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Spring’s Spirited Renewal

Eva Pasco — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 02:38:52 +0000

Spring’s Spirited Renewal

Whether or not we celebrate the traditions of Easter or Passover for their religious rigueur, our trek through life would constitute a bleak journey without embracing key concepts illustrative of spring’s spirited renewal. Passover’s “salvation through atonement” reminds us that apologies for any slights or wrongdoings perpetrated intentionally or otherwise, are in order. Mutual forgiveness is a priceless gift which enables us to move on and focus our energy elsewhere. Easter’s “resurrection and renewal” convey that we’ve been granted a new lease on life. New beginnings enrich our lives with exhilaration and redirect our purpose.

Spring, the seasonal transition between winter and summer, broadly implies rebirth, renewal, and regrowth. There will always be challenges and obstacles looming in our horizon. However, a renewed sense of optimism enables us to forge ahead with the courage of our convictions. This jolt of adrenalin motivates us to rid our basements and attics of clutter, weed out our clothes closets, garden with frenzy, begin an exercise regimen, paint the living room, fire up the grill, or plan a vacation in earnest.

I hope my kindred New Englanders who suffered such unprecedented devastation during this week’s floods, recover from damages sustained to their homes. I think about those who are prevented from experiencing spring’s spirited renewal due to an absence of optimism: the terminally ill, the severely depressed, those verbally or physically abused, and the homeless. Therefore, vested with the power of “one,” it behooves each of us to intervene on behalf of others who cannot help themselves, either through charitable acts or donations to a worthy cause.

Scavenger hunts and the exchange of goody baskets add frivolity to religious-based celebrations in spring. Yet, the real celebration of atonement and renewal commences with the gathering of family and friends, feasting and toasting new beginnings. May our sense of optimism transcend the season.

Eva Pasco Author, UNDERLYING NOTES Free Excerpt (Chs 1-3): http://www.booklocker.com/books/4431.html

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Songs to Make You Happy

admin — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:50:02 +0000

Pick Your Mood Up with Classic Tunes

What songs make you happy?

It cannot be any secret that music affects our mood. A sad song can be cathartic, but some tunes are just heaven sent to pick us up when we are blue. I have found that a lot of people have trouble with moods in the period before New Year’s. The holiday season is winding down, and a lot of us are thinking about all of those bills that will come in Janurary, or maybe just some goals we did not meet in 2009! Hey, I certainly have my share of those!

Besides the classic Bob Maley song, Don’t Worry be Happy, what else picks you up when you are blue? I have my own personal favorites, and I’d like to share them here.

Joan Armatrading – Me Myself I
Jackson Browne – The Fuse
Warren Zevon – Looking for the Next Best Thing
>Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah

OK, that’s my short list. Of course, I could probably come up with dozens, if not hundreds more. I guess these songs help me because they are about overcoming an imperfect, or awful, situation, and not just about “walking on sunshine”.

What Songs Pick You Up?

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Natural Mood Boosters

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:28:04 +0000

Ways To Boost Your Mood Naturally

Sometimes it seems like a low energy level and trouble with moods are considered a natural part of aging, especially with women. But it may not just be your age that’s got you down. It may be the lack of some things you used to get when you were younger that are slowing you up while taking you down. Here are some common sense things to try to get back in the groove!

Exercise- You don’t have to start playing competitive tennis or warm up for marathons. A short walk around the block or 20 minutes on that exercise bicycle you have buried under a pile of clothes may be enough perk you up. You may also give yourself the benefit of added sunlight and vitamin D which may be lacking, and that lack can affect your mood.

Sleep- Lots of us do not allow ourselves to get enough sleep. Force yourself to get to bed on time. Treat yourself to a nap if you can. You may be surprised by how much an extra 20 minutes of sleep a day will benefit you. You can become sleep deprived, over time, by skipping a very short amount of sleep time. Symptoms may be sublte, but as we all know, feeling cranky is a big clue that you could use more time with the Sandman.

Natural Sleep Aids – Are you having trouble getting to sleep? I have discovered Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra Tea.It contains chamomile tea, and a bit of Valerian. It is a natural, gentle relaxer and sleep aid. A cup before bedtime helps me get to sleep, and I find I do not wake up in the middle of the night as much either. The only problem I have with it is the taste, but a drop of honey really helps.

St. John’s Wort- This herb is sold over the counter in the US, and has been demonstrated to reduce mild to moderate depression symptoms significantly. This is widely used in Europe, but is gaining more acceptance in the US medical community.

Vitamins – We already mentioned vitamin D and sunlight. But other vitamin deficits can have an affect on mental health too. Consider adding a vitamin supplement to your daily diet or going to a doctor for a blood test.

Have Fun

What activities have you given up as you got older?

Were you an avid cyclist or golfer? Why did you stop? Maybe it’s time to get out on the street again eve if you do not try to meet goals you did when you were 25. I know I could not keep up with a cycling club I used to ride with as a young adult, but I asked around and found another cycling club for people over 50!

Go Social!

Also consider other activities. You could join a group to play cards or bunko, or you can start a neighborhood book club. Consider getting out to go to plays or movies, even if you go by yourself. These social activities will engage you, and they will give you something else to look forward to.

If you cannot find a group, look at Meetup.com. It is a website which will allow you to search for many different groups in your local area. You can find groups for just about anything you can think of from movie clubs to professional associations.

Help Others

A great activity that can combine some social time with good deeds is volunteering for a local charity. Different types of organizations from food banks to pet shelters posts their needs for extra help from time to time. If you cannot commit to a firm schedule, you could also help by raising funds or collecting donations when you do have time.

Give Yourself a Break

Try to forgive yourself for things that did not run as smoothly as you had planned. No matter how well we plan, and no matter how great our intentions are, things go wrong for everybody. Part of life is learning to let go and move on. Millions of people have learned to move past ex-spouses who were jerks, kids who did not grow up to be rocket scientists, and our own failures to become millionaires at 40. Many of us (the author included) had to start over at an age when we thought everything would be settled.

Life is a river, and we cannot totally control where the current takes us. We can try to control how we react to it. And if we don’t react very well, which sometimes we don’t, we can try to put that down to experience for the next rough rapids we come to.

Call Somebody

Buddies – Call or email a friend. Just chat or make a lunch date. If you don’t feel like calling, consider joining a social network like Facebook. This is an easy way to stay in contact with old friends and new ones, and it is also a great way to connect with new people.

Therapists- If you really feel down, it may be time to ask for help from a professional. If you are concered about the price, many therapists have graded scales. Just look online or in the phone book for names in your area and look for somebody who can help you. Sometimes just a few chats with an objective and helpful counseler can get you back on track, especially if you bad mood is caused by a situation you do not feel like you can control.

Your Ideas for Natural Mood Boosts? Please feel free to register (for free) and leave a comment. Comments are moderated for quality, but we post as many as we can.

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