Quote About Procrastination
Archives for February 2006
Financial (and Self Improvement) Advice from Jean Chatzky
I posted earlier this morning on Office Freaks about an exciting and brilliant author , Jean Chatzky.
She has appeared on talk shows from Oprah to Regis, and has written for Time, USA Weekend Magazine, Forbes, New York Magazine, Working Woman, and countless other publications. She has also written several amazing bestsellers. The lady knows her stuff, and we’d all do well to take notes. Below is a little sampling of her knowledge….
By actually doing something over and over again, like reducing your spending in an effort to save, you’ll gain a feeling of accomplishment — even power. That’s why it’s so important to do just what will help you conquer what’s getting you down when you find yourself feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by something. When you’re feeling fat, for instance, you should hit the StairMaster instead of the refrigerator. And when you’re feeling poor, you should sit down with a pad of paper and figure out just how much your new habits are saving you. Saving two dollars a day by walking to work rather than taking the bus may not sound like much, but it adds up to more than $500 a year. Once you write it down, focus on how the accomplishment makes you feel. Concentrating on the change will make you feel energized. Think of it as insurance for how you’ll behave tomorrow.
If you take your eager-to-learn self to her website, Jean Chatzky.com, you can see more AND can subscribe to her newsletter.
Heart Health: Five Fast Facts That’ll Grab Your Attention
Whether you’re 19 yrs old, 79 yrs old, or 29 like me (glances over shoulder for lightning bolt), it would be foolish not to start paying more attention to your heart and its well-being. Today works for me, how about you?!
Fast Facts about Heart Health:
- Heart disease is the number 1 killer of American women. Number 1.
- Secondhand smoke kills. While in a smoke-filled room, the blood vessels of a nonsmoker are as damaged as those of a person who smokes 2 packs a day.
- Know the signs of a heart attack: chest discomfort, shortness of breath, pressure in the upper abdomen, unusual fatigue, pressure in the neck, jaw and arm, sweating, light-headedness, and fainting.
- A spokeswoman for the American Heart Association warns that a person might actually experience signs of an impending heart attack as much as 6 weeks beforehand. She warns anyone experiencing less intense versions of the symptoms above to see the doctor without hesitation.
- If you have heart disease – or are at risk – the American Heart Association recommends that you do the following every day:
- Exercise – it reduces heart attacks risk by 25 – 30 percent.
- Eat oatmeal
- Add an ounce of flaxseed to your cereal
- Take baby aspirin
- Use your head when you choose your bread. White bread (and pasta, for that matter) make insulin levels spike. This can eventually damage the blood vessels leading to your heart. Whole grains are metabolized more slowly – no spiking, making them a much healthier choice.
Find a wealth of heart healthy advice and information on The American Heart Association.
Surprising Source of Motivation
I can’t say that I totally believe in astrology – but I don’t let a day go by without reading my horoscope.
Before I go any further, I want to say that there are aspects to astrology that I do believe in, I just don’t personally think the stars hold our destiny. That responsibility is ours.
That said, I love reading horoscopes like some people love reading comics! They’re always entertaining and, every now and again, they’re downright motivation. Some of the best advice, inspiration, and motivation lies within these daily postings.
I guess you could say that I believe in their potency but not their prophecy.
Take, for example, part of my horoscope for today: Someone may be prodding you to take action today, dear Leo. It may be best if you beat them to it and just motivate yourself. I love it when my daily horoscope gives me a mini lecture. This is one I needed, too. I tend to be far too laid back – I got that from my dad, along with low blood pressure, outrageous allergies, a tendency to get a sunburn – even in the shade, a green thumb, mad cooking skills, and a WILD addiction to coffee.
I try to work on this particular area because it irritates me (the overly laid back bit, I embrace the coffee addiction). I just don’t seem capable of taking enough initiatives in life – I let far too many things just float by and then I wonder, “Why didn’t I do this…” or “Why didn’t I do that….”
Of course, being laid back has it’s perks. Again, like my dad, it takes a lot to make me mad. In a world where people get furious over having to stand in line for 5 minutes, it’s kind of cool to keep your cool.
It’s as though everyone’s psyche has its own persona. Mine? She’s somewhere between a beachcomber, a coffee-shop beatnik, and a Bohemian flower child. I’m the one that if someone short-changes them a dollar, let’s it go and figures that life keeps score and I’ll find one down the road somewhere.
Anyway, for some reason, reading this horoscope today has given me new determination to try and become more self-motivated – to sort of “take it” to life rather than letting life “take it” to me.
I certainly wouldn’t have opened up those avenues of thought on my own. My daily horoscope does that just about every day – gives me food for thought with a side order of motivation. Most of the time it’s just what I ordered, and sometimes (like today) it’s so good I hadn’t even had the sense TO order it.
Free advice and motivation? Hard to beat.
Pushing vs. Pulling
As a dreamologist, I hear and read about a lot of dreams – literally hundreds a month. I’m not a “You will meet a mysterious stranger who will be wearing stripes on the second Thursday of next month” dream prophet or anything as exotic as that. I think of myself more as a dream analyst – I can decipher the meanings behind dreams….. the symbolism behind the dream and what, if anything, should be taken away from the dream.
A lot of study, research, and hands-on training has gone into this craft and I enjoy it almost as much as anything I do.
The greatest part of it is working with people, hearing what’s on their minds, what’s bothering them….and helping whenever I can. The work and study are more than worth it when I get the e-mails thanking me for the insight and help. I’ve heard from the most colorful and amazing people in the world through my dream site and dream blog. It’s a shame I’m not a science fiction writer, I’d have enough material for several lifetimes!
I’ve noticed that a common theme for dreams centers around relationships. A person who is grieving, for example, will often have incredibly vivid and troubling dreams, as the mind tries desperately to heal itself from the pain it feels.
Someone who has had a break-up, which is also a form of grief, will often have recurring dreams about this person. Again, the mind tries to come to terms with a situation it isn’t comfortable with.
Something that amazes me about us (humans) is our knack to push ourselves. We put so much pressure on ourselves to just move on and keep going – regardless of the circumstances. I think we do ourselves more harm than good.
The really irritating thing is that we’ll tell others to “Take your time and heal.” but we’ll tell ourselves, “Move on already!” If only we’d be as understanding of and patient with ourselves as we are others.
Instead of pushing ourselves forward, sometimes I think it’s best to pull ourselves backward and just remember how to breathe. Whatever situations we face – whether they’re grieving for a lost loved one, a lost relationship, or an empty nest – we should first ask ourselves what advice we’d give if someone we loved were facing this same situation. Then, secondly, we should take our own advice. I’m fairly certain it wouldn’t be, “Move on!”
We have to care for our psyche if we want our psyche to take care of us.
Whether we’re dealing with relationships, a healing process, or trying to motivate ourselves in our personal or professional life – it’s a good idea to check up on our approach from time to time. Are we trying to push ourselves so hard that we aren’t even enjoying life? Even worse, are we trying to push someone else so hard that THEY aren’t enjoying life?!
Very often, whether it’s YOU or THEM you’re pushing, you’re actually just making things worse. People generally respond to being pushed by digging in their heels. It’s just a natural, human reaction. We don’t want to be pushed unless we asked for a nudge!
Instead of always pushing, try pulling instead.
- Pull back and evaluate the situation. Are you approaching it in the best way possible? In your “GO GO GO!” approach, have you overlooked something?
- If you’re trying to help someone else, first ask yourself: “Is it even my place to help them?” Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, we overstep our boundaries and try to make decisions that aren’t our’s to make.
- If this person does want and/or need your help, instead of pushing them, try to lead the way, then (if need be) reach back and gently pull them along.
Sure, there are times when pushing is better than pulling – pushing a child in a swing or orange sherbet up a “Push Up” – but more times than not, pulling is a much better approach.