The Week in Review

It was one of those "mixed bag" weeks, too busy and yet, not busy enough.  A week where I felt I was on point in my career, but in my personal life.. things are lacking. The thing that stands out the most was the death of someone I have known since I was fifteen years old. She was a lovely woman who struggled with her weight ever since I have known her. She went from being big to huge to massive. Unable to walk, let alone stand, she was placed in a convalescence home. Her family couldn't take care of her anymore. She died of complications due to morbid obesity. Some ask: "How do you allow yourself to get this big?" My answer: Real easy! Just don't move! Eat all you want, whenever you want, don't deal with personal issues and don't move one muscle. There is your recipe for disaster. I can't imagine what type of mental anguish someone who has gotten this large is going through. The physical is easy to see, it's in your face, but how do you deal with the mental if no one says anything? What kind of help can you offer if you don't know? All we see is them getting larger and slowly killing themselves. I think you have to deal with them in the same way you deal with anyone else with an addiction; confront and intervene. Something has to be done with the obesity issue in this country. Research is showing that obesity is now or on the way, to beating Cancer as the number one cause of death. How did we get here? I do believe and have always asserted that this is more a mental issue that has turned into a physical issue. I am no doctor, but I have been over one hundred pounds overweight and understand the thought processes that can create this slow death cycle. It's going to take family and friends and a whole lot of saying ENOUGH! to stop loved ones from hurting themselves with food. It is a hard, long journey that can be won. 
Peace

Can we get Happy?

"We live in a cynical world"... that is really my favorite line from the movie "Jerry Maguire" because it is true.  As we go to our business day to day, do you feel that sometimes there is an overwhelming level of cynicism? Of making things that are good bad, and what is bad, good? One of my friends described it as "treading through filthy water" that is how she feels about all of the negativity that seems to be so pervasive in our society at large.  Finding and keeping a positive outlook can be hard and sometimes you want to join the masses of cynics; but don't. Remember, everyone is responding differently to their own life experiences, they have nothing to do with you. How you take on life, how you respond to situations and how you treat your body and your mind is up to you. Cynicism is a form of distrust, which means there is no faith and no peace, then unhappiness rules. How tiring! I was once a cynical person( or tried to be) it didn't work well for me. Even in my misery, I had faith or at least a form of it. I couldn't let go of hope for total despair. I had to believe everyday that there was a reason for me to be here, for me to get up in the morning. So the cynic club kicked me out... I survived the expulsion. Have you noticed that cynical people are usually very critical as well? Pick, pick, pick is the name of their game and they are good at it. Take the time to look beyond what you see and hear and notice the very insecure person running their mouth. I always say that happiness is a choice, most things are. Being around such people will kill your happiness buzz and there is nothing worse than a buzz kill. Happiness is a choice. I can't say it enough and I have said it a lot. I DO stay away from the negativity that some chose to projectile vomit. I DO work to stay happy, without denying when I am in a bad mood; they happen. But I don't go looking to be in a bad mood or have something bad to say. Here is one more thing: Cynicism is not cool. Those people that sit in dark restaurants with sunglasses on and talk but don't move their lips and seem to have a bad review for everything. Well, they might think that is cool behavior, but I beg to differ. It is boring and sad. Choose happiness.