It’s not the load that breaks you…. it’s the way you carry it. – Sandi Bachom
From the category archives:
Self Help Daily
“All of my life I have always had the urge to do things better than anybody else.” - Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Babe Didrikson Zaharias was one of the greatest athletes to ever live – not just one of the greatest female athletes to ever live. This gal was a phenomenon. She could run, throw, jump, ride, play baseball, basketball, golf, and who knows what all!
In the 1932 Olympic tryouts, she won five first places in track and field. Five. In the Los Angeles Olympics she placed second in the high jump, first in the women’s 80-meter hurdles, and first in the javelin throw.
Many people would have been satisfied with these achievements and simply lived out their life in the fame and glory that surrounded them. I mean, why risk more? If you’re on top already, why chance a slip?
Thankfully Babe didn’t think like most people any more than she played like most people. She pushed the boundaries back even further by taking up the game of golf.
Preparation: Babe Didrikson found herself a wonderful instructor and studied the game.
Practice: She worked on her swing until it was perfect. She practiced on her long game and her short game. She mastered the game by first studying the game, then practicing her mechanics until they were perfection in motion. She spent hours on practice tees, sometimes hitting a thousand range balls in a single afternoon.
Push: Think about it. Babe was known for her power and strength – but she pushed her boundaries with a game that now called for finesse. Sometimes she would spend s much time hitting balls that her hands would become so red and sore that it hurt to grip the club. She’d stop long enough to tape them up, then she’d push on. Determination is a beautiful thing, wouldn’t you agree?
Pay Off: Babe Didrikson won the U.S. national woman’s amateur and British woman’s amateur championships. She became a symbol of courage all over the world, not just on the track and greens. She faced cancer with the same gritty determination and courage. She remains, to this day, one of our nation’s most beloved athletes.
Look at how they progress: Preparation. Practice. Push. Pay Off. If we take any of the first 3 out, we’ll never see the 4th… and if we aren’t going to get to the 4th, why in the world bother?!?!
More Babe Didrikson Zaharias Quotes:
t has been argued that Babe Didrikson Zaharias was the greatest woman athlete ever. [u]More About Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Selected Babe Didrikson Zaharias Quotations
- You can’t win them all — but you can try.
- Study the rules so that you won’t beat yourself by not knowing something.
- I am out to beat everybody in sight, and that is just what I’m going to do.
- You have to play by the rules of golf just as you have to live by the rules of life. There’s no other way.
- The formula for success is simple: practice and concentration then more practice and more concentration.
- Before I was in my teens, I knew exactly what I wanted to be: I wanted to be the best athlete who ever lived.
- The more you practice, the better. But in any case, practice more than you play.
- It’s not enough just to swing at the ball. You’ve got to loosen your girdle and let ‘er fly.
- Practice, which some regard as a chore, should be approached as just about the most pleasant recreation ever devised, besides being a necessary part of golf.
- Good golf is easier to play — and far more pleasant — than bad golf.
- Before I was ever in my teens, I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. My goal was to be the greatest athlete that ever lived.
- As long as I’m improving, I will go on, and besides, there’s too much money in the business to quit.
And my favorite Babe Didrikson Zaharias quote? – - – -The Babe is here. Who’s coming in second?
When I named my first self improvement blog, I chose Out of Bounds because I’m in love with the idea of pushing boundaries. The concept was, and is, to never allow yourself to be trapped in a restricted area – confined by boundaries set by anyone, including yourself. Of course it’s a lot easier to say, “Go as far as you think you possibly can and then go further” than it is to actually do it. Sadly, it is very easy to create these boundaries for yourself. It’s easy to say, “I’ve gone as far as I possibly can – so leave me alone. Leave me comfortable. Hand me a Coke while you’re up.”
But, really, just how wonderful is stagnation? How comfortable is it to cease to grow? If you ask me, few things are sadder than the individual with a world of potential who won’t get out of their own way. They take a look around and see boundaries that have been set either by others or their own insecurities and laziness. Then, instead of summoning up enough fight to push the boundaries back – they go back to the couch. How much are they missing out on? What are they robbing themselves, and possibly the rest of the world, of?
Unless gumption finds them on the couch and taps them on the shoulder, we may never know.
In the world of sports, this sort of comfy cozy thinking seals athletes’ fates again and again. You know the inspirational quote, Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? Apparently, many more people are flirting with insanity than we ever thought possible.
Here’s one scenario: An NCAA basketball program sits down to make out a schedule for the coming year. The coach and athletic director, who of course value their job, take caution when scheduling other teams. They often opt for more cupcakes than they do serious competition. After all, wins are all that matter to them at that moment. Then, along comes March and they find themselves again on the “bubble” for being selected into the highly coveted NCAA Tournament. The experts play the familiar song of “a weak schedule” and how important it is to have a strong schedule. Every. Year.
The coaches and the athletic directors KNOW they have to play stronger teams to stand a chance of making the dance. Yet, somehow they keep setting their own boundaries – then waiting on a miracle in March. They make one of the worst mistakes in the world – leaving their fate in someone else’s hands. Whenever possible, we should move Heaven and earth to control our own fate and make our own way… yes, even if that means pushing the boundaries back and taking chances. Never leave your fate up to someone else. Stay behind the wheel of your own car.
Taking on challenges is like playing stronger teams – it makes you stronger, and isn’t that the whole idea?
Of course (sticking with NCAA basketball – partly because I eat, sleep, and breath it… I’m from Kentucky, it’s a birthright) the kids aren’t always completely blameless, either. How about the games they throw away because they lose focus? Sure it’s tough to have laser focus during final exams week or the holidays – but sometimes you have to dig deep and if you can’t find the strength – create it.
My own beloved UK Wildcats lost focus earlier in the season. They achieved the coveted #1 ranking, got a call from President Obama (for raising an incredible amount of money for Haiti), were lead by candidates for player of the year, freshman of the year, and coach of the year, and were the last undefeated team in the country. Distractions, much? They went to South Carolina to play a team who (on paper), while comprised of talented kids with a lot of heart, in no way, shape, or form, should have beaten UK. No way. No way. No way.
But they did.
The South Carolina kids, coaches, and fans had a look of sheer determination and focus in their eyes and in their play.
Our guys lost focus for one game and – in the end – it could have cost them (months later) a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. At the time, the tourney was the farthest thing from their minds. If the President had just called me, I’m pretty sure it would be far from my mind as well! This lack of focus wound up drawing boundaries for them – locking them out of the #1 spot in the rankings.
They had to fight like crazy the rest of the year – especially in the SEC Tournament – to keep their top seed hopes alive. Thanks to a team who was fighting for their NCAA life (Mississippi State), we could have easily lost our number one seed.
Although no one really wants to think about it (because it makes the head throb and the heart sink), if UK had kept their focus in South Carolina, they could have finished the year ranked #1 and gotten the very top seed.
When we lose focus, even for 40 minutes – we create our own boundaries.
Approach each day with more than just that day in mind. Think of the big picture, what you’re working toward. Don’t think about who you are, where you are, or what you’re doing, think about who you want to be, where you want to go, and what you want to be doing. At the first of each season, and before each game, if the players and coaches all remembered that they were playing for top positions in the NCAA tournament (or even an invitation to the dance), they’d be SO much better off.
Thinking about it in March is too late.
- If you want a promotion or a raise next year – it’s something you have to keep in mind each and every day. You can’t wait for next year to roll around, then hope you did enough. You have to think about it every single day and make sure you do enough! Don’t let laziness or lack of focus create boundaries.
- If you want to lose weight – you can’t slack off. You have to commit yourself to the task each and every day – yes, even on weekends. You know the smart decisions, just make them and make them and keep making them until you get to where you want to be. Don’t set deep-fried or sugar-coated boundaries for yourself and don’t let laziness or a lack of focus fence you in.
- If you want to grow your home business and make more money (who doesn’t?!), you can’t just think about it once or twice a week. You can’t just focus your attention on it when the bills are due. It’s something you have to focus on and commit to every day – 24/7.
When we lose focus, things that shouldn’t in any way defeat us sneak up on us. Whether they’re Gamecocks or other forces of evil!
Stay focused and keep pushing yourself to go further, do more, and be more. This is the only way to keep pushing the boundaries AWAY from you and to keep growing. The alternative? The boundaries won’t just close in on you – they’ll collapse on you and you won’t have anywhere to go…. or grow. Keep pushing the boundaries. Keep pushing the boundaries. Keep pushing the boundaries. Out of bounds is where the sweetest music is.
Dance on!
Don’t waste time learning the tricks of the trade. Instead learn the trade. - Life’s Little Instruction Book: 511 Suggestions, Observations, and Reminders on How to Live a Happy and Rewarding Life
Beautiful. I honestly can’t think of a single area of life where that this quote doesn’t reach. We always want to know the tricks, tips, and shortcuts, don’t we? Yet if we put forth just a little more time and effort, we could learn the trade, itself. If you truly know what you’re doing, you don’t need trickery.
Something to think about.
*** If you have somehow managed to live your life to this point without “Life’s Little Instruction Book,” thank God for his grace and head off to Amazon right now to purchase this wonderful little book. I think it’s like the price of a Subway footlong and a drink – less than $7.00, but worth so much more. If I could show you the shape my own copy is in right now you’d understand how much I love this book and how many times I’ve read and re-read it. Be off with thee – go order a copy now!
Below are a couple of links I hope you’ll take the time to check out. It’s all about the food we put into our bodies and how it can work for or against us. It boils down to making smart choices and being proactive in the supermarket. I guarantee (unless you answer to the name Dr. Oz) that’ll you’ll find information that you never knew – a couple of facts that’ll make you sit up and take note.
The first few links feature food expert Michael Pollan. He researches food the way my husband researches golf. All over it. His food rules has sparked a lot of conversations in my family. Conversations about what foods we need to eat more of, less of, and what foods we vow to never buy again. We long ago vowed to only purchase foods that are “cruelty free,” and I hope that’s something you’ll also commit to. Mostly, I hope that you’ll take your health extremely seriously and eat foods that’ll promote a longer, healthier, and happier life.
A few of Michael Pollan’s food rules:
- Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
- Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.
- Eat only foods that will eventually rot. Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.
For a video featuring Oprah with Michael Pollan explaining his food rules: Food Expert Michael Pollan’s Food Rules Video
Food 101 with Michael Pollan, a wonderful slideshow: Food 101 with Michael Pollan
Dr. Oz talks with Michael Pollan about making smart choices: Dr. Oz Interviews Michael Pollan
Buy Michael Pollan’s book, Food Rules, on Amazon: Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual
Surprising Superfoods – Maple Syrup? Who Knew?!: Surprising Superfoods
It’s all great, great, great information and I guarantee you that you’ll be glad you took the time to read, watch, listen, think…. and then act.
I believe in animal rights, and high among them is the right to the gentle stroke of a human hand. – Robert Brault
Photo Credit: The one website I’m on at least 3 times a day, I Can Has Cheezburger.com – The only thing I’m on more than ICHC is caffeine.
I heart Subway. I, literally, could eat lunch at my neighborhood Subway each and every day. I’ve tried each of their sandwiches over the many years I’ve been in love with them and I’ve never left a bite untouched. My only request would be the addition of Guacamole… come on, I’ll pay more for it!
A few minutes ago, one of Subway’s catchy “Five Dollar Foot long… ANY Five Dollar Foot long….” commercials came on. In addition to making me want a Veggie Delite with black olives, lettuce, American Cheese, cucumbers, banana peppers, pickles, and sweet onion dressing, it made me think about their successful advertising campaign. This one took guts – and paid off.
If I had a Sales and Marketing blog, I’d applaud Subway’s brilliance for attacking the fragile economy head on with their infamous $5 Subways. I’d point out that they know that they get that the best way to woo the public is to tap into into the things that matter most to them:
- Health and Fitness. Remember Jared? He showed us how “one of us” (the guy or gal next door) actually lost weight while eating delicious food. They’re also prominent sponsors of the popular show The Biggest Loser… again reminding us that they’re on our side. They’ll provide us with delicious, healthy alternatives and save us from the fried, greasy stuff we might get elsewhere.
- Saving Money! A footlong sub (piled with goodness) for $5.00 is an excellent deal, just when we need excellent deals the most. Brilliant.
Alas, I don’t have a sales blog because I know diddly squat about selling. I’m on team buying, not team selling. Which, I suppose explains why my husband is on team selling.
From a Self Help and Self Improvement standpoint, I think we can actually learn something from this popular, catchy Subway campaign. Whether we use the lesson in our daily life, in our writing and blogging, in our work, or in the ways we try to make the world a better place – it’s right there, waiting for us to scarf it up as readily as we do the subways, themselves.
Here are a few of the lessons I think we can learn from Subway:
- Originality rawks and originality rawks hard.
- We shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously.
- We should often look for ways to renew, refresh, and reinvent ourselves.
Think about it. Subway took a huge chance on this campaign. They chose a jingle which, let’s be honest, is a little cheesy. Yet they went with it. In fact they ran with it – laughing at themselves in the process. How cool is that?! Jingles like this are very hit or miss. Subway could have been laughed AT or laughed WITH. They went over the top and landed in the zone. Life is about taking chances and taking risks. Sometimes you have to just go for it – without hesitation and without fear. Many times, these risks pay off better than you ever even hoped for.
Don’t ever be afraid to be yourself. Don’t ever be afraid to stand out from the crowd. Don’t ever aspire to be a wallflower.
I also love the fact that this successful campaign doesn’t involve them trying to sling lettuce on their competition (though they have in the past gone down that yellow and red brick road). These types of campaigns always turn me off. It’s like, if you believe in what you have to offer, why bring the other guys into it? In fact, some fast food restaurant recently had a campaign where they took a swipe at Wendy’s (by showing the back of a girl with big red ponytails). Here’s the effect it had on me: I rushed out for some Wendy’s chili. I got an instant craving and addressed it immediately.
Hmmm, I seriously can’t even tell you who’s commercial it was. For me, it was Wendy’s.
Brought to the world of self improvement and self help: We will never climb higher by stepping on other people. Putting our footprints on others never adds value to them – it lessens what value they had. Every time.
If you value what you have to say and what you have to offer, what does it matter to you what others are doing or saying? Why go to their blogs and leave negative comments or try to run their name down on yours’? If you believe in yourself, believe all the way and keep the spotlight on yourself. I suspect that many times insecurity is the reason people shine the spotlight on others. Why else wouldn’t they want it on themselves?
I know that many things in life are gravely serious. I’m as aware of that as anyone. However, I also know that many people take things far too seriously. Life should be enjoyed, not stressed over. Let go of little things and you’ll find that the world is a beautiful, wonderful place. Let it be.
Finally, Subway teaches us the value of reinventing yourself. They knew that Jared’s campaign had kind of worn itself out. The public had gotten pretty accustomed to his handsome face and winsome disposition. I’m not saying he doesn’t have a lot of mileage left – I love the Jared commercials! I am saying this, Subway knew it was time to mix things up a little and throw something unexpected out there.
Now, when Jared does come back, we’ll be more apt to pay attention.
Never allow yourself to fall into a rut. Mix things up every now and then! Be true to your message, your goal, your dreams, and your life’s mission…. but keep things interesting. If you lull everyone to sleep, they’ll never hear a word you’re saying.
You know what makes me sad? When people WANT to do something, learn something, or try something but hold themselves back. No one else is standing in their way but themselves.
- If you wish you kept a cleaner house, pick up the broom and make it happen. Start now!
- If you wish you knew more geography (or history, math, botany, a foreign language), what are you waiting for? As soon as you leave Self Help Daily, find some wonderful educational websites and/or head off for the library. Learning new things is invigorating and makes you feel more alive than ever. Have at it!
- If you wish you were known for having an easy-going, laid back temper instead of being a hot head – start working on it.
You get the point. If you aren’t happy with the path you’re on… make a new one. No one’s making you stay on this one. Pave your own path and, you know the rules by now, don’t just walk down it, dance.
Dance on!
I may not be there yet, but I’m closer than I was yesterday. – Author Unknown
Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down. – Charles F. Kettering
One may go a long way after one is tired. – French Proverb
Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second. – William James
Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. – William Feather
Always remember….
Difficult things take a long time, impossible things a little longer. -
Author Unknown
Making an issue of little things is one of the surest ways to spoil happiness. One’s personal pride is felt to be vitally injured by surrender, but there is no quality of human nature so nearly royal as the ability to yield gracefully. It shows small confidence in one’s own nature to fear that compromise lessens self-control. To consider constantly the comfort and happiness of another is not a sign of weakness but of strength. – Charles Conrad
If you’re anything like me, when the weather’s warm, you have a hard time staying inside. The past few days, I’ve felt kind of like a cat – I loved the return of sunshine so much, I just wanted to lie down in the yard and sun myself. Two of our outside cats are doing just that right now. One of the younger ones keeps wanting to play with one of the older ones, but she’s only interested in sunning. She just shot him a look that let him know that he wasn’t to disturb her sunny slumber ever again.
Since he just rolled over to face the other way, I’d say he got the message.
Since Old Man Winter has finally packed up his bags and seems to finally be leaving, I thought a sun safety article was in order to remind us all to b careful with something we’ll have for the rest of our lives – our skin. I love winter more than most people. While 9 out of 10 people are dreading a snow storm, I’m hoping for as many inches as possible. But even I was growing tired winter this year – he really overstayed his welcome this time. Now it’s time for glorious spring followed by glorious summer! All I can think about is baseball, bird watching, feeding squirrels, grilling out, planting flowers, homemade lemonade, ice cream, and more baseball.
Let the fun in the sun begin – AFTER we remind ourselves of the importance of our skin and how vital it is that we take care of it.
Facts About Skin Cancer
- Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.
- More than one million instances of skin cancers are diagnosed each year.
- Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.
- One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
- In 2004, the total direct cost associated with the treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers was more than $1 billion.
- About 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
- Up to 90 percent of the visible changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun.
- The incidence of many common cancers is falling, but the incidence of melanoma continues to rise significantly, at a rate faster than that of any of the seven most common cancers.
- More than 20 Americans die each day from skin cancer, primarily melanoma. One person dies of melanoma almost every hour (every 62 minutes).
Realizing the Dangers of Skin Cancer
For some outrageous reason, I’ve noticed that the majority of people seem to think of skin cancer about the same way they think about psoriasis or exzema. “Eh, it’s just a skin condition that you put a little cream on… have it scraped off at the worst. I’ll take my chances for my golden tan.“ Dumb. Then you’ll get the crowd that tells you how addictive the feeling is from baking in the sun or under the heat lamps.
Is the feeling worth dying for? One person dies of melanoma almost every hour…
Skin cancer isn’t a rash, for crying out loud. It’s cancer. C-A-N-C-E-R. And it’s one of the cancers that we can do the most to avoid. I guess that’s the good news and the bad news, all rolled into one, because can is never spelled W.I.L.L.
More Skin Cancer Facts from Skin Cancer.org
MEN / WOMEN
- The majority of people diagnosed with melanoma are white men over age 50.
- Five percent of all cancers in men are melanomas; Four percent of all cancers in women are melanomas.
- Contrary to popular belief, recent studies show that people receive a fairly consistent dose of ultraviolet radiation over their entire lifetime. Adults over age 40, especially men, have the highest annual exposure to UV.
- Between 1980 and 2004, the annual incidence of melanoma among young women increased by 50 percent, from 9.4 cases to 13.9 cases per 100,000 women.
- The number of women under age 40 diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma has more than doubled in the last 30 years; the squamous cell carcinoma rate for women has also increased significantly.
- Until age 39, women are almost twice as likely to develop melanoma as men. Starting at age 40, melanoma incidence in men exceeds incidence in women, and this trend becomes more pronounced with each decade.
- One in 39 men and one in 58 women will develop melanoma in their lifetime.
- Melanoma is one of only three cancers with an increasing mortality rate for men.
INDOOR TANNING
- Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a proven human carcinogen, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Frequent tanners using new high-pressure sunlamps may receive as much as 12 times the annual UVA dose compared to the dose they receive from sun exposure.
- Seventy one percent of tanning salon patrons are girls and women aged 16-29.
- First exposure to tanning beds in youth increases melanoma risk by 75 percent.
- People who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma.
PEDIATRICS
- Melanoma accounts for up to three percent of all pediatric cancers.
- Between 1973 and 2001, melanoma incidence in those under 20 rose 2.9 percent.
- Melanoma is seven times more common between the ages of 10 and 20 than it is between 0 and 10 years.
- Diagnoses – and treatment – are delayed in 40 percent of childhood melanoma cases.
- Ninety percent of pediatric melanoma cases occur in girls aged 10-19.
To keep yourself and your family safe, make sure everyone understands that Skin Cancer is dangerous – even fatal. E-Mail them a link to this article – tell them you’ll buy them lunch if they’ll read it, word for word. Use my oldest cat’s name (Hannah) as a test question to make sure they did! I’m a mother, I know the secrets of staying on top of the game.
Sun Safety: Avoid Skin Cancer
- If you have things to do outside (walking, mowing, gardening), do them before 10 A.M. and after 4 P.M.
- During the hours from 10 to 4, stay in the shade as much as possible.
- Don’t burn!
- Avoid tanning booths. As the US Department of Health and Human Services states, UV radiation from either the sun or tanning machines is a proven human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) and considerable research shows it is the chief cause of skin cancer.
- Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day, even if you’re certain you’ll be in the shade most of the time. Reapply often.
- Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.
A Healthy Diet to Prevent Skin Cancer
- Get this: People who eat three servings of spinach a week decrease their risk of skin cancer by 55 percent! Popeye was onto something. Spinach contains folate, vitamins A, C, and E, lutein, and zeaxanthin – these nutrients boost your skin’s resistance to sun damage. Eat spinach in salads, pasta salads, on sandwiches, in pesto, in pasta, in Spinach and Artichoke dips, etc.
- Thanks to Lycopene, tomatoes also reduce your chances of getting skin cancer or even getting sun-burned. Pair tomatoes often with spinach for double-the-protection. Throw both into salads, sandwiches, pasta, and use them as pizza toppings.
- Black raspberries and pomegranates are also on Real Age.com’s list of foods to eat for healthier skin.
- Saving the yummiest for last – Dark Chocolate! Dark Chocolate (one of my reasons for living) has a great reputation for many health benefits. I was overjoyed to see that it just keeps getting better. Did you know that dark chocolate boasts more cancer-fighting chemicals than green tea and red wine? That makes each bite, somehow, taste even sweeter. According to Real Age: ….in a study that thrilled chocolate lovers, women who drank a daily cup of cocoa made from 3 ounces of good dark chocolate (70% or more cacao) had thicker, moister, smoother skin that was also more resistant to sun damage . . . in just three months, thanks to chocolate’s potent flavonols.
Of course, just because you know that you can help protect your skin with a healthy diet – that isn’t an invitation to be a sun goddess or god. Experts agree, we need between 10 and 20 minutes of sunshine each day. It helps our body make Vitamin D and it boost our mood. But between 10 and 20 minutes is all we actually need. An excess is just courting danger… the kind of danger that none of us need or want.
Have fun but be smart and be safe.
