I had a goal today: Bless 7 people. That was it. No ulterior motives here. I'm not that kind of person anyway, just ask my husband. Anyway, I had many, many errands to run today and my Granny (my 85 year old American grandmother) had surgery on her femur due to a fall and I wanted to see her too.
My first errand involved the bookstore, where I needed to drop some stuff off and pick some literature up. When I dropped off my old books, the guy behind the counter needed to see my license. I showed it to him and he said, "What do you go by?"
I shrugged. "Elizabeth, Liz, Lizi, Beth, Betty--I've been called many things."
He nodded thoughtfully. "Lizi Ann?"
"That's a first," I said with a smile, walking away to the business section. I found a cool biography for my Grandpa to read while he hung out with my Granny, and a remastered cassette book with like 50 comedians from days gone by for my grandparents to listen to--they don't like the modern smut comedy.
From the loudspeaker, I hear, "Lizi Ann, your order is ready for pick up." I smiled at my new nickname and got my stuff. I walked around some more, browsing, then grabbed what I wanted and checked out.
Right before I touched the bar to push the door open, I remembered that I wanted to bless 7 people. I spun on my heel and walked back over to the bookstore guy who gave me the silly nickname. It's always nerve wracking to put yourself out there, isn't it? I waited until he looked up and then I said, "Hey, I just wanted to let you know I was grabbing this stuff for my grandparents. My grandma just had leg surgery and she isn't eating, so I was getting this stuff to cheer them up. I really appreciated your silly nickname, thank you."
He looked surprised, and said that he always tried to keep stuff light and silly to cheer people up. Now mind you--my husband and I are in there all the time. I'd seen this guy before and he had seen me with my spouse, so this wasn't some kind of weird thing. He knew I was crazy about my spouse. But he cheered me up on a really hard day, and so in turn I wanted to bless him by telling him why that silly little thing meant something to me.
My day continued much like that. I blessed an elderly gentleman outside of Quicktrip with a quarter for the payphone because his phone battery was dead and had him laughing about my kids eating pecans in our backyard and him telling me about growing up in a house with pecan trees. I blessed my Grandpa and Grandma with visits and presents, my Grandma's caretaker I blessed with a prayer, my Grandma's nurse I blessed with some kind words. I lost count by the end of the day, I just started making it my mission to bless everyone I came into contact with.
It was an awesome day, and I highly recommend everyone try to integrate it into their lives. You reach a point where you realize you set out to bless other people, but you really end up being the one who gets blessed the most.
Lizi
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Friday, November 2, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Where Has The Time Gone?
Have you ever gotten to the end of the day and asked yourself that question? Do you frequently feel like you tried your hardest but you have nothing to show for it? Let's look at some ways to manage time more effectively to have results to show for it at the end of the day.
#1. Define Your Goals--Some people are into structure, some aren't. I recommend doing what works for you. If writing 3 things you want to do by the end of the day on the back of a receipt and sticking it in your pocket works for you, then do it! I don't care. I like having a day planner with time blocked off for each part of my day, with my running "To Do" list on the side. I can tell you right now, though, that if I asked my brother to keep one, it would never get written in. Ever. He's a "back of the receipt" kind of guy, and you know what? It works beautifully for him. So define your goals and put them somewhere. A secondary thing to do, once you have a focus for your activities, is to prioritize them. For example, I have a goal of working out for 30 minutes every day. It's a priority for me. Another priority for me is to learn something new. If I have 2 hours left in my day, I might try a new workout. Why? Because both of these things are priorities for me and I have a limited amount of time, so I'll learn a new workout for bonus points. Let's say in this 2 hours left scenario I also needed to...I don't know...return Library books. I might just bump that to the next day, because while returning them is important, the library books won't impact my health like working out will.
#2. Bust Time Wasters--If you frequently find yourself intimidated by your To Do list and jumping on FaceBook to compensate, you need to become aware of your bad habits and cut it out. If you are supposed to be setting up lunch meetings and instead you grab a coffee and hang out on Twitter for an hour, become aware of it and cut it out. A good way to catch yourself at this is to write down everything you do, every 15 minutes for 1 day. Don't lie to yourself and don't hold back. From when you wake up, begin recording even the mundane details. I realized I spent about 40 minutes every day just staring into space thinking of what to do next. That's what led me to a to do list! Almost an hour wasted literally doing nothing (not that thinking is bad, it's not, I still spend plenty of time doing it, but there's no need for me to stand around figuring out what to do next instead of having a plan of action that I wrote up yesterday and charging forward! Then I get to spend more time with my kids and husband after completing my To Do's :) )
#3. Rinse and Repeat--There's a Japanese Proverb that says, "Beginning is easy. Continuing is hard." My sentiments exactly! Don't just do this once or twice and then write it off. If you want a successful life, you have to change the way you do things. If you want to get healthy, you have to change the way you eat. If you want to catch a rainbow trout, you have to have a certain bait. You see where I'm going with these analogies? If you're unhappy with your life--MAKE A CHANGE! And then keep doing what is successful and modify what is unsuccessful.
Just never, ever stop. A friend of mine once pointed out that in Texas, Highway 45 runs all the way from DFW to Houston. And it doesn't matter if you go 50 miles an hour or 5 miles an hour--you'll get to Houston. Just don't lay down and don't turn around.
Lizi
#1. Define Your Goals--Some people are into structure, some aren't. I recommend doing what works for you. If writing 3 things you want to do by the end of the day on the back of a receipt and sticking it in your pocket works for you, then do it! I don't care. I like having a day planner with time blocked off for each part of my day, with my running "To Do" list on the side. I can tell you right now, though, that if I asked my brother to keep one, it would never get written in. Ever. He's a "back of the receipt" kind of guy, and you know what? It works beautifully for him. So define your goals and put them somewhere. A secondary thing to do, once you have a focus for your activities, is to prioritize them. For example, I have a goal of working out for 30 minutes every day. It's a priority for me. Another priority for me is to learn something new. If I have 2 hours left in my day, I might try a new workout. Why? Because both of these things are priorities for me and I have a limited amount of time, so I'll learn a new workout for bonus points. Let's say in this 2 hours left scenario I also needed to...I don't know...return Library books. I might just bump that to the next day, because while returning them is important, the library books won't impact my health like working out will.
#2. Bust Time Wasters--If you frequently find yourself intimidated by your To Do list and jumping on FaceBook to compensate, you need to become aware of your bad habits and cut it out. If you are supposed to be setting up lunch meetings and instead you grab a coffee and hang out on Twitter for an hour, become aware of it and cut it out. A good way to catch yourself at this is to write down everything you do, every 15 minutes for 1 day. Don't lie to yourself and don't hold back. From when you wake up, begin recording even the mundane details. I realized I spent about 40 minutes every day just staring into space thinking of what to do next. That's what led me to a to do list! Almost an hour wasted literally doing nothing (not that thinking is bad, it's not, I still spend plenty of time doing it, but there's no need for me to stand around figuring out what to do next instead of having a plan of action that I wrote up yesterday and charging forward! Then I get to spend more time with my kids and husband after completing my To Do's :) )
#3. Rinse and Repeat--There's a Japanese Proverb that says, "Beginning is easy. Continuing is hard." My sentiments exactly! Don't just do this once or twice and then write it off. If you want a successful life, you have to change the way you do things. If you want to get healthy, you have to change the way you eat. If you want to catch a rainbow trout, you have to have a certain bait. You see where I'm going with these analogies? If you're unhappy with your life--MAKE A CHANGE! And then keep doing what is successful and modify what is unsuccessful.
Just never, ever stop. A friend of mine once pointed out that in Texas, Highway 45 runs all the way from DFW to Houston. And it doesn't matter if you go 50 miles an hour or 5 miles an hour--you'll get to Houston. Just don't lay down and don't turn around.
Lizi
Monday, October 29, 2012
It's here...
Alright, I did it! I posted my first rough, unedited video on YouTube! Here's the video for your viewing pleasure:
My daughter spilled juice all over my camcorder. I thought it survived. The green stripe at the bottom says otherwise! :o
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you think you could get healthy by sprinkling a little powder on your family's food? It seems almost too easy, but consider this: It took 18 years of research and development and over 20 million dollars for this product to be available!
Nutriverus is a multivitamin/multimineral/antioxidant/glyconutrient powder that can be added to virtually any food. I've put it into yogurt, ranch dressing, on egg cups, on meatloaf, sprinkled over vegetables, in salads, on fish, on chicken breasts and in protein shakes to name a few. I did all of this without telling my family to see their reactions (this is what you get with a nerdy scientist mom in the house!) My husband noticed no difference in the food, but after I did it for a week he told me he felt better and had more energy. My kids (who are very picky eaters) only noticed it in plain vanilla yogurt (but when I added a dash of cinnamon they no longer noticed it) and ate it without issue in every other food and beverage I put it into.
Some additional benefits:
-When you get this every month, just like a vitamin at the store, you're also saving the life of a malnourished child in critical condition around the world for that month
-You're giving your body the nutrients it needs to heal and repair itself, the common side effects of which are feeling great and having more energy
-When you try it and see amazing results and tell your friends, you can get a 25% discount on your own product. Tell 4 friends, nourish 5 kids and get your product free
How cool is that? If you're interested in helping me save 50 kids by Thanksgiving of 2012, e-mail me at mannateamkratos (at) gmail.com and let's change the world together!!
Lizi
And We Work It Out!
I have changed my workout routine. I am a very driven person, and if allowed to do my own thing, I'll run myself into the ground, lay there for a second, then get up and keep running. That's just how I'm wired. I'm ready to rock and roll all the time, I talk really fast and animated (as you'll see more of with the Vlogging I'll be posting) and I love to run!
When I left weights, I have to be very careful about my form because I favor explosive, dynamic, high intensity training versus slow, steady lifting. Again, this can obviously have a giant downside, and I'm super grateful for my sweet, muscular, weight-lifting husband who watches me and is like "Slow down crazy woman! Enjoy the burn." --He's right, too, when you focus on the muscle your working on (example: bicep curls) and instead of doing 21's like I favor, you lift and then oh so slowly release you'll go much farther with less reps.
So, where oh where can I turn to in the fitness world to force myself to slow down and focus on what I'm doing instead of concentrate on burning off my extra energy with running or calisthetic exercises?
When I left weights, I have to be very careful about my form because I favor explosive, dynamic, high intensity training versus slow, steady lifting. Again, this can obviously have a giant downside, and I'm super grateful for my sweet, muscular, weight-lifting husband who watches me and is like "Slow down crazy woman! Enjoy the burn." --He's right, too, when you focus on the muscle your working on (example: bicep curls) and instead of doing 21's like I favor, you lift and then oh so slowly release you'll go much farther with less reps.
So, where oh where can I turn to in the fitness world to force myself to slow down and focus on what I'm doing instead of concentrate on burning off my extra energy with running or calisthetic exercises?
Did you figure it out yet? :p
Yoga, of course! Now I went through everything on wonderful Youtube.com last night looking for a routine that worked for me. I personally can't do a routine if it involves laying still and concentrating on your breath. So, I bookmarked a couple of these for me in the morning, when I need peace of mind the most:
This is Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown Level 1:
And here is Sadie Nadini's 20 minute Weight Loss & Fat Burning Routine:
Both of these were fun--especially the part where my cute little 4 year old was trying to do yoga with me last night haha! She likes to make it dangerous. Like crawling under my downward facing dog and popping up, missing my nose by a hair's breadth! I should film that and call it "Ultimate Adrenaline Yoga For Moms!"
So, my new routine, again customizable to my daily level of crazy, is:
Morning: Yoga routine 15-30 mins
Noon-ish: Going on a run (preferably) or a Core Workout (Like Sean Vigue with Motley Fitness, he's amaaaazing!)
Afternoon: If I still have energy left to burn, or have to skip my noon routine, I like to do the Supreme 90 videos right now. I am ashamed to admit sometimes I curse the day Tom Holland (he's the host) was born in the middle of a routine, but by the end of it I mentally apologize to him because I feel amazing :)
I hope these little glimpses into my world help to inspire you to keep growing and changing and adapting to a healthier, happier lifestyle!!! :)
Lizi
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Just Do It!
I've noticed a trend in people that are changing their lifestyles.
They want to change their eating habits. They want to start working out. They have a general idea of why they want to do that: live longer, lose weight, look fabulous, have more energy and so on.
And then they talk themselves right out of it!
Either their wasn't specific enough information on exactly when to do what exercise, or when to eat what specific meal, or what kinds of foods you should combine, or that sounds like too much food or not enough food and so on.
For the love--Don't talk yourself out of a healthy lifestyle!!!! ALL OF THOSE ARE EXCUSES!!!
The bottom line is this: Eat healthy, real foods (real foods don't come through a window or out of a bag/box). Aim for 5 days per week of mixed exercises. Drink plenty of water. Supplement your nutrition appropriately.
That's pretty much it.
"But!!!" I hear you cry, "But do I do cardio, or yoga, or weights, or pilates, or yogalates, or Insanity, or use a personal trainer? And when I eat, do I eat according to my blood type, or low fat, or low carb, or Paleo, or according to an endo-ecto-mesomorph plan, or 500 calories a day? And do I weigh myself, or measure inches, or use calipers, or buy a $200+ body composition scale?"
The answer to those questions is...yes.
Ha! Now I've really got you trippin'!
You can do whatever kind of exercise you like. I myself, for example, love to run and lift weights. So, if my day allows it, I go on a 2 or 3 mile run (to some of you that's puny, to some of you that is a Herculean feat, to me that's what I have time for). If you like Yoga, do that! If you have a personal trainer, use them. If you used to like one thing but you got bored of it, FIND SOMETHING ELSE! It's the Age of Information, y'all--there IS something out there for you.
You can follow whatever realistic eating plan you want to--as long as it's real food (You know, fresh fruits and vegetables, the best meat you can afford, prepared in your home with healthy ingredients you add yourself. If you have no idea what real food is, open a new tab on your browser and fart around for a bit finding out--it's worth it). You cannot eat a fast food diet and be okay--you might take the buns off and have a chicken breast with a diet soda but consider this #rant: The "chicken breast" is made up of old, bacteria-laden mixed parts (bacteria laden because of antibiotic use in modern farming, mind you), then it was injected with a sugar/salt water mixture to make it moist and tasty (barf), then it was fried, then it was coated in liquid smoke to make you think it was grilled. You can re-name your diet soda chemical soup. You basically consumed a bunch of garbage that will release free radicals to zing around in your body, damaging otherwise perfectly happy cells, which (if you eat like that I'm guessing you don't care about supplementing vitamins too much) don't have the proper nutrients to then recover from the damage. You age your body every time you eat that junk. Cut it out! /#endrant
I think he says it best:
They want to change their eating habits. They want to start working out. They have a general idea of why they want to do that: live longer, lose weight, look fabulous, have more energy and so on.
And then they talk themselves right out of it!
Either their wasn't specific enough information on exactly when to do what exercise, or when to eat what specific meal, or what kinds of foods you should combine, or that sounds like too much food or not enough food and so on.
For the love--Don't talk yourself out of a healthy lifestyle!!!! ALL OF THOSE ARE EXCUSES!!!
The bottom line is this: Eat healthy, real foods (real foods don't come through a window or out of a bag/box). Aim for 5 days per week of mixed exercises. Drink plenty of water. Supplement your nutrition appropriately.
That's pretty much it.
"But!!!" I hear you cry, "But do I do cardio, or yoga, or weights, or pilates, or yogalates, or Insanity, or use a personal trainer? And when I eat, do I eat according to my blood type, or low fat, or low carb, or Paleo, or according to an endo-ecto-mesomorph plan, or 500 calories a day? And do I weigh myself, or measure inches, or use calipers, or buy a $200+ body composition scale?"
The answer to those questions is...yes.
Ha! Now I've really got you trippin'!
You can do whatever kind of exercise you like. I myself, for example, love to run and lift weights. So, if my day allows it, I go on a 2 or 3 mile run (to some of you that's puny, to some of you that is a Herculean feat, to me that's what I have time for). If you like Yoga, do that! If you have a personal trainer, use them. If you used to like one thing but you got bored of it, FIND SOMETHING ELSE! It's the Age of Information, y'all--there IS something out there for you.
You can follow whatever realistic eating plan you want to--as long as it's real food (You know, fresh fruits and vegetables, the best meat you can afford, prepared in your home with healthy ingredients you add yourself. If you have no idea what real food is, open a new tab on your browser and fart around for a bit finding out--it's worth it). You cannot eat a fast food diet and be okay--you might take the buns off and have a chicken breast with a diet soda but consider this #rant: The "chicken breast" is made up of old, bacteria-laden mixed parts (bacteria laden because of antibiotic use in modern farming, mind you), then it was injected with a sugar/salt water mixture to make it moist and tasty (barf), then it was fried, then it was coated in liquid smoke to make you think it was grilled. You can re-name your diet soda chemical soup. You basically consumed a bunch of garbage that will release free radicals to zing around in your body, damaging otherwise perfectly happy cells, which (if you eat like that I'm guessing you don't care about supplementing vitamins too much) don't have the proper nutrients to then recover from the damage. You age your body every time you eat that junk. Cut it out! /#endrant
I think he says it best:
Drink your freakin' water too. Your body is over 90% water--you literally need it to live. If you get all of your water from carbonated crap, you're surviving but you're not thriving. When you drink your 8-10 glasses daily, your body releases toxins stored in your cells for your kidneys to deal with, which can often make you lose weight. Also, your cells release extra water they were HOARDING because they thought you lived in a desert, which often causes you to lose weight. Additionally, your molecular functions work properly when they have enough H2O to work with, giving you more energy. Oh, and you'll probably lose some weight.
On supplementation: The only reason I recommend it is because we've jacked up this planet so much our plants can't absorb the nutrients necessary for our optimal health. Some of us have seen the study on the peaches in the 50's versus the peaches now. Basically, we said screw composting, we'll concentrate on phosphorus/nitrogen balance in the soil only to make sure we can make more food to make more money. Do you think dirt is made up of 2 minerals? If you've gone through 10th grade chemistry, then you know it's incredibly more complicated than that. In addition to the declining nutritive value of our food because of crappy farming practices, we're now also genetically modifying it without enough testing to make sure that's okay to eat, spraying it with pesticides, covering it in salmonella, e.coli and MRSA--and recommending everyone eat more of it! The USDA recommends 7 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily for men, and from 9 up to 13 servings per day for adolescent teenage boys. Don't get me wrong here: EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES! Just be aware that what you put in your body might have unnatural issues, and to counteract that, you might need to add additional plant-derived nutrients. Examples would be antioxidants, because they fight free radicals to keep your cells happy, glyconutrients to keep your cells communicating properly and recovering from damage, enzymes to properly break down and use nutrients from the plants you eat and so forth. Another thing to supplement is protein if you--like me--don't get enough of it. I eat really healthy, but I am also busy, and if given the choice between stopping my life to cook up a bunch of meat because I forgot to on a Sunday (when I try to prepare it ahead, but seriously, I'm not perfect) OR eating chopped up raw broccoli and roasted red pepper hummus, guess what wins every time? The faster one! And while chickpeas in hummus are healthy and have protein, that's not enough to sustain my level of output during the day. Therefore, I supplement with a good, clean, real protein powder, and vitamin complexes derived from plants, and glyconutrients, and antioxidants and omega 3 essential fatty acids (they're necessary for a healthy brain, eyes and heart as well as a natural anti-inflammatory).
Sorry for the nutrition rant. I'm a little passionate about the care and keeping of the world and the human body.
Anyway, you can complicate your life as much as you want to, but you'll end up feeling like a failure and quitting. Don't do that. Don't give up on being healthy, or being able to see your feet when you look down, or running a mile, or living to be 130 years old and the world's top endurance knitter (I don't even know if that exists...yet...). Don't give up on your desires for a better, healthier lifestyle.
Just do it already.
Eat real foods. Aim for mixed exercises 5 times per week. Drink your water. Supplement appropriately.
Repeat, and enjoy a long, healthy, happy life.
Lizi
Friday, October 19, 2012
Driven Mindset
I've learned several things over the years:
Time management is very important.
People are very important.
Controlling your thoughts is very important.
And giving back is very important.
So when I have a day where I am nervous about trying something new, or talking to someone unfamiliar, or doing something differently, I remind myself of what is important. I can't ever renew my time, so wasting it on dumb things that don't help me at all shouldn't be an option. I should never put my fear of talking to new people above the knowledge that there are people in this world actively looking to lose weight and get healthy, and by letting fear stop me, I'm contributing to the awful way they feel. I shouldn't let fear, doubt or worry burden my thoughts, because the Bible says "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). I know that giving blesses me and the person I am giving to, more than I will ever see or know, and that I should perpetuate a giving spirit in myself and encourage it in others.
This is what I'm digging on today, I hope it inspires you to banish fear, prioritize, get your thoughts under control and CRUSH IT today!
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Time management is very important.
People are very important.
Controlling your thoughts is very important.
And giving back is very important.
So when I have a day where I am nervous about trying something new, or talking to someone unfamiliar, or doing something differently, I remind myself of what is important. I can't ever renew my time, so wasting it on dumb things that don't help me at all shouldn't be an option. I should never put my fear of talking to new people above the knowledge that there are people in this world actively looking to lose weight and get healthy, and by letting fear stop me, I'm contributing to the awful way they feel. I shouldn't let fear, doubt or worry burden my thoughts, because the Bible says "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). I know that giving blesses me and the person I am giving to, more than I will ever see or know, and that I should perpetuate a giving spirit in myself and encourage it in others.
This is what I'm digging on today, I hope it inspires you to banish fear, prioritize, get your thoughts under control and CRUSH IT today!
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Humble & Relateable
Do you remember Bill Cosby's "Kid's Say The Darndest Things" show? I didn't actively watch it, but I remember my grandparents watching it and laughing until they cried. I never really understood why until I had children of my own.
It's about relate-ability. My grandma and grandpa took my dad, brother and myself in after my parents divorced until my dad could get on his feet as a single parent. So, in essence, in their late 60's they became parents again while our dad worked crazy hours to establish himself here in Texas.
I can remember some of the crazy things we put them through. My grandma was forever trying to teach me manners and get me to take an interest in little girl things. I was a tom boy and I was very jaded and mature from my childhood, so when I wasn't reading I was outside climbing trees or catching bugs. Well, Grandma went to a garage sale across the street and bought me some Barbies, encouraging me to take an interest in girly toys over catching bugs. I have no idea why I reacted this way, but I grabbed an empty Whitman's Chocolate sampler box, filled it up with hundreds of roly-polies and let them loose in her living room! That was a rare, childish and impulsive moment for me, but I can understand a little better why she'd watch the "Kids Say The Darndest Things" show and laugh--because she saw again first hand how silly and reactive kids can be, and she (and my Grandpa) related to the feeling of trying to be the adult in a humorous situation.
My brother got into all kinds of little boy craziness--urinating outside instead of using the inside toilet (which I'm told by girlfriends with little boys that this is not an uncommon issue for young misters!), rough housing with neighborhood boys, leaving Lego pieces everywhere to be stepped on in the middle of the night, waking up the entire house hold to find his red Power Ranger before bed and so forth. At the time, it was a hassle to clean the mess and find the lost toys--but looking back, it was an honor to be trusted to look for his most prized possessions.
How many times has someone reached out to you, only for you to ignore or belittle them? Do you cultivate your ability to relate to other people? Or are you too busy to stop and open up a little?
This morning my daughter had what was a very important conversation to her with me. She was listing everything that she thought she might want for Christmas.
"And a Barbie playhouse, and a Strawberry Shortcake City...and...and..." Her little face scrunched up, then fell apart. "Oh mamma, I was thinking too much and I forgot everything that I wanted."
I smiled. It was 6:45 a.m. and I just wanted to drink my coffee. However, thinking about that "Kids Say The Darndest Things" show, and about how many people need you to just open up and relate to them, I set aside my wants. "Well baby, maybe you should think it over again, but make your list a little smaller, that way you can be more grateful for what you have, and not focus so much on what you want."
She nodded. "OK. I love you mommy, I'll be thankful."
If I allowed myself to be brusque and rude, and consider MY time and MY desires the MOST important thing, I would've missed hearing what my daughter was really saying. Behind her little Christmas list, she was saying, "I need to talk to you. I need your help. I need you to see me being a big girl and thinking this through and to recognize my forethought."
I am so thankful I caught her message and cultivated that moment with her. Life is a series of these little moments, will you be too wrapped up in yourself to see them? Or can you decide to change, to listen to what someone else is saying, what someone else needs from you?
Lizi
It's about relate-ability. My grandma and grandpa took my dad, brother and myself in after my parents divorced until my dad could get on his feet as a single parent. So, in essence, in their late 60's they became parents again while our dad worked crazy hours to establish himself here in Texas.
I can remember some of the crazy things we put them through. My grandma was forever trying to teach me manners and get me to take an interest in little girl things. I was a tom boy and I was very jaded and mature from my childhood, so when I wasn't reading I was outside climbing trees or catching bugs. Well, Grandma went to a garage sale across the street and bought me some Barbies, encouraging me to take an interest in girly toys over catching bugs. I have no idea why I reacted this way, but I grabbed an empty Whitman's Chocolate sampler box, filled it up with hundreds of roly-polies and let them loose in her living room! That was a rare, childish and impulsive moment for me, but I can understand a little better why she'd watch the "Kids Say The Darndest Things" show and laugh--because she saw again first hand how silly and reactive kids can be, and she (and my Grandpa) related to the feeling of trying to be the adult in a humorous situation.
My brother got into all kinds of little boy craziness--urinating outside instead of using the inside toilet (which I'm told by girlfriends with little boys that this is not an uncommon issue for young misters!), rough housing with neighborhood boys, leaving Lego pieces everywhere to be stepped on in the middle of the night, waking up the entire house hold to find his red Power Ranger before bed and so forth. At the time, it was a hassle to clean the mess and find the lost toys--but looking back, it was an honor to be trusted to look for his most prized possessions.
How many times has someone reached out to you, only for you to ignore or belittle them? Do you cultivate your ability to relate to other people? Or are you too busy to stop and open up a little?
My girls, making a huge mess
This morning my daughter had what was a very important conversation to her with me. She was listing everything that she thought she might want for Christmas.
"And a Barbie playhouse, and a Strawberry Shortcake City...and...and..." Her little face scrunched up, then fell apart. "Oh mamma, I was thinking too much and I forgot everything that I wanted."
I smiled. It was 6:45 a.m. and I just wanted to drink my coffee. However, thinking about that "Kids Say The Darndest Things" show, and about how many people need you to just open up and relate to them, I set aside my wants. "Well baby, maybe you should think it over again, but make your list a little smaller, that way you can be more grateful for what you have, and not focus so much on what you want."
She nodded. "OK. I love you mommy, I'll be thankful."
If I allowed myself to be brusque and rude, and consider MY time and MY desires the MOST important thing, I would've missed hearing what my daughter was really saying. Behind her little Christmas list, she was saying, "I need to talk to you. I need your help. I need you to see me being a big girl and thinking this through and to recognize my forethought."
I am so thankful I caught her message and cultivated that moment with her. Life is a series of these little moments, will you be too wrapped up in yourself to see them? Or can you decide to change, to listen to what someone else is saying, what someone else needs from you?
Lizi
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Reduce Stress
Stress is terrible for you. It affects every aspect of your life, whether you realize it or not. It can take a normally happy, adjusted person and turn them into an angry, high-strung, twitchy excuse for a person. It can take a healthy person and give them a slew of medical issues (stress has been shown in medical studies to cause silent inflammation). Stress takes mothers who love their children and want nothing more than to gently guide them through life and turns them in to screaming harpies! (Don’t ask me how I know).
The first step in reducing stress is to identify your stressors. Is it an increased work load (whether you’re a stay at home mom or a CEO)? Could it be due to a health issue in yourself or a loved one? Sometimes it can be from one hundred little things in your day that you suppress and internalize. Whatever the case, identifying the cause is the first step. A doctor can’t fix a medical condition if he doesn't know what it is, can he? He might prescribe the wrong thing and complicate the disease or even hurt the patient. That’s why he must run tests to figure out what is causing the problem so he can be accurate in his treatment. Same thing with you–find the cause so you can treat the issue appropriately.
The second step is then to relieve the cause of the stress. If you’re internalizing your issues, then find a way to let them out. As cheesy as it sounds, journaling or meditation work better than anti-anxiety/depression medication.
If the cause of your stress is the adverse health of a loved one, obviously the condition is out of your control. Remember, you can’t control what happens to you, but you can control your reaction. If the condition is terminal, talk through the situation with that person and do everything you can to make yourself at peace with what is happening and how it affects you. If it is a treatable condition, learn more about treatment options, speak with your loved one and gather information so the condition stops being a “scary unknown” and becomes something you can understand and deal with.
If the stress is due to an increased work load, consider working from home full-time or going to part time at your current position and looking at residual income options. One of the common reasons for feeling over-worked is lack of delegation.
Remember that antioxidants are very effective in controlling the damage done in the body from oxidative stress.
In order to banish stress effectively, you have to identify the cause and then treat it accordingly. As a bonus, it is always helpful to put positive, uplifting information into your brain daily. Some people listen to inspirational songs, motivational speeches, read the Bible, dance around to positive music or talk to an optimistic friend.
Whatever you do, don’t continue to do the things that got you into the stressful place. You have to change in order to change your life.
Are you stressed? Do you have more suggestions? Please leave us a comment below!
Friday, October 12, 2012
A Broken System
In America, it is recognized that our current diet and lifestyle choices (eating fast food, eating at restaurants, constant stimulation from advertisements and games and a metric ton of oxidative stress from working too much and not relaxing enough) are killing us.
Hold up. Let's address these one at a time, shall we?
When you go to the doctor and he says "make sure you're getting a good multivitamin" he then tells you, usually, to go to the store and pick up a reputable brand, right? Well, there are a few problems with that. 95% of the supplements on the grocery store shelves are derived from coal tar and petroleum by-products. Most calcium supplements on the shelves have the calcium derived from limestone. I know that doesn't sound too terrible, so let me elaborate.
Most women know that when you start a higher level of calcium (like a calcium tablet or even chewable), you can become constipated, right? So the doctor tells you to pick up some magnesium citrate (a fancy word for a petroleum derivative that has been treated with citric acid to be more easily absorbed by your body). Well, that takes you from not being able to poop, to not being able to stop! And if we take a moment to appreciate the fact that 80% of your immune cells are made from your gut, you can begin to appreciate how vital intestinal health is to overall health. So when you're trying to add healthy things to your body by adding the above two minerals, you could actually be harming yourself.
Have you ever become constipated from spinach? No? How about almonds? Broccoli? Oh, celery? None of the above? These are natural, vegetable sources of calcium. Do you understand that it isn't the calcium causing the gut issues?
Which leads us to the next issue, the junk in our diet.
This no longer means what it used to mean. A hundred years ago, eating at home meant eating food that you'd raised and slaughtered yourself, more than likely. If not, someone you knew did it for you. Local homesteads--a quaint term for a suburban farm--would raise some chickens and grow vegetables to give to the grocery store, to supplement if farmer's couldn't meet the demands in a humane manner.
All of that's been thrown out the window. Even chicken meat that you buy at your local health-conscious store that says "free range" has arsenic in it. Yes, arsenic--they add it to the chicken feed to plump up the chickens. They're supposed to remove it before the last feed, but you know, the extra pounds mean extra profits, who cares if anyone dies. How do I know? Someone I trust with my life got arsenic poisoning from *drum roll* chicken meat. And he was informed of how it got there by a highly ranked scientist at a nationally renowned laboratory.
And most people are familiar with the "Dirty Dozen"--the foods that have a higher than normal amount of pesticides that should be purchased organically (and still washed-- E. Coli isn't a pesticide and doesn't care if your strawberries are organic!)
My point being--fast food isn't food, but what we're getting at the grocery store isn't much better. It doesn't matter if you shop the perimeter, there's something really wrong with children getting cadmium toxicity from iceburg lettuce, adults and children becoming gluten and casein intolerant, the staggering amount of Americans with gut issues and the rising amount of anaphylactic allergies to fruits and vegetables (I had one of those myself to kiwis).
So if we can't trust our fruits and veggies, how are we supposed to get our antioxidants?
Well, that's a crappy attitude. There is something you can do. Mannatech has developed a line of products that are plant based and hydroponically grown--meaning they control the nutrients the plants receive, the air quality where they're being grown and the processing to ensure the maximum amount of nutrients in each supplement, which is then proven to be effective in their state of the art analytic chemistry lab. That's good nutrition that won't harm when it's supposed to help heal.
There is a new product out now called Nutriverus. It's the culmination of 18 years of research and over $2 million in research and development. And now, it's less than $60 USD. Not only that, but there's a way to get it for free (e-mail me and I'll hook you up).
NOT ONLY CAN YOU GET IT FOR FREE, but for every auto-order, a months supply of this nutrient-rich, plant-based, real food technology solution is sent to a child in critical condition from malnourishment.
So, you save yourself.
You save your family.
You save the economy.
You save malnourished children in critical condition.
You save money.
What in the world do you have to lose?
Many popular doctors say all you need to do is supplement your diet, eat at home and take extra antioxidants and you'll be fine.
Hold up. Let's address these one at a time, shall we?
Supplement Your Diet
When you go to the doctor and he says "make sure you're getting a good multivitamin" he then tells you, usually, to go to the store and pick up a reputable brand, right? Well, there are a few problems with that. 95% of the supplements on the grocery store shelves are derived from coal tar and petroleum by-products. Most calcium supplements on the shelves have the calcium derived from limestone. I know that doesn't sound too terrible, so let me elaborate.
Most women know that when you start a higher level of calcium (like a calcium tablet or even chewable), you can become constipated, right? So the doctor tells you to pick up some magnesium citrate (a fancy word for a petroleum derivative that has been treated with citric acid to be more easily absorbed by your body). Well, that takes you from not being able to poop, to not being able to stop! And if we take a moment to appreciate the fact that 80% of your immune cells are made from your gut, you can begin to appreciate how vital intestinal health is to overall health. So when you're trying to add healthy things to your body by adding the above two minerals, you could actually be harming yourself.
Have you ever become constipated from spinach? No? How about almonds? Broccoli? Oh, celery? None of the above? These are natural, vegetable sources of calcium. Do you understand that it isn't the calcium causing the gut issues?
Which leads us to the next issue, the junk in our diet.
Eating at Home
This no longer means what it used to mean. A hundred years ago, eating at home meant eating food that you'd raised and slaughtered yourself, more than likely. If not, someone you knew did it for you. Local homesteads--a quaint term for a suburban farm--would raise some chickens and grow vegetables to give to the grocery store, to supplement if farmer's couldn't meet the demands in a humane manner.
All of that's been thrown out the window. Even chicken meat that you buy at your local health-conscious store that says "free range" has arsenic in it. Yes, arsenic--they add it to the chicken feed to plump up the chickens. They're supposed to remove it before the last feed, but you know, the extra pounds mean extra profits, who cares if anyone dies. How do I know? Someone I trust with my life got arsenic poisoning from *drum roll* chicken meat. And he was informed of how it got there by a highly ranked scientist at a nationally renowned laboratory.
And most people are familiar with the "Dirty Dozen"--the foods that have a higher than normal amount of pesticides that should be purchased organically (and still washed-- E. Coli isn't a pesticide and doesn't care if your strawberries are organic!)
My point being--fast food isn't food, but what we're getting at the grocery store isn't much better. It doesn't matter if you shop the perimeter, there's something really wrong with children getting cadmium toxicity from iceburg lettuce, adults and children becoming gluten and casein intolerant, the staggering amount of Americans with gut issues and the rising amount of anaphylactic allergies to fruits and vegetables (I had one of those myself to kiwis).
So if we can't trust our fruits and veggies, how are we supposed to get our antioxidants?
Take Extra Antioxidants
And the last suggestion to combat common health issues is to take in extra antioxidants. Some antioxidants are vitamins, like Vitamin E or C. Some antioxidants are berries that are high in cyanins like blueberries, nutrients found in green tea, bioflavenoids in vegetable skins and other nutrients such as resveratol in red wine.
Some people take in extra antioxidants by juicing--which is great, if you are using food you grew yourself and harvested organically, and if it is mostly vegetables. Most people can't stand the taste, so they just juice fruit, which gives them an enormous amount of fructose (fruit sugar) without any fiber to balance it in the body. Then they get fat. And angry. This isn't to say juicing is a bad idea, just that most people don't do it in a healthy manner.
Another way people take in antioxidants is from an antioxidant drink. There are several brand names out in the marketplace that boast having a very high antioxidant level. If you check the label, you'll find either that it is mostly sugar, contains very unhealthy ingredients or is made up of mostly synthetics (for example, d-alpha tocopherol, which we've discussed previously, is not Vitamin E).
What Can You Do About It?
I don't know about you, but when I found out about all of this stuff, I despaired I thought, "man, no matter what I give my family, it's going to hurt them. Supplements are bad, the food is bad, the air quality sucks, there's poisonous stuff in the water--maybe I should give up on trying to keep us healthy. Maybe the best we can do is pray not to get heart disease or cancer."
Well, that's a crappy attitude. There is something you can do. Mannatech has developed a line of products that are plant based and hydroponically grown--meaning they control the nutrients the plants receive, the air quality where they're being grown and the processing to ensure the maximum amount of nutrients in each supplement, which is then proven to be effective in their state of the art analytic chemistry lab. That's good nutrition that won't harm when it's supposed to help heal.
There is a new product out now called Nutriverus. It's the culmination of 18 years of research and over $2 million in research and development. And now, it's less than $60 USD. Not only that, but there's a way to get it for free (e-mail me and I'll hook you up).
NOT ONLY CAN YOU GET IT FOR FREE, but for every auto-order, a months supply of this nutrient-rich, plant-based, real food technology solution is sent to a child in critical condition from malnourishment.
So, you save yourself.
You save your family.
You save the economy.
You save malnourished children in critical condition.
You save money.
What in the world do you have to lose?
On Power
Do you know what the most powerful tool in the entire world is? Do you have any guesses?
Money?
Prestige?
Credibility?
Popularity?
Let me tell you something: the things listed above are effects of the most powerful tool in the world, but they are not the tool itself. This tool allows a person, no matter what their personal situation is, to pick themselves up by the bootstraps and become a success. This tool is the only avenue to true health and wellness. This tool is also the only avenue to financial success. Once you have the proper information loaded into this tool, no one can ever take it away from you. It belongs only to you, to do with as you please.
What is this tool? It's your mind.
Your mind is the single most powerful thing in your possession. Your mind allows you to overcome boundaries of not having enough money, being too skinny or too fat, healing from physical or emotional abuse and being free of stress.
The key to maximizing the potential of your mind as a powerful tool is to find the right information and input it. Once you have those things working together you can achieve whatever your desire is.
I've been intentionally vague because I don't know what your desires are. I know what mine are: I want to be able to take care of my 2 beautiful little daughters. I want to keep myself and my husband healthy. I want to feed 50 kids in a third world country by November 2012. And once I've accomplished that--and I will--I'll set a new goal and crush that one too.
Why? How?
Because I know mentally that I am all in. I have the information in my brain necessary to be successful. Not only that, but I love to help others and share what I know with them. If you're struggling to be successful, shoot me an e-mail. If you have a goal that you'd like to meet, let's get together and talk it over.
I'm willing to help you if you're willing to help yourself.
Lizi
Monday, October 8, 2012
Banish Fear
Fear is binding, restrictive, habit forming negative thought patterns that can destroy your life if you let them. Fear isn't always a huge panic-ridden incident like on television shows, sometimes fear is just small hesitations and inhibitions that pile up quickly.
For example: Fear to get your haircut might make you feel ugly or ratty, which you'll manifest in front of other people. Fear of changing careers might make you unhappy in your current position, causing you to get demoted or fired because of your actions or behaviors. Fear of inadequacy might prevent you from talking to someone who is interested in you or your opportunity and cause you to be frustrated with your lack of communication skills.
Notice that in each of these scenarios, we as people tend to think about what is holding us back and make ourselves unhappy, and then instead of owning our poor thought patterns and changing them, we look for someone else to blame. Your boss, your job, a customer, a teacher from Elementary school--your mind, if untrained to recognize fear for what it is and change your thinking, can and will find a reason why it's someone or something else's fault.
If you find yourself in an unhappy and depressed place, think about why that is. If you immediately find yourself blaming everyone but yourself, stop it. You are responsible for your thoughts--you can choose to live a happy life by being accountable for your thought patterns and changing them, or you can choose to let your thoughts run negative and wild, keeping you under the bondage of fear.
Always remember it's your choice.
If you agreed with the above and you want to know how to change, here's some tips:
1. The first thing that has to change is your thoughts. You can change your clothes, hairstyle, hair color, house, car, whatever as many times as you'd like--and it might bring you relief for a little bit--but if you don't change your poor thought patterns, your life won't feel any different in the long run. To change your thoughts, examine your inner dialogue. If you're critical of yourself, stop being critical and look for what you've done well. If you're constantly blaming others, take accountability for your part in a positive way, and look for how you can change your habits. Don't complain about your situation--you'll only make it worse. Don't condemn yourself either; think about what makes you happy and excited and stay focused on that.
2. Once you've changed your thoughts, change your actions. If you have a fear of speaking to people, join Toastmaster's or another speaking organization to become more comfortable in your skills and abilities. If that's too intimidating, ask wise and honest people you know how you can improve your communication skills. If you have a bad habit of hanging out with negative people that always put you in a bad mood about life, respectfully ask them to not complain or gossip in front of you. If they don't change, it might be a good idea to find a new crowd to hang out with. If you have a negative tirade in your head over mistakes you make, do a "performance review" on yourself instead: write down what went wrong and how you could have fixed it, but write it professionally, as if you were a boss supporting and encouraging an employee. This is a valuable way to correct your actions without condemning or criticizing yourself too harshly. When you start ripping into yourself, instead of improving you'll just feel sorry for yourself and do it all over again the next day. Instead, set goals, be proactive and be encouraging to yourself that you're in control and you can change.
3. Once you've changed your actions, change your demeanor. Rather than walk around with a sour look, smile. Smile at strangers, smile at yourself in the mirror, smile when you remember something silly, smile at your spouse, children and friends. Be generous with your affection--if you don't like to touch people, a smile will suffice! Find reasons to laugh and have a quiet inner joy. If someone makes a mistake, be kind about it and encourage them the way you'd encourage yourself.
I hope this little toe-dip into the world of banishing fear, taking control of your thoughts and your life has been helpful to you! If you have any tips, thoughts or suggestions, comment below!
Lizi
For example: Fear to get your haircut might make you feel ugly or ratty, which you'll manifest in front of other people. Fear of changing careers might make you unhappy in your current position, causing you to get demoted or fired because of your actions or behaviors. Fear of inadequacy might prevent you from talking to someone who is interested in you or your opportunity and cause you to be frustrated with your lack of communication skills.
Notice that in each of these scenarios, we as people tend to think about what is holding us back and make ourselves unhappy, and then instead of owning our poor thought patterns and changing them, we look for someone else to blame. Your boss, your job, a customer, a teacher from Elementary school--your mind, if untrained to recognize fear for what it is and change your thinking, can and will find a reason why it's someone or something else's fault.
If you find yourself in an unhappy and depressed place, think about why that is. If you immediately find yourself blaming everyone but yourself, stop it. You are responsible for your thoughts--you can choose to live a happy life by being accountable for your thought patterns and changing them, or you can choose to let your thoughts run negative and wild, keeping you under the bondage of fear.
Always remember it's your choice.
If you agreed with the above and you want to know how to change, here's some tips:
1. The first thing that has to change is your thoughts. You can change your clothes, hairstyle, hair color, house, car, whatever as many times as you'd like--and it might bring you relief for a little bit--but if you don't change your poor thought patterns, your life won't feel any different in the long run. To change your thoughts, examine your inner dialogue. If you're critical of yourself, stop being critical and look for what you've done well. If you're constantly blaming others, take accountability for your part in a positive way, and look for how you can change your habits. Don't complain about your situation--you'll only make it worse. Don't condemn yourself either; think about what makes you happy and excited and stay focused on that.
2. Once you've changed your thoughts, change your actions. If you have a fear of speaking to people, join Toastmaster's or another speaking organization to become more comfortable in your skills and abilities. If that's too intimidating, ask wise and honest people you know how you can improve your communication skills. If you have a bad habit of hanging out with negative people that always put you in a bad mood about life, respectfully ask them to not complain or gossip in front of you. If they don't change, it might be a good idea to find a new crowd to hang out with. If you have a negative tirade in your head over mistakes you make, do a "performance review" on yourself instead: write down what went wrong and how you could have fixed it, but write it professionally, as if you were a boss supporting and encouraging an employee. This is a valuable way to correct your actions without condemning or criticizing yourself too harshly. When you start ripping into yourself, instead of improving you'll just feel sorry for yourself and do it all over again the next day. Instead, set goals, be proactive and be encouraging to yourself that you're in control and you can change.
3. Once you've changed your actions, change your demeanor. Rather than walk around with a sour look, smile. Smile at strangers, smile at yourself in the mirror, smile when you remember something silly, smile at your spouse, children and friends. Be generous with your affection--if you don't like to touch people, a smile will suffice! Find reasons to laugh and have a quiet inner joy. If someone makes a mistake, be kind about it and encourage them the way you'd encourage yourself.
I hope this little toe-dip into the world of banishing fear, taking control of your thoughts and your life has been helpful to you! If you have any tips, thoughts or suggestions, comment below!
Lizi
Saturday, October 6, 2012
How Do You Know?
How do you know if you're healthy? It seems like a funny question to ask, but there's a surprising amount of confusion regarding what "being healthy" really means. Let's define being healthy, and if you find you're way off, let's talk about some solutions.
"Health" is defined by Merriam-Webster as "The condition of being sound in body, mind or spirit; especially being free from physical disease or pain." I really like that bit at the end, because most often that is how we measure whether or not we consider ourselves healthy. Do I have a disease? Do I hurt? Nope? Alright I'm good!
We fail to take into account the first part of the definition: The condition of being sound in body, mind or spirit. Some questions to ask yourself regarding health in those three areas are:
Body:
-Do I have any medical conditions that I'm ignoring? (Toe fungus, reoccurring pain, ongoing bowel issues like constipation or diarrhea, rashes that come and go, allergies)
-Do I feed myself well? (Limiting packaged foods, reducing sugar intake, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, not overeating, avoiding stress eating, consuming plenty of protein)
-Am I supplementing effectively? (plant-based supplements, avoiding synthetics, taking in an adequate amount of vitamins, minerals and extra antioxidants)
Mind:
-Am I in control of my thoughts? (not letting thoughts run wild, feeling organized in thinking patterns, being able to switch subjects mentally and then switch back)
-Do I "feed" my brain every day? (read the Bible daily, read success books, listen to motivational and inspirational messages)
-Are my emotions under control? (controlling feelings of anger, able to not have outbursts, able to control sadness, able to stop crying, have the ability to get out of a mood once you get into it)
Spirit:
-Do I know why I'm here? (If you don't, you should work on that. Proverbs 29:18 Amplified: Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]—blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.)
-Do I know where to go for answers to a serious dilemma? (having a fellowship of people to support you, help with thoughts of suicide or murder, help with an addiction, someone to lean on and guide you when you're lost)
If you've got these bases covered, you're well on your way to health. Why on your way? Why not instantly healthy? Because in life you are always developing, improving and maturing. I like the expression, "When you're green, you're growing; when you're ripe, you're rotten." It refers to when you're learning something new, you're continuing to grow into something great. But if you harden your heart and decide there's no room for improvement, well, then you're rotting, you're done.
If you have any health questions you want to talk about, or if you want to take a free health survey to find the right supplementation for your health, leave a comment below or send us an e-mail!
Team Kratos
mannateamkratos@gmail.com
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Giving Is Good For You
It's Fall, y'all (yeah, I said it)--
Have you ever looked up the reason we feel so good whenever we give something? You know, you see something your friend would like so you buy it for them. Or you have an extra book or CD and someone tells you how much they've been looking into that subject so you give it to them. Or how about those "care bags" on Pinterest that lovely people keep in their car to pass out to the homeless?
And mind you, this isn't just a Christian thing I'm talking about. Modern psychologists actually debate whether or not giving can be classified as a "selfless act" because of the physical and psychological benefits we get from it. Check out this excerpt from Psychology Today:
"We feel so good when we give because we get what researchers call a “helpers high,” or a distinct physical sensation associated with helping. About half of participants in one study report that they feel stronger and more energetic after helping others; many also reported feeling calmer and less depressed, with increased feelings of self-worth. This is probably a literal “high,” similar to a drug-induced high: for example, the act of making a financial donation triggers the reward center in our brains that is responsible for dopamine-mediated euphoria. (For more on the “helper’s high,” check out this essay by James Baraz and Shoshana Alexander, published this month on Greater Good.)"
You can read the full article here.
Isn't it fascinating that your body has such a dramatic response to a simple act? All you have to do is THINK of giving and your body responds. The power we have been given never ceases to amaze me.
Naturally, I personally am a big advocate of giving: giving of time, acts of service, giving of gifts, or even a text/e-mail/facebook message to say "hey, I'm thinking of you"--giving of my thoughts.
Here's a list of some ideas for how you can get that dopamine-related euphoria in your life:
--Make some of those care bags to pass out in your local Downtown area to the homeless
--Go through your pantry and pull all the canned or packaged food you haven't eaten in the last month and donate it to your local food bank
--Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen
--Run a marathon for a charity organization
--Even ask a family member or friend how you can help them. For example, we go to my Grandparent's house every Sunday to help out and have a family dinner. You could also help a busy mom go grocery shopping, volunteer to watch someone's kids while they run an errand or bake some freezer friendly food for an elderly neighbor or new mother--two groups notoriously in need of extra help!
Of course, there's a bajillion ways to give. Personalize it. Listen when people talk to you, find a need they have and fill it. Eventually, it will become second nature.
--Lizi
PS: How awesome would it be to wake up every morning, knowing you're taking care of yourself, your family and a malnourished child living in poverty? E-mail me and I'll TELL you how awesome it is! :)
Have you ever looked up the reason we feel so good whenever we give something? You know, you see something your friend would like so you buy it for them. Or you have an extra book or CD and someone tells you how much they've been looking into that subject so you give it to them. Or how about those "care bags" on Pinterest that lovely people keep in their car to pass out to the homeless?
And mind you, this isn't just a Christian thing I'm talking about. Modern psychologists actually debate whether or not giving can be classified as a "selfless act" because of the physical and psychological benefits we get from it. Check out this excerpt from Psychology Today:
"We feel so good when we give because we get what researchers call a “helpers high,” or a distinct physical sensation associated with helping. About half of participants in one study report that they feel stronger and more energetic after helping others; many also reported feeling calmer and less depressed, with increased feelings of self-worth. This is probably a literal “high,” similar to a drug-induced high: for example, the act of making a financial donation triggers the reward center in our brains that is responsible for dopamine-mediated euphoria. (For more on the “helper’s high,” check out this essay by James Baraz and Shoshana Alexander, published this month on Greater Good.)"
You can read the full article here.
Isn't it fascinating that your body has such a dramatic response to a simple act? All you have to do is THINK of giving and your body responds. The power we have been given never ceases to amaze me.
Naturally, I personally am a big advocate of giving: giving of time, acts of service, giving of gifts, or even a text/e-mail/facebook message to say "hey, I'm thinking of you"--giving of my thoughts.
Here's a list of some ideas for how you can get that dopamine-related euphoria in your life:
--Make some of those care bags to pass out in your local Downtown area to the homeless
--Go through your pantry and pull all the canned or packaged food you haven't eaten in the last month and donate it to your local food bank
--Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen
--Run a marathon for a charity organization
--Even ask a family member or friend how you can help them. For example, we go to my Grandparent's house every Sunday to help out and have a family dinner. You could also help a busy mom go grocery shopping, volunteer to watch someone's kids while they run an errand or bake some freezer friendly food for an elderly neighbor or new mother--two groups notoriously in need of extra help!
Of course, there's a bajillion ways to give. Personalize it. Listen when people talk to you, find a need they have and fill it. Eventually, it will become second nature.
--Lizi
PS: How awesome would it be to wake up every morning, knowing you're taking care of yourself, your family and a malnourished child living in poverty? E-mail me and I'll TELL you how awesome it is! :)
Sunday, September 30, 2012
No Shortage of Needs
Today has been insane! We're all set to help my mother-in-law move, and we end up going to 3 different U-hauls due to reservation mix ups and no one having trucks!
Something really cool happened at the second one, though. My husband and I trudged back out to our car in the rain, doing our best to stay positive when we hear several plaintive little mews coming from some brambles on a fence. We walk over there and there's a tiny little furry kitten mewing at (if you're squeamish, stop reading now!) the body of it's mother which was all tangled up in the thorny bushes.
My husband hopped the fence and walked around to get the little kitten, who ran into a big pile of rocks. The U-haul guys came out to see what we were doing and I explained what happened to him. He told us the momma cat was really wild and wouldn't let anyone near her (she'd been living around there for 3 years).
The little kitten had more spunk and drive than my husband had thought, and stayed in his little hiding spot. We determined he was old enough to not need milk and strong enough to catch bugs for food until he was bigger, and we sent up a little prayer of thanks to God for taking care of him.
I hear you thinking, "What's the point of all this?"
The point is, we're at a place where we hear a little cry for help and we're there--even in the cold rain. We're there for kittens, and we're there for people. This is just how we operate, and the only reason I believe we've been successful in our endeavors.
We listen for needs, and do our best to fill them. It turned out the kitten was fine on his own, just mourning his mom. The point is, the U-haul guys walked over and were clueless of that situation, even though they'd both confessed to walking past there several times per day. That's how most people are: if it doesn't benefit or affect them, they ignore it.
That's not the mindset you can keep if you want to succeed. Let me also tell you how interested they were in the two crazy people that took the time to walk over there and figure it out. And how the young one wanted to look out for the wild little kitten.
The take-away of this crazy event: always look for a need to fill, by doing that you'll not only be different, but you'll have a richer life.
Lizi
mannateamkratos@gmail.com
Something really cool happened at the second one, though. My husband and I trudged back out to our car in the rain, doing our best to stay positive when we hear several plaintive little mews coming from some brambles on a fence. We walk over there and there's a tiny little furry kitten mewing at (if you're squeamish, stop reading now!) the body of it's mother which was all tangled up in the thorny bushes.
My husband hopped the fence and walked around to get the little kitten, who ran into a big pile of rocks. The U-haul guys came out to see what we were doing and I explained what happened to him. He told us the momma cat was really wild and wouldn't let anyone near her (she'd been living around there for 3 years).
The little kitten had more spunk and drive than my husband had thought, and stayed in his little hiding spot. We determined he was old enough to not need milk and strong enough to catch bugs for food until he was bigger, and we sent up a little prayer of thanks to God for taking care of him.
I hear you thinking, "What's the point of all this?"
The point is, we're at a place where we hear a little cry for help and we're there--even in the cold rain. We're there for kittens, and we're there for people. This is just how we operate, and the only reason I believe we've been successful in our endeavors.
We listen for needs, and do our best to fill them. It turned out the kitten was fine on his own, just mourning his mom. The point is, the U-haul guys walked over and were clueless of that situation, even though they'd both confessed to walking past there several times per day. That's how most people are: if it doesn't benefit or affect them, they ignore it.
That's not the mindset you can keep if you want to succeed. Let me also tell you how interested they were in the two crazy people that took the time to walk over there and figure it out. And how the young one wanted to look out for the wild little kitten.
The take-away of this crazy event: always look for a need to fill, by doing that you'll not only be different, but you'll have a richer life.
Lizi
mannateamkratos@gmail.com
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Happiness Really Is A State of Mind
Today we're helping someone move. I can hear the groans from adult backs all over the country at that statement! But let me tell you something fun about my family: we are Christians, and since the Word says in Romans 12:2: Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind...and in Nehemiah 8:10: The joy of the Lord is my strength, the harder the task gets for us, the more we roll up our sleeves, put on a big smile and work hard to get it done!
Happiness, we've found to be true over and over again, is a state of mind.
Happiness isn't a magical feeling that floats over you when you wear brand name clothes, drink expensive coffee, eat artisan bread and listen to contemporary jazz. There is nothing you can buy or consume that will give you true, lasting happiness.
Happiness is a state of mind.
It all happens between your ears. When your husband says, "Hey babe, could you do me a favor and do the dishes real quick so I can make you dinner?" for some reason, our reaction gets dark and twisted and we think "Why should I have to do the dishes for you? Why should I have to do anything? I've busted my buns all day" and on and on with a list of how big of a saint we are. Our reaction should be: "Well hot dog! He's making me dinner! Sure babe, I'll have those dishes clean in a wink!"
If we can look for a reason to be happy in the situation, our attitude about the situation will slowly change. It takes repetition to look for blessings and reasons to be happy in our daily grind, you have to bring your errant mind back over and over again, but eventually, like all things, it will become a habit.
And then your response to whatever life throws at you won't be an emotional reaction that hurts you and the people around you.
Instead, your actions and your speech will inspire people to look at you and think, "man, what has that person got that makes them so happy all the time? I want that."
The takeaway: plaster a smile on your face, look for the little joys and blessings in your life and observe the changes within yourself and the reactions of the people closest to you.
Happiness, we've found to be true over and over again, is a state of mind.
Happiness isn't a magical feeling that floats over you when you wear brand name clothes, drink expensive coffee, eat artisan bread and listen to contemporary jazz. There is nothing you can buy or consume that will give you true, lasting happiness.
Happiness is a state of mind.
It all happens between your ears. When your husband says, "Hey babe, could you do me a favor and do the dishes real quick so I can make you dinner?" for some reason, our reaction gets dark and twisted and we think "Why should I have to do the dishes for you? Why should I have to do anything? I've busted my buns all day" and on and on with a list of how big of a saint we are. Our reaction should be: "Well hot dog! He's making me dinner! Sure babe, I'll have those dishes clean in a wink!"
If we can look for a reason to be happy in the situation, our attitude about the situation will slowly change. It takes repetition to look for blessings and reasons to be happy in our daily grind, you have to bring your errant mind back over and over again, but eventually, like all things, it will become a habit.
And then your response to whatever life throws at you won't be an emotional reaction that hurts you and the people around you.
Instead, your actions and your speech will inspire people to look at you and think, "man, what has that person got that makes them so happy all the time? I want that."
The takeaway: plaster a smile on your face, look for the little joys and blessings in your life and observe the changes within yourself and the reactions of the people closest to you.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Presentations Part 2
Hey guys,
I am pumped today! I make a goal for myself of 10 calls daily, and today I was on fire. Plus, I had 4 presentations back to back, which always gets me excited about meeting new people and sharing my dreams.
Anyway, today is about how to give an effective presentation. The first tip I can give you is: TAILOR IT TO YOUR AUDIENCE!!! What does that mean? Well, if I am going to speak to a doctor, I would bring slightly more technical information because they're more likely to be interested in that sort of thing. If I brought a 28 page scientific article on glyco-proteins to a beauty salon owner, do you think she'd get pumped? No! She'd probably find it interesting, but she might not see how that applies to her, specifically. Instead, I'd bring something that talks about how my company's products can help give people clear skin or something that is relevant to her.
The second best piece of advice I can give you is to keep things clean and simple. Don't convolute the conversation by jumping in with a bunch of facts or input because that's not your objective. Your objective in this business is to build relationships with people. It's to get to know them, to ask them what they're interested in, to find out about their goals and dreams. Let the person you're presenting to tell you why they decided to meet with you, what their life is currently like, what their hobbies are. It might seem weird to do this at first. You're gut reaction will be "get in, blurt out message, get out." But that's not why you're there. If you build rapport with them and cultivate a relationship, they might not want what you have right then, but you'll be the one they call when they do.
And the third best advice is not really about the presentation itself, but it is still important: follow up soon to see what they think. Don't be weird or aggressive, genuinely care about the person and ask for their honest opinion.
Think about how many people you run into that don't care about their jobs, that go through the motions, asking you if you need help but not making eye contact with you when they say it, the unhappiness they feel with their position in life just radiating off of them...
Now think about how different it would be if that same person came up to you--warmly, not with a hidden agenda, struck up a conversation, remembered you when you came back, always had a kind word to say, was interested in you as a person and not in your wallet, rejoiced over what you two had in common, asked about your family...
Think about those two scenarios, and about which one you'd want to do business with. Carry that image with you where ever you go and interact as that positive, loving person when you're with other people.
Hope this blessed you,
Lizi
mannateamkratos@gmail.com
I am pumped today! I make a goal for myself of 10 calls daily, and today I was on fire. Plus, I had 4 presentations back to back, which always gets me excited about meeting new people and sharing my dreams.
Anyway, today is about how to give an effective presentation. The first tip I can give you is: TAILOR IT TO YOUR AUDIENCE!!! What does that mean? Well, if I am going to speak to a doctor, I would bring slightly more technical information because they're more likely to be interested in that sort of thing. If I brought a 28 page scientific article on glyco-proteins to a beauty salon owner, do you think she'd get pumped? No! She'd probably find it interesting, but she might not see how that applies to her, specifically. Instead, I'd bring something that talks about how my company's products can help give people clear skin or something that is relevant to her.
The second best piece of advice I can give you is to keep things clean and simple. Don't convolute the conversation by jumping in with a bunch of facts or input because that's not your objective. Your objective in this business is to build relationships with people. It's to get to know them, to ask them what they're interested in, to find out about their goals and dreams. Let the person you're presenting to tell you why they decided to meet with you, what their life is currently like, what their hobbies are. It might seem weird to do this at first. You're gut reaction will be "get in, blurt out message, get out." But that's not why you're there. If you build rapport with them and cultivate a relationship, they might not want what you have right then, but you'll be the one they call when they do.
And the third best advice is not really about the presentation itself, but it is still important: follow up soon to see what they think. Don't be weird or aggressive, genuinely care about the person and ask for their honest opinion.
Think about how many people you run into that don't care about their jobs, that go through the motions, asking you if you need help but not making eye contact with you when they say it, the unhappiness they feel with their position in life just radiating off of them...
Now think about how different it would be if that same person came up to you--warmly, not with a hidden agenda, struck up a conversation, remembered you when you came back, always had a kind word to say, was interested in you as a person and not in your wallet, rejoiced over what you two had in common, asked about your family...
Think about those two scenarios, and about which one you'd want to do business with. Carry that image with you where ever you go and interact as that positive, loving person when you're with other people.
Hope this blessed you,
Lizi
mannateamkratos@gmail.com
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Inspired
So we went to TNL (Tuesday Night Live) at the Mannatech Corporate office in Coppell, TX last night and our socks were totally rocked.
Mannatech's prestigious founder and all-around loveable guy, Sam Caster, was there to talk about how having a passion for nourishing the underprivileged children of the world can help you overcome your barriers when you are speaking with people.
I totally agree with that. And more than that, as readers will know, we're always talking about how passionate we are about our campaign to nourish 50 kids by Thanksgiving. After last nights meeting, we want to set a second goal--feed 200 kids by February of next year!
If you need to get inspired, watch the links below. Then you can make a decision for yourself: do I want to nourish my family AND an underprivileged child, or champion the cause and join Team Kratos to feed 50 kids by Thanksgiving, and then 200 kids by February 2013?
http://www.mannarelief.org/index.cfm?id=77fa2290-0ca0-4bf0-88031ec485c49f6f&video--media.html
Mannatech's prestigious founder and all-around loveable guy, Sam Caster, was there to talk about how having a passion for nourishing the underprivileged children of the world can help you overcome your barriers when you are speaking with people.
I totally agree with that. And more than that, as readers will know, we're always talking about how passionate we are about our campaign to nourish 50 kids by Thanksgiving. After last nights meeting, we want to set a second goal--feed 200 kids by February of next year!
If you need to get inspired, watch the links below. Then you can make a decision for yourself: do I want to nourish my family AND an underprivileged child, or champion the cause and join Team Kratos to feed 50 kids by Thanksgiving, and then 200 kids by February 2013?
http://www.mannarelief.org/index.cfm?id=77fa2290-0ca0-4bf0-88031ec485c49f6f&video--media.html
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Get Motivated!
Hey,
How do you keep yourself from getting beaten down by the world? How to you stop your mind from putting you down when you mess up?
Well, remember that saying "you are what you eat?" You are also what you think about and what you take in. Meaning, if all you do is listen to music where the artists complain about life and make fun of people, that's the tape that will play in you're head all day. Or if you just read romance novels, that pining and feeling of emotional entanglement will be in your head and will manifest in your life.
But if you make an investment of maybe 10-15 minutes to read something that inspires you and motivates you to perform tasks that make you a happier, healthier person--what do you think will happen?
That will be your outlook, of course!
Our thoughts are treasures. We're supposed to guard them from negativity, and build ourselves up so we can help ourselves and help other's around us.
What is your favorite way to motivate yourself? Audio, video, books, YouTube, face-to-face seminars, phone calls? Comment below!
Lizi
mannateamkratos@gmail.com
How do you keep yourself from getting beaten down by the world? How to you stop your mind from putting you down when you mess up?
Well, remember that saying "you are what you eat?" You are also what you think about and what you take in. Meaning, if all you do is listen to music where the artists complain about life and make fun of people, that's the tape that will play in you're head all day. Or if you just read romance novels, that pining and feeling of emotional entanglement will be in your head and will manifest in your life.
But if you make an investment of maybe 10-15 minutes to read something that inspires you and motivates you to perform tasks that make you a happier, healthier person--what do you think will happen?
That will be your outlook, of course!
Our thoughts are treasures. We're supposed to guard them from negativity, and build ourselves up so we can help ourselves and help other's around us.
What is your favorite way to motivate yourself? Audio, video, books, YouTube, face-to-face seminars, phone calls? Comment below!
Lizi
mannateamkratos@gmail.com
Monday, September 24, 2012
Have You GIVEN lately?
Well, have you? I'm asking this because of the amazing amount of extra stuff I've had around my house. Extra clothes, extra canned goods, extra paper, extra seeds (for the garden). And once you wake up, and you look around, all of those excuses as to why you can't help donate to X charity or how sad you are about your financial situation become empty.
Most of the world lives on less than $10 per day.
The relief that the US sends to foreign aid is white rice, flour and dehydrated beans--dead foods that have to be enriched to even contain any nutritive value.
Meanwhile, you refuse to look into how you can change the world and decide instead you need to put a $799 flat screen LCD television on a credit card because "you can't see the screen" on your current T.V.
Riiiight.
How about next week, instead of spending $4 on morning coffee and $10 on lunch, you take that $70 from ONE WEEK and apply it to a nutritional product that not only nourishes you and your family, but also sends plant-based nourishment to an underprivileged part of the world?
That's literally all it would take. See for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZpZDwjusIE
As an aside, I donated all of my extra clothes to charity, food to a community food bank and garden seeds to the local community garden. I want to make a difference in my home as well as around the globe.
Are you inspired? Have you had similar experiences? Tell me more in a comment! :)
Lizi
Most of the world lives on less than $10 per day.
The relief that the US sends to foreign aid is white rice, flour and dehydrated beans--dead foods that have to be enriched to even contain any nutritive value.
Meanwhile, you refuse to look into how you can change the world and decide instead you need to put a $799 flat screen LCD television on a credit card because "you can't see the screen" on your current T.V.
Riiiight.
How about next week, instead of spending $4 on morning coffee and $10 on lunch, you take that $70 from ONE WEEK and apply it to a nutritional product that not only nourishes you and your family, but also sends plant-based nourishment to an underprivileged part of the world?
That's literally all it would take. See for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZpZDwjusIE
As an aside, I donated all of my extra clothes to charity, food to a community food bank and garden seeds to the local community garden. I want to make a difference in my home as well as around the globe.
Are you inspired? Have you had similar experiences? Tell me more in a comment! :)
Lizi
Dale Carnegie
I've been reading through Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. I had read it before in college, and while I thought it was really good then, I never made it my own and applied the principle's.
Man, what a mistake!
I recently resolved to follow his first principle in the book: Never Criticize, Condemn or Complain.
Let me back up a second and tell you about myself. I'm considered a driven, intelligent and kind person (these statements are taken from family and friends) . I make lots of mistakes (and freely admit that) which helps me to be understanding about other people. So, it's not like I was doing a major overhaul on my life, right?
WRONG!!!!
While I strive to never condemn other people, apparently the complaining aspect of my life was out of control. I had no idea I whined so much; in fact, I considered myself a tough cookie who kept her mouth shut!
Once you make the resolution to not complain, the first few days you find yourself repeatedly opening and then closing your mouth when you realize you can't jump on your pity bandwagon. The added benefit of looking like a suffocating fish eventually gets you to the place where you're disciplined enough to not open your mouth in the first place!
Then, about the 3rd day or so for me, I noticed 2 things.
#1: I became happier, because I couldn't complain--meaning I had no choice but to focus on the blessings in my life.
#2: Since I couldn't complain, I got to listen a lot more to people--not only did I learn more about them, but I was able to fill some needs AND give them a piece of my positive outlook!
And while I wasn't terrible about criticizing or condemning others, I'm sure my report card had a big, fat (NI) for Needs Improvement on it, because I did find myself wanting to make my friends feel better by being harsh of a third person's actions. But that's not really fair, is it? I'm not in any way involved in that situation, so that's exactly what I told my friends. They were surprisingly okay with that, and went on to talk about other things without missing a beat.
It just goes to show, you should always strive to grow.
Lizi
mannateamkratos@gmail.com
Man, what a mistake!
I recently resolved to follow his first principle in the book: Never Criticize, Condemn or Complain.
Let me back up a second and tell you about myself. I'm considered a driven, intelligent and kind person (these statements are taken from family and friends) . I make lots of mistakes (and freely admit that) which helps me to be understanding about other people. So, it's not like I was doing a major overhaul on my life, right?
WRONG!!!!
While I strive to never condemn other people, apparently the complaining aspect of my life was out of control. I had no idea I whined so much; in fact, I considered myself a tough cookie who kept her mouth shut!
Once you make the resolution to not complain, the first few days you find yourself repeatedly opening and then closing your mouth when you realize you can't jump on your pity bandwagon. The added benefit of looking like a suffocating fish eventually gets you to the place where you're disciplined enough to not open your mouth in the first place!
Then, about the 3rd day or so for me, I noticed 2 things.
#1: I became happier, because I couldn't complain--meaning I had no choice but to focus on the blessings in my life.
#2: Since I couldn't complain, I got to listen a lot more to people--not only did I learn more about them, but I was able to fill some needs AND give them a piece of my positive outlook!
And while I wasn't terrible about criticizing or condemning others, I'm sure my report card had a big, fat (NI) for Needs Improvement on it, because I did find myself wanting to make my friends feel better by being harsh of a third person's actions. But that's not really fair, is it? I'm not in any way involved in that situation, so that's exactly what I told my friends. They were surprisingly okay with that, and went on to talk about other things without missing a beat.
It just goes to show, you should always strive to grow.
Lizi
mannateamkratos@gmail.com
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