“A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” –Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Be Safe This Weekend and Every Weekend
According to the National Sleep Foundation, Memorial Day weekend is one of the most dangerous times on our roads. One of the reasons is “drowsy” drivers. Some people are more susceptible than others to nodding off behind the wheel. Personally, my own driving concerns me too much to drift off. By “concerns,” of course, I mean my driving scares the spit out of my mouth.
“Too many Americans are too tired to drive. In fact, according to NSF’s recently released 2008 Sleep in America poll, an alarming 36 percent of respondents admit to actually nodding off or falling asleep while driving,” David M. Cloud, NSF’s chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement.
“Hectic weekend getaways may add to the problem as many get on the road at ungodly hours to beat traffic. Not getting enough sleep puts everyone at increased risk for fall-asleep crashes. Understanding crucial warning signs and countermeasures is key to preventing sleep-related crashes,” he added.
If you ever experience any of the following, be sure to pull off of the road asap:
- Heavy eyelids
- You find yourself swerving out of your lane
- You lose touch with your surroundings
- You’re frequently yawning
- Your head keeps nodding forward or falling backward
Never take any risks. Ever! If you won’t be extra cautious for yourself, think of your passengers or other drivers’ safety.
The following are some suggestions that’ll help keep you safe:
- Always get a really good night’s sleep the night before a trip. Don’t stay up late, packing, or finishing up preparations. Do that earlier in the day and aim for at least 7 hours of quality sleep – more if you can get it.
- Give yourself plenty of time. This way, you can stop frequently during the trip to stretch your legs and get your blood circulating.
- Make frequent stops. Stop at least every two hours – the movement will do you a world of good.
- Don’t take any medications that’ll cause drowsiness. Benadryl and other allergy medications knock most people flat on their backs. If you aren’t sure how a medication will affect you, try not to take it until after the trip.
- C-O-F-F-E-E! Caffeine makes a perfect co-pilot for all of us, but for those who fall asleep easily at the wheel, it might just be the perk they need. A word of caution, however, if you aren’t used to high levels of caffeine (the mind boggles), drinking a great deal might give you the jitters. A jittery driver’s just a little bit better than a woozy one! Bottom line: Don’t go ape. Two cups of coffee should keep you alert for about two hours.
- If you can avoid it, don’t travel alone.
- Turn the radio on, turn the radio up, and sing out loud. Louder!
If you’ve taken the precautions but STILL start to feel sloppy-eyed and drowsy, don’t be a hero. Pull off the road and, if you have to, take a nap. Even 15 to 30 minutes can help you feel better and fresher. Just be sure you’re in a safe place. And lock the doors! Great, now I’m mothering you. Next thing you know I’ll be asking if you’re eating enough vegetables lately.
Well, are you?
Excellent Advice On Staying Young
My aunt sent me this in an e-mail and, of course, I had to pass it along. There’s some great advice here, guys. The cool thing is, the title could just as easily read, “How to Have Less Stress in Your Life,” “How to Enjoy Life More,” “How to Make People Want to Be Around You,” etc.
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Try everything twice. On Madams tombstone (of Whelan’s and Madam) she
said she wanted this epitaph: Tried everything twice… loved it both times!
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (Keep this in mind if you are one of those
grouches)
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s!
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with him/her.
6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. LIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love. Whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity.
11. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second chance.
These 11 admonishings should be written down and lived out!
An Inspirational Little Book That Makes a Great Graduation, Birthday, or Christmas Gift!
The book is Just Who Will You Be?: Big Question. Little Book. Answer Within by Maria Shriver and would be an ideal gift for a graduate (either from High School or College). You’ll want to be certain to do one thing, however, and that’s read it before you pass it along! It’s of the utmost value for everyone. Why? I’ll let Maria Shriver’s own words explain:
I’ve learned that asking ourselves not just what we want to be, but who we want to be is important at every stage of our lives, not just when we’re starting out in the world. That’s because, in a way, we’re starting out fresh in the world every single day. – Maria Shriver, Just Who Will You Be?
The book includes a really inspiring and beautiful speech Maria Shriver gave to her nephew’s senior class. After the speech, students and parents, alike, came up to her thanking her for her words and telling her what they meant to them. Soon thereafter, the idea for the book came about – giving a much wider audience to the speech and it’s inspirational message.
If I were shopping for a graduation present for someone special, I’d go out and buy a great card, a bright gift bag, and some cool tissue paper. Then I’d get a copy of Just Who Will You Be?: Big Question. Little Book. Answer Within. and nestle it into the toilet paper. Since the gift would probably be for a really young person, I’d also buy and add a great necklace, candy, a gift card, or money to the bag as well. On the card I’d point out how the message inside the book will do them a lot more good than anything else in the bag. Even if that something else is chocolate.
The really beautiful thing about this book is that it will touch the graduate not only on the day you give it to him/her but everyday for the rest of their life. It doesn’t get much better than that.
**** Be sure you read the book first! It’s beautifully written and the message is huge.
UPDATE:
I just discovered that this amazing little book is also available as a CD (pictured below). It’s read by Maria Shriver – how cool’s that? The Just Who Will You Be CD would also make an excellent gift.
Three Choices Along Life’s Road That Determine the Whole Trip
” I’m not sure what the future holds but I do know that I’m going to be positive and not wake up feeling desperate. As my dad said ‘Nic, it is what it is, it’s not what it should have been, not what it could have been, it is what it is.’ “ – Nicole Kidman, after her split with Tom Cruise
First of all, fellas, sorry there are no pictures of Nicole Kidman here. You don’t really want to see a beautiful redhead anyway, do you??
Never mind.
Back to the quote at the top of the page – I love this quote! I loved it the first time I read it, years ago when Nicole Kidman was putting her life back together after a devastating break up with Tom Cruise; and I love it just as much today when life finds the gorgeous actress blissfully in love and starting a family with country music star and fellow Aussie Keith Urban.
I guess there’s a lot to be said for keeping your head up and your eyes on the road ahead. You never know what (or who) is headed your way.
When bad things… things that are out of our control… happen to us we have choices to make. The choices we make will determine just how “bad” the “bad” will be AND just how much of our future it will touch.
These choices are pretty clear. We can either…
….get bitter or get better.
…..move forward or fall back.
…..learn from it or lean on it.
If you think of life as a long and winding road, disappointments and disasters can be thought of as anything that interferes with the ebb and flow of your trip. Just as a road trip can be affected by rain, road work, vehicular malfunctions, other drivers, and detours – life has plenty of bumps as well. Things that make you say, “This isn’t how I planned it!!”
Of course, in both instances, sometimes you simply lose your way. Times when you have to regroup, remind yourself where you want to go and then drive off into the sunset again – vowing to hit your mark this time!
The point is, there will be problems ahead and they’re not all bad. If nothing else, they keep things interesting and keep us on our toes. They can even, if we handle them properly, make us better – but if we allow ourselves to be overcome by them, they’ll make us bitter and angry, neither of which is very attractive. Sometimes, in the words of Nicole Kidman’s dad, we have to realize, “It is what it is, it’s not what it should have been, not what it could have been, it is what it is.”
Stewing over situations doesn’t change them…it only changes us, and never for the better. Let it go and move on. Go forward, don’t stand still, and never, ever try to go back.
Not only should we choose better over bitter and forward over backward, we should pay extra attention to how we “play” the last choice as well. We have to make certain that we LEARN from disappointments rather than LEAN on them. They aren’t crutches or excuses – they’re lessons. They aren’t tickets excusing us from doing our best, they’re trumpets encouraging us to stand up and give our absolute best.
~ Joi
For more inspirational quotes, click the link! Sorry, there are no other pictures of Nicole Kidman there either.