back time, I would listen much more to my body and what it’s telling me. Now I spoil myself, never rush, continue eating healthily, and I’ve also learned to rest and not stress out that I am behind on some things.”
Klára, 34
Don’t be so demanding
“What I would have done differently:
✔ Above all: I would like myself more.
✔ I would say “no” more often and I would not back down.
✔ I would work on healthy self-confidence.
✔ I wouldn’t be so anxiously precise, conscientious.
✔ I wouldn’t take unfulfilled expectations so seriously.
✔ I would learn how to make decisions that are unpleasant and uncomfortable for my surroundings.
✔ I wouldn’t be afraid of radical solutions.
✔ I wouldn’t be so demanding of my family and friends.
✔ I would free myself from the words ‘I have to’.
✔ I would learn to rest more…”
Hana, 54
Learn how to cry
“The first thing that I had to learn was how to receive help -- and not feel badly. Then I learned how to cry. I finally allowed myself to do it. There simply came a moment when it suddenly went by itself. At first I was really upset and I complained to my psychologist, who asked astonished: And you don’t normally cry? Suddenly tears started flowing like a current, there was no stopping them, and it was a great relief.”
Jana, 57
Don’t be afraid of cancer
“Above all, I wouldn’t lose a single moment sitting somewhere in a corner scared that I could get cancer. That is why I advise all women to regularly self-examine their breasts, have their mammogram or similar medical check-ups, live life to the fullest and take life as it is.”
Jana, 21
Think about what you eat
“I came to the hospital as a smoker and left as a non-smoker. I also do not avoid the opinions of alternative medicine, so I learned that an over-acidic body is a breeding ground for cancer, and conversely, that cancer cells cannot grow in an alkaline environment. It is in the interest of people’s health to reassess the foods they eat.”
Eva, 68
Don’t be so responsible
“Only today am I able to assume the ‘it’ll work out somehow’ stance. I don’t consider it as irresponsible as before, but I do try to do my best so ‘it’ works out as best as possible. Before my illness my excessive feeling of responsibility was a frequent cause of unpleasant stress (and now I know that this was unnecessary).”
Zuzana, 47
Don’t smoke
“I didn’t stop smoking even after my cervical spine surgery. Today I know that it’s just a bad habit. I definitely wouldn’t deal with my stress and problems using this ‘vice’. Other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing, even though life is not without its problems.”
Dana, 73
Relax
“If I would have met myself years ago, I would have said: Relax, the world will continue even without you. The only thing you should and can change is your own life. So go for it, while you have time! Today I try to be aware of what is really happening, what is and what is not important, how I am really feeling and therefore who I really am.”
Pavla, 40
Go see a psychiatrist
“If I were to give advice to someone, I would say that they should handle difficult life situations with an expert, psychiatrist, even at the price of taking medicaments. I would also watch out for genetic burden in the family. I would also like myself more.”
Jana, 67
“I wouldn’t get so stressed out about every little thing or human stupidity. Lots of people can really hurt you mentally and actually get a kick out of it.
I would also sleep at least eight hours per day and rest if I had just gone through a difficult time at work. It’s good to ‘turn off’ for some time and just do what you enjoy, take a walk or spend time with the family.”
Iveta, 37
Don’t be just a “good girl”
“I realized that my life is only my own and my decisions have the same weight as everyone else’s. I can always say my opinion, even if the others don’t like it. Before, I tried to act like a ‘good girl’, but I only suffered as a result of this. I also try to delegate more duties to my family. Not to grandmas and grandpas, but to my children and my husband. And, strangely enough, they are handling it patiently. But unfortunately I have to say that we realize these ‘truths’ only after we experience an illness. I would have never thought like this when I was healthy. Too bad.”
Věra, 33
Don’t put so much on your plate
“I would have chosen my tasks much more carefully and I wouldn’t have put so much on my plate. When you get the needed perspective, you discover that it doesn’t make any sense anyway. I also easily absorbed stress and nervousness from my surroundings. So today I am a freelancer, I work at home and that’s ideal for me. I am calm, focused, and I decide what I will do and how and when I will do it.”
Eva, 53
Don’t cry over spilled milk
“Today I know that life should be taken seriously, but with reserves. Avoid stressful events and search for all positive things that excite us. Don’t cry over spilled milk and search for joy and satisfaction.”
Jarka, 65
Start putting yourself first
“Before my illness, I subordinated my life to my handicapped daughter who is in a wheelchair. Personal life and interests went aside. I lived in permanent stress whether everything would go well, whether my daughter wouldn’t get ill, whether I would be able to take care of her. I knew that I had to slow down and start thinking about myself, but I didn’t know how to do it.”
Marta, 51
Do not neglect the flu
“I would never neglect ‘ordinary’ flus, colds or other illnesses. It’s not heroism, but risking one’s health. Illnesses should be spent in bed. And I would definitely not smoke -- I quite before my first chemotherapy. And I don’t miss it.”
Ivana, 54
Don’t rush
“I didn’t smoke, I ate healthily, did sports and had a great man beside me. So where was the mistake? I didn’t want to notice fatigue -- hooray to events, sports, job, household work. Flus, colds, but mainly constant allergies -- I didn’t pay attention to any of them. If I could turn back time, I would listen much more to my body and what it’s telling me. Now I spoil myself, never rush, continue eating healthily, and I’ve also learned to rest and not stress out that I am behind on some things.”
Klára, 34
Don’t be so demanding
“What I would have done differently:
✔ Above all: I would like myself more.
✔ I would say “no” more often and I would not back down.
✔ I would work on healthy self-confidence.
✔ I wouldn’t be so anxiously precise, conscientious.
✔ I wouldn’t take unfulfilled expectations so seriously.
✔ I would learn how to make decisions that are unpleasant and uncomfortable for my surroundings.
✔ I wouldn’t be afraid of radical solutions.
✔ I wouldn’t be so demanding of my family and friends.
✔ I would free myself from the words ‘I have to’.
✔ I would learn to rest more…”
Hana, 54
Learn how to cry
“The first thing that I had to learn was how to receive help -- and not feel badly. Then I learned how to cry. I finally allowed myself to do it. There simply came a moment when it suddenly went by itself. At first I was really upset and I complained to my psychologist, who asked astonished: And you don’t normally cry? Suddenly tears started flowing like a current, there was no stopping them, and it was a great relief.”
Jana, 57
Don’t be afraid of cancer
“Above all, I wouldn’t lose a single moment sitting somewhere in a corner scared that I could get cancer. That is why I advise all women to regularly self-examine their breasts, have their mammogram or similar medical check-ups, live life to the fullest and take life as it is.”
Jana, 21
Think about what you eat
“I came to the hospital as a smoker and left as a non-smoker. I also do not avoid the opinions of alternative medicine, so I learned that an over-acidic body is a breeding ground for cancer, and conversely, that cancer cells cannot grow in an alkaline environment. It is in the interest of people’s health to reassess the foods they eat.”
Eva, 68
Don’t be so responsible
“Only today am I able to assume the ‘it’ll work out somehow’ stance. I don’t consider it as irresponsible as before, but I do try to do my best so ‘it’ works out as best as possible. Before my illness my excessive feeling of responsibility was a frequent cause of unpleasant stress (and now I know that this was unnecessary).”
Zuzana, 47
Don’t smoke
“I didn’t stop smoking even after my cervical spine surgery. Today I know that it’s just a bad habit. I definitely wouldn’t deal with my stress and problems using this ‘vice’. Other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing, even though life is not without its problems.”
Dana, 73
Relax
“If I would have met myself years ago, I would have said: Relax, the world will continue even without you. The only thing you should and can change is your own life. So go for it, while you have time! Today I try to be aware of what is really happening, what is and what is not important, how I am really feeling and therefore who I really am.”
Pavla, 40
Go see a psychiatrist
“If I were to give advice to someone, I would say that they should handle difficult life situations with an expert, psychiatrist, even at the price of taking medicaments. I would also watch out for genetic burden in the family. I would also like myself more.”
Jana, 67
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
"If" - by Rudyard Kipling
Just had to post this well-known and awesome poem that gives me tons of inspiration whenever I need it (and has even more meaning for me now that I have a four month old son...). Also took the liberty of highlighting my favorite parts -- specially the part about triumph and disaster has to be some of the greatest poetry ever written, IMHO:
By Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936).
"If"
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
By Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936).
Monday, February 21, 2011
The battle between the two wolves in our minds
Many of you have seen this very short story before, but I just came across it again this past weekend and thought that it's worth mentioning again. It has a way of popping up at the right times in my life, and I certainly benefit greatly every time I see it:
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes
on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 wolves.
on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 wolves.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance,
self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride,
superiority, and ego.
self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride,
superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility,
kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and
faith."
kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and
faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his
grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"
grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
Sunday, February 20, 2011
The art of making a little Sunday every day
While researching the Czech word "usebrání" for a translation project, I came across a delightful article in Czech called "The Art of Making Sundays". The article mentions an old grandmother from Moravia who used to say that "Everybody should make a little bit of Sunday everyday." I was captivated by the introduction, so I started to read on...
She didn't mean Sunday as a metaphor for being lazy, for doing nothing; she meant Sunday as a special day for cleansing the soul from routine, thoughtless moments that can settle on the soul until they suffocate it. Sunday from the perspective of that grandmother from Moravia was a sort of wise spa that is applied to the soul and washes it.
And it's good to find a little bit of such a Sunday in every day. A little bit of time when the soul rests ABOVE its regular worries, when it tries to look at things it did not notice before. Looking back can also be looking ahead, as a lookback frequently brings wisdom, ideas, protection (like a driver looking into the rearview mirror so that he can drive forward more safely...). Sometimes a little bit of Sunday can be enough.
But this little bit of Sunday won't happen by itself. We have to make an active effort. And it may turn out that if we do make this effort to make a little Sunday every day, we'll be able to see that this isn't a world doesn't give enough, it may turn out that we'll see that we're also living in a world of overlooked gifts...
Anyhow, how about trying living one week with a little bit of Sunday every day? Sounds good to me...
And for the sake of completion, it turns out that the Czech word from the first sentence means something like "contemplation, inner contemplation reflection, self-reflection, recollection...". Quite fitting :-)
She didn't mean Sunday as a metaphor for being lazy, for doing nothing; she meant Sunday as a special day for cleansing the soul from routine, thoughtless moments that can settle on the soul until they suffocate it. Sunday from the perspective of that grandmother from Moravia was a sort of wise spa that is applied to the soul and washes it.
And it's good to find a little bit of such a Sunday in every day. A little bit of time when the soul rests ABOVE its regular worries, when it tries to look at things it did not notice before. Looking back can also be looking ahead, as a lookback frequently brings wisdom, ideas, protection (like a driver looking into the rearview mirror so that he can drive forward more safely...). Sometimes a little bit of Sunday can be enough.
But this little bit of Sunday won't happen by itself. We have to make an active effort. And it may turn out that if we do make this effort to make a little Sunday every day, we'll be able to see that this isn't a world doesn't give enough, it may turn out that we'll see that we're also living in a world of overlooked gifts...
Anyhow, how about trying living one week with a little bit of Sunday every day? Sounds good to me...
And for the sake of completion, it turns out that the Czech word from the first sentence means something like "contemplation, inner contemplation reflection, self-reflection, recollection...". Quite fitting :-)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The three keys to health
I was just going over the many notes I've made over the past several years on human happiness, and I found Dan Millman's "Three Keys to Health" as some of the most important stuff I have ever come across. The notes are from one of Dan's seminars I attended in Prague a couple of years ago, which was definitely a good investment. I mention them here because there is a direct link to happiness - it's much easier to be happy, when we are healthy!
So here we go with Dan's three keys to health:
1) regular moderate exercise: stretch, move, breathe - your body is designed to move and needs it! People today move much less than people in the past, when physical work was much more the norm.
2) well-balanced diet: is different for everyone, we all need to find what is right for us - trust the body!
3) enough rest: getting enough sleep (ideally while its dark outside), relaxation, fun...
I'll close today's brief post with another thing Dan likes to say: "it's simple, but are you doing it"?
So here we go with Dan's three keys to health:
1) regular moderate exercise: stretch, move, breathe - your body is designed to move and needs it! People today move much less than people in the past, when physical work was much more the norm.
2) well-balanced diet: is different for everyone, we all need to find what is right for us - trust the body!
3) enough rest: getting enough sleep (ideally while its dark outside), relaxation, fun...
I'll close today's brief post with another thing Dan likes to say: "it's simple, but are you doing it"?
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