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Archives for February 2009

Duke Ellington Quotes – You’re Going to Love These

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Duke Ellington Quote
Duke Ellington, as far as I’m concerned, is the reason Jazz exists. I wouldn’t want to take anything whatsoever away from the other early jazz greats, but come on…. he was the Duke. Duke Ellington won 13 Grammy’s and wrote over 3,000 songs. He was responsible for one of the most legendary lines to ever come from a song, “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.”

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was recently honored in a huge and very deserving manner. He will be the first African-American to appear on an American coin – he’ll be featured on the District of Columbia’s coin in the line of state coins.

An intelligent, colorful, and stylish man, Duke Ellington left his mark on his country, and the world, with his music, style, and passion for his art. He also left behind some very profound words of wisdom for us, as you’re about to see.

Spend a few minutes with each quote and let it set in. See how each relates to your own personal life.

Duke Ellington Quotes

“Critics have their purposes, and they’re supposed to do what they do, but sometimes they get a little carried away with what they think someone should have done, rather than concerning themselves with what they did.”

“A problem is a chance for you to do your best.”

“Gray skies are just clouds passing over.”

“I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.”

“My attitude is never to be satisfied, never enough, never.”

“People do not retire. They are retired by others.”

“On becoming more acquainted with the word of the Bible, I began to understand so much more of what I had been taught, and of what I had learned about life and about the people in mine.”

“The wise musicians are those who play what they can master.”

“There are two kinds of worries – those you can do something about and those you can’t. Don’t spend any time on the latter.”

And this one may not have much self improvement wind beneath its wings, but I thought it was really cute: “Playing ‘bop’ is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.”

Duke Ellington passed away at the age of 75 in 1974.

Turn your volume up and visit Duke Ellington’s Official Website to learn more about this great man and the impact he had on the world of music. Let the song play all the way through – you won’t regret one tiny second of it. I have the website minimized here on my laptop and his beautiful music and voice are filling my dining room. You haven’t blogged until you’ve blogged while bopping your head and swinging in your seat.

My cat thinks I’ve finally lost it. Wait’ll she sees me sashay over to the coffee pot for a refill. I’m about to bust out some of my best moves.

The postcard at the top of the post (making it a post postcard?) is available in the store of his official website. There are also t-shirts, stamps, a tie, a key chain, and a coffee mug that I must, must have. Click HERE for the postcard. I just get excited about keeping the memory and magic of great people alive. In a way, when we do that, we’re keeping them alive.

Ann Nixon Cooper’s Secret to Longevity

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Ann Nixon Cooper

This beautiful face belongs to Ann Nixon Cooper She is better known, I suppose, as the Oldest American Voter. The southern lady hails from Atlanta, Georgia, and is currently the one person I’d most want to sit down and talk with.

Not just because of the history that she has lived through and not just because of her longevity.  Sure, I’d love to hear her first-hand accounts of the different Presidential terms she’s seen, the wars, the moments that shaped our nation and our world.  And I would hang on her every word when she spoke of her favorite foods and drinks.  Obviously the lady is onto something the experts only think they know.

After all, she’s outliving all of them!

The main reason I’d love to sit down and visit with her is her smile and her attitude.  She exudes the warmth, strength, charm, and loveliness that you’d expect from a southern lady.

When asked about the secret to her longevity, Ann Nixon Cooper gave us our quote of the day:  “Being Cheerful had a lot to do with it  I’ve always been a happy person, a giggling person – a wide-mouthed person!”

Oh, I love her all right.

Photo Credit: The History Makers

Overcoming Bad (Seemingly Small) Habits

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Svenn

Svenn

A few days ago, my male cats (Bo and Svenn) were helping my in the yard.  The disastrous ice storm here in Kentucky did a real number on trees, and since we have a virtual forest in our yard, we had limbs and branches down like you wouldn’t believe.  It honestly looked as though a tornado had torn through.

My husband was out of town and I thought he’d be glad to see a lot of the work done when he came back.  My boys followed me every step of the way.  They were delighted with the entertainment and I loved the company.

They watched as I dragged most of the heavy limbs and carried the ones that could be carried.  Some were so heavy they had to stay right where they were.  The rabbits under one of them appreciated it greatly.  My brave, tough boys just peeked through the branches at the rabbits and turned away.  Fortunately for the rabbits (and for me who would have tried to stop it), my only cat who would have given chase and sent fur flying is now a house cat.

Her brothers are big softies.

It wasn’t long before I realized that, although the large limbs had to be dragged a great distance and taxed what few muscles I own, the small branches were much more of a headache.  They required frequent bending over as I gathered them up and it seemed as though I never gained on them.  They were great nuisances, in spite of their innocent appearance.

Bend over… straighten up… squat down… straighten up..  I found myself preferring the big ones because they required one big tug and that was that.

It occurs to me that many of our habits are like these sticks.  Many of the negative traits or habits that hold us back are usually the small ones.  These “stick habits” add up and can cause some serious damage in our lives.

What are some stick habits or traits?

  • Temper
  • Being judgmental
  • Being too hard to please
  • Laziness
  • Being sloppy
  • Selfishness

It seems to me that when we have large habits, we often find a way to “muscle up” and control them.  We KNOW they’re there, they’re too big to miss!   Some of these include smoking, overeating, not controlling your weight, spending too much money (shhhh), lying, etc.  These big bama jammas are so in your face that we couldn’t ignore them for long if we tried.    All the while we’re looking at these larger ones, the smaller habits just keep lying there, causing a perfect mess.

That’s how it was when I was cleaning the front yard.  I hauled limb after limb after limb – then on one of my last trips back to the front of the house, I noticed that there were only a couple of large limbs left.  My mind started to celebrate by mapping out the rest of the afternoon’s schedule – warm shower, chili for lunch, a pot of coffee, an Andy Griffith episode, perhaps a second warm shower (what can I say, I was freezing).  Then when I pulled away a few of the big limbs, I noticed what had to be a gazillion sticks and branches.   Andy and Barney were going to have to wait.

Our “Stick Habits” Keep Us.

  • They keep our relationships from being as close as they could be.
  • They keep us from moving up the ladder at work.
  • They keep us from having the things we want.
  • They keep us from making the world a better place.
  • They keep us from being as happy as we could be.
  • They keep peace and contentment at arm’s reach.

Take a good close look at your negative habits.  Not the big ones (at least not this time), lean in close and observe the small ones.

Once the stick habits are there in plain view, pick them up and throw them out of your life. Naturally, breaking a bad habit isn’t as easy as picking up a stick lying on the ground in front of you.  Especially if it’s a habit that’s been “in place” for years.

These are the toughest to get rid of because it feels like they’ve “taken root!”

The trick is to… wow, can’t believe I”m having to say this… stick with it.  If you were to carry a stick to a pile, you’d need to keep your fingers wrapped around it the entire time, right? If not, it’d fall to the ground.  When you’re dealing with a bad habit, you have to keep your fingers wrapped around its neck the whole time. If not, it’ll take YOU to the ground.

Keep telling yourself that you’re bigger, smarter, and infinitely more powerful than this “little” habit.  Realize that you, after all, created it – not the other way around.  What’s more, if you created it, you can destroy it.

Just remember to keep your fingers on the stick. Don’t let go.  They say it takes 3 weeks (or 21 days) to BREAK a habit or to “cement” a new habit.  Keep your eye on the calendar, even if its the one in your mind. There’s an end to the road, just like there’s an end to yard work (*Insert sigh of relief right here) – the trick is just to keep going.

A few tips that I’ve found very useful when breaking bad little habits:

  • Develop a good new habit in its place.  Example: If you have a bad habit of going through drive thrus for fries (but they’re soooo goood), start getting a big iced tea or coffee instead.
  • Outsmart yourself. Example: If you bite your nails, start meticulously manicuring them.  If you wear nail polish, polish them with the prettiest color imaginable – you’ll find yourself less willing to mess up your work of art.
  • Regroup.  Example: Bad temper? Make a new habit of taking a deep breath, collecting your thoughts and regrouping. Calmness is a beautiful thing and I”m pretty sure you’ll fall in love with the feeling.

Mark my words, it will make a huge and profound difference in every area of your life when you break even the smallest bad habit.  Cast them away so far that you can’t even see them any more, then do everything in your power to make sure that nothing carries them back into your life.  It won’t be long before people around you notice the difference as much as you do.

A lot of hings that were so wrong will suddenly be so right.

 

Bo

Bo

 

Amy Tan Quote About Circumstances

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In America nobody says you have to keep the circumstances somebody else gave you. –  Amy Tan

One of the truly great fictional authors of our time, Amy Tan, celebrates her birthday today.  Since I don’t believe that one’s age should define them, I’ll just say it’s her birthday – and leave which birthday it is on the low.

Amy Tan’s celebrated novels include The Joy Luck Club, The Bonesetter’s Daughter, and The Kitchen God’s Wife.  In the first paragraph of her Biography on her official website, I think it’s fascinating that the idea of her “failing” is addressed.

Born in the US to immigrant parents from China, Amy Tan failed her mother’s expectations that she become a doctor and concert pianist. She settled on writing fiction.

Parents!

The quote at the top of the post indicates the strength that must have seen her through life’s challenges, whether they these challenges presented themselves as a mom with very lofty ideals or an extremely dangerous bout with Lyme Disease.

Granted, we have to play the cards that life deals us.  But the moves we make?  They’re entirely up to us, after all, they’re in our hands – not someone else’s.

Why We Need to Cleanse by Mona Morstein, ND

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Cleansing, “clean living,” and detox programs, are more than just buzz words today, they’re subjects people are turning into lifestyles. We’re all about healthy living on Self Help Daily, so these are ideas we get excited about.

by Mona Morstein, ND

Today, we are all surrounded by unclean air, polluted water, processed food made with thousands of chemicals, pesticides sprayed on our homes and offices, xenoestrogens leaching from plastic, tobacco smoke drifting over to you–if you eat, drink or breathe on Planet Earth, you’re toxic.

The typical American has 80-90 serious chemicals in their fat cells. We eat and drink huge amounts of refined sugar, which slows down the liver’s capacity to detoxify environmental chemicals; we drink coffee and alcohol which aggravate the liver, too; we down over the counter and prescribed medicines; we have low fiber diets so toxins reaching the gut are not taken out in the stool, but instead are reabsorbed; we eat little fruits and vegetables so have little vitamins and minerals to strengthen tissue and prevent oxidative damage from toxins.

We overeat, which causes stagnation in our intestines, and low beneficial bacteria, and those lead to toxemia and ill health.

Is any of this looking like YOU?
All in all, Americans are exposed to chemicals unwillingly, ingest chemicals regularly, and have bodies which have lost the capacity to efficiently and effectively eliminate toxins. We then see patients walking around fatigued and depressed, with sore bodies and headaches, stiff joints and gut problems, food allergies and skin rashes, developing hormonal and autoimmune conditions, getting no help from standard medicine, and becoming hopeless.

Historically, in Europe, when patients felt very poorly, they went away to the “spa”. There, they ate a simple diet, did gentle exercise such as walking their bare feet in dewy grass, got away from the stresses in their lives, did some hydrotherapy, breathed fresh air and were able to detoxify and heal. Today, the spa treatment is very hard for working parents with children to do! And, it’s very expensive.

Another logical route to take is to do the most natural detoxification in the world–fasting. Stopping eating is the best way to cleanse the body, have it rid itself of toxins, and begin the journey to successful healing. The purest fast is a pure water fast, done while one puts one’s life on complete hold, but that can be as difficult to do as going to a spa.

An alternate is to do a modified fast, using fruit juice. The Master Cleanse has been around for decades and consists of drinking only a mixture of lemon juice, cayenne pepper and grade B maple syrup for 7-10 days. How can this drink benefit you? Lemon juice is one of the most effective bile stimulants, and since toxins are excreted through the bile, you would be promoting detoxification by increasing bile production in the liver. Cayenne pepper is a marvelous herb for the intestinal tract, and the heart and circulatory system. Cayenne pepper helps heal the gut, and promotes better digestion. Cayenne also promotes blood movement, lowers the blood pressure and aids the heat actions. Maple syrup is added just to give a person some energy to continue their daily activities.

If you’re too busy to make up your own Master Cleanse concoction and don’t want to fast for 10 days, you may want to try something I found. It’s called Simply Slender (http://www.simplyslenderdiet.com/) and it is essentially a pre-mixed version of the Master Cleanse with added Acai, Noni, Mangosteen and Goji juice to supply additional antioxidants. Simply Slender is a 2-4 day cleansing diet and you can eat fruits and vegetables while on it. Something like Simply Slender gets the job done, and fits better into most people’s busy schedules.

Who would benefit from cleansing? Any adult who feels run down, stressed out, fatigued, who has any chronic disease, who has never given their body a rest from eating, who feels “toxic”. However, you should check with your physician if you are going to dedicate yourself to a cleanse, as you may have to decrease or stop certain medications as a result of the program you choose.

After you finish your cleanse, work with a naturopathic physician (www.naturopathic.org) to improve your diet, and work with you toward regaining and maintaining your health. You can cleanse 1-2 times each year for health purposes, but you need to learn how to live healthily each and every day of your life. Cleansing can be a VITAL part of health, but works best when it is combined with a whole look at all of you.

Dr. Mona Morstein is Chair of Nutrition at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and professor of gastroenterology. As a naturopathic physician, Dr. Morstein is grounded in the knowledge that most illness comes from a bad diet and poor gastrointestinal health. Healing up the gut in combination with excellent nutrition while fixing maladaptive lifestyle habits is a core focus of her medical practice. Dr. Morstein can be reached at m.morstein@scnm.edu.