February 2010
T
H R I V E !
Thrive
(verb): (1) to prosper; be fortunate or successful; (2) to grow or
develop vigorously; flourish
It's February and there’s already
more daylight, and plant life beneath the earth's surface is
gathering energy to push toward the spring sun. If you
made resolutions or are in the process of making changes this is
a great time for you to evaluate where you are relative to
your goals.
Goal (noun): 1. the result or
achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.
Plan (noun): 1. a scheme
or method of acting, doing, proceeding, making, etc., developed in advance.
My clients frequently
interchange the words "goal" and "plan." The difference
between a goal and a plan is action. A goal is not an action - it is
why you take action. A goal motivates. You may think
semantics unimportant, but the way we frame things in our mind drives our
actions. What we think - consciously and unconsciously - creates our
reality.
I often hear statements such as
"My goal is to exercise five days a week." or "I want to
lose 20 pounds." These aren't goals - they're plans of
action; neither of which contains a motivational component. The goal
is WHY you want to exercise five days a week or WHY you want to lose 20
pounds. Do you want to climb a flight of stairs effortlessly?
Do you want to reduce your risk of Type II Diabetes because it runs
in your family?
Be clear about why you want to
achieve the things you set out to do - the whys are your goals and
goals motivate and sustain you to carry through with your plan of
action.
Let's talk about your goals
and plans to help you become clear in your own mind so you can THRIVE in
2010!
Warmest regards,
Challenge
(noun): difficulty in a job or undertaking that is stimulating to one
engaged in it
How did you do with last month's
challenge: to take a 5-minute time-out
daily? Did you notice a positive difference in how you felt and how you related
to yourself and those around you? If you didn't take on last
month's challenge, today is a perfect time to begin.
This month's challenge is a matter
of life (or death): no cell phone use while you're driving. That's
right - no talking, no texting, no viewing messages on your phone when
you're operating a vehicle. Read on about why...
Many of you may have seen (or
heard me talk about) the January 18, 2010 Oprah Winfrey Show entitled
"This Show Could Save Your Life:
Dr. Strayer's research proves that
we cannot multitask. When we're driving
with distractions such as using our cell phones, our brains cannot
take in all the information on the road - even if you're talking on a
hands-free device.
Please set aside your
rationalizations about this issue and think about the calls you make or
receive while you're driving. Has there ever been anything so
urgent that you couldn't wait until you arrive at your destination or pull into
a parking lot to handle the call? Has there been a call, text or
email sufficiently urgent to risk an accident? Are you modeling
positive behavior for your kids, grandchildren and others?
Go to Oprah's website to read
more and watch excerpts from the show. The U.S. Department of
Transportation has launched the first national nonprofit organization dedicated
to ending distracted driving in this country. Learn more at www.Distraction.gov.
Learn more about the fight against distracted driving at www.FocusDriven.org.
I hope you'll join me
and others in the effort to spread the word and to travel more
safely in our cars - without distractions. ̀
EXERCISE OF THE MONTH
Our lifestyle is mentally
stressful and physically straining (sitting for work and/or driving for long periods
of time) and results in tightness of the posterior (back) muscles of
the leg - the hamstrings, back of the knees and calves. Tight
hamstrings are uncomfortable and inhibit our ability to bend down
easily and can cause lower back pain. Stretching the
backs of your legs every day will help you reduce many cases of lower
back discomfort and will leave you feeling more flexible, more
relaxed and more comfortable. Bonus: flexible hamstrings
are stronger than tight ones!
Spend a few moments once or twice
a day stretching the backs of your legs. Here are some easy
stretches - hold each one for 30 seconds:
·
Ragdoll Roll: Great for the
office! Stand up straight with your arms resting at your
sides. Let your head drop forward and slowly let your spine roll
forward and down - allow the arms and head to draw you toward the
floor. When you've rolled down as far as you feel comfortable,
relax and breathe. Let the neck and arms relax. It
doesn't matter how far down you roll, just that you feel a pleasant
stretch in the backs of your legs and maybe your lower back.
·
Seated Forward
·
Calf Stretch: Stand on the
edge of a step with your heels off the step and the balls of your feet on the
step. Gently lower your heels toward the floor, keeping your knees soft
(not locked and not bent). Again, relax and breathe. ̀
FYI
Speaking of cell phones, in spite
of the potential for lethal distraction, they do offer us the world at our
fingertips. Do you have a cell phone with texting ability but no internet
access? I happen to be one of the last hold-outs for adding internet
capabilities to my cell phone, but I've found two great resources
to obtain information when I'm not near my computer:
Cha-cha
You can text questions to
Cha-cha and receive answers texted back to you instantly! Free of
charge! Let's say you want to know the population of
Google
You can get information
from local businesses to stock quotes on your cell phone by sending a text to
466453. Recently I was driving to my mom's and was in the mood for
Starbuck's coffee but didn't know the closest location. I pulled off
the road (!!!) and sent a text to Google requesting "Starbucks
in Royersford PA." The address and phone number were texted back to
me immediately. ̀
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION
Leave your shoes at the
door...
In 2008 Dr. Charles Gerba, microbiologist
and professor at the
The goal of the study was to verify
bacteria levels on footwear and the effectiveness of machine washable shoes in
reducing those levels inside and outside the shoe surface. The project also
investigated the role of shoes in the movement of bacteria from contaminated
floor spaces to other surfaces.
"The common occurrence (96
percent) of coliform and E. coli bacteria on the outside of the shoes indicates
frequent contact with fecal material, which most likely originates from floors
in public restrooms or contact with animal fecal material outdoors," said
Gerba. "Our study also indicated that bacteria can be tracked by shoes
over a long distance into your home or personal space after the shoes were
contaminated with bacteria."
I was raised by a Korean mother and
our family always left our shoes at the door, so it comes naturally to
me. For those of you who have never made a practice of it, having a shoe
tray near your front door can be an easy reminder. (You can find shoe
trays at Bed Bath & Beyond.) If you don't like being
barefoot, you can wear a pair of slippers or shoes designated for indoor use
only. Think about the benefits: (1) your floors will be more
sanitary and cleaner and (2) you can expand your shoe wardrobe to include
fun slippers or indoor shoes! ̀
INSPIRATION
One of my favorite sources of
inspiration is this website: www.dailyom.com. You can sign up to receive a daily article or
just browse their website. The following
article was published on December 1, 2009:
Everything You Do Matters - The
Ripple Effect
In a world of six billion people,
it’s easy to believe that the only way to initiate profound transformation is
to take extreme action. Each of us, however, carries within us the capacity to
change the world in small ways for better or worse. Everything we do and think
affects the people in our lives, and their reactions in turn affect others. As
the effect of a seemingly insignificant word passes from person to person, its
impact grows and can become a source of great joy, inspiration, anxiety, or
pain. Your thoughts and actions are like stones dropped into still waters,
causing ripples to spread and expand as they move outward. The impact you have
on the world is greater than you could ever imagine, and the choices you make
can have far-reaching consequences. You can use the ripple effect to make a positive
difference and spread waves of kindness that will wash over the world.
Should the opportunity arise, the
recipient of a good deed will likely feel compelled to do a good deed for
someone else. Someone feeling the effects of negative energy will be more
likely to pass on that negative energy. One act of charity, one thoughtful
deed, or even one positive thought can pass from individual to individual,
snowballing until it becomes a group movement or the ray of hope that saves
someone’s life. Every transformation, just like every ripple, has a point of
origin. You must believe in your ability to be that point of origin if you want
to use the ripples you create to spread goodness. Consider the effect of your
thoughts and actions, and try to act graciously as much as possible.
A smile directed at a stranger, a
compliment given to a friend, an attitude of laughter, or a thoughtful gesture
can send ripples that spread among your loved ones and associates, out into your
community, and finally throughout the world. You have the power to touch the
lives of everyone you come into contact with and everyone those people come
into contact with. The momentum of your influence will grow as your ripples
moves onward and outward. One of those ripples could become a tidal wave of
positivity. ̀
Do you have a question or a suggestion for a topic to be
covered? Please send me an email and I’ll address it in a future
issue of THRIVE!
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Rena Raso
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Yoga Instructor
145 Medinah Drive
Blue Bell, PA 19422
610-275-0307
www.renaraso.com
