Bloggers Unite, a part of Blogger Catalogue, is encouraging bloggers to write about some good that they have done to kind of show the giving side of the people who write blogs.
I am known at my day job as a bit of a free spirit who is usually in a good mood, doing goofy things to lighten the mood, singing Christmas carols in July and August when the temperatures in Houston are high and high humidity is a given. I joke and kid around, often at my own expense, to try to keep a pleasant working environment. On a daily basis, I try to make at least 3 trips through the workplace to talk to everyone, ask how things are going, if there are any questions, concerns, or problems. I try to have lots of positive reinforcements for the work that everyone does.
Lately, however, our company has been experiencing growing pains. We have taken on several new, very large clients. We have had to change the way we do business in order to meet the requirements of these new clients. It has been a learning and growing experience for everyone from the top down. One of the "joys" of my job is that I am the bottle neck of the hour glass. Almost every operational directive and decision that must be given to the hourly workers, goes through me to be passed on to the crew. Almost all information, ideas, reports, and suggestions from the crew goes through me on the way to upper management. This has gotten even more intense as we add these new, larger clients. I often joke that on a scale of 1 to 10, my stress level is about a 16. My boss was recently diagnosed with "stress induced" diabetes. When his doctor asked him to list his stress level on the same scale, he said only 13. I told him I must be doing a good job if his was that "low." We both laughed and made promises to not let things get to us as much and to rely on each other a little more when things get on our nerves.
I mentioned all that to say this, I have gotten away from being the goof ball and free spirit that I am. I have snapped at people more. My patience has been almost non-existent. I would still talk to people and try to help but I was not the normally cheery and encouraging person that everyone remembered.
Last week, I became determined to get back to the normal me. I spent the weekend kinda thinking about the world around me, my job, my relationships, and the meaning of life. (That is just a fancy way of saying I was doing a lot of pondering on things!) I realized that I had gotten to where I hated going to work. This was a job that I had loved at one time and found myself dreading having to work everyday.
I am a firm believer that each of us determines what our attitude is. I had given up that freedom of determination by allowing the pressures of work to bring me down. I wake up each morning now realizing that me and me alone is responsible for determining what my attitude is going to be for the day. I am starting my day by determining that I am going to have a positive outlook on everything that comes my way. When troubles arise, and they are almost guaranteed to several times a day, I realize I have a choice. I can let myself get down and negative and be irritable or I can choose to maintain a positive outlook. Either way, I still have to deal with the issues but it is much less stressful by keeping the positive outlook.
So what does this have to do with doing some good or showing my giving side? i have gotten back to being a positive and supportive manager for my crew. Several people have noticed that much more like the old Eddy and people don't cringe when they see me coming their way. I am seeing better attitudes by my crew and that always translates into better production. I try to uplift and encourage even the people doing the most mundane of tasks. The Christmas season can be a very stressful time but I have noticed that many of crew don't seem as bothered as they did just 2 weeks ago when I was also stressed and bothered.
I would like to think that my renewed attitude had something to do with it.
Merry Christmas to all. This season can produce large amounts of stress but let me encourage each of you to remember, you are solely responsible for your attitude. You have do deal with the issues you face whether your attitude is good or bad. Make a choice that you are going to have a positive attitude and see how much easier it is dealing with even the most difficult of times.
(c) 2008 Eddy Seegers
Monday, December 17, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
A Poem
This is a poem that I wrote on April 28, 1988 for a young lady friend of mine named Karen. We knew a young engaged couple. On the Tuesday before the wedding, the groom-to-be was working as a delivery driver when he was killed in a freeway accident. Karen was a new Christian and was struggling to understand how God could allow something like this to happen. After many nights on the phone trying to help my friend through this difficult time, this poem just came pouring out of me. All of the events vaguely referenced were from actual events in my life.
Life, it is a time of no sure things
As we walk in the meadow, enjoying the cool breeze before the bee stings.
Why is there pain, suffering and sorrow; why do the good die young?
The musician puts forth a beautiful melody,
but the singer must leave before the song is sung.
A young man falls in love with a woman, and she with him-they pledge to become man and wife.
Why, oh why, when love is so true and full, that the young man loses his life?
A boy, in his teens, with a future to look upon,
Can only see the present struggles, says goodbye to only himself
and now is gone.
Sadness, sorrow, and suffering abound in this world, why is there so much pain?
Darkness throughout this world, every way we can see. Is tragedy all we have to gain?
As a child, I remember waking in the dark. Where is my mother? Why won't the sun shine?
But soon the night would surrender to the day, all things would now be fine.
We have the hope of the morning, we know that the sun will rise.
God gave us a Son that gives us a morning in the darkness,
a morning the is sought by the truly wise.
God's Son was killed but arose from the dead,
giving us a reason to enter into each day with cheer.
He lives, He walks, and He talks with us as we allow him,
helping us to face the darkness without fear.
The hope in my heart is Jesus, to whom I will join in just a short while.
Yes, life is full of uncertainty, but I can live life with cheer and show it with a smile.
(c) 1988 Edgar Seegers, Jr.
No links or encouragement today. I pray that each of you that reads this will find Peace and Happiness in your life that comes with the promise of eternal life. Merry Christmas.
Life, it is a time of no sure things
As we walk in the meadow, enjoying the cool breeze before the bee stings.
Why is there pain, suffering and sorrow; why do the good die young?
The musician puts forth a beautiful melody,
but the singer must leave before the song is sung.
A young man falls in love with a woman, and she with him-they pledge to become man and wife.
Why, oh why, when love is so true and full, that the young man loses his life?
A boy, in his teens, with a future to look upon,
Can only see the present struggles, says goodbye to only himself
and now is gone.
Sadness, sorrow, and suffering abound in this world, why is there so much pain?
Darkness throughout this world, every way we can see. Is tragedy all we have to gain?
As a child, I remember waking in the dark. Where is my mother? Why won't the sun shine?
But soon the night would surrender to the day, all things would now be fine.
We have the hope of the morning, we know that the sun will rise.
God gave us a Son that gives us a morning in the darkness,
a morning the is sought by the truly wise.
God's Son was killed but arose from the dead,
giving us a reason to enter into each day with cheer.
He lives, He walks, and He talks with us as we allow him,
helping us to face the darkness without fear.
The hope in my heart is Jesus, to whom I will join in just a short while.
Yes, life is full of uncertainty, but I can live life with cheer and show it with a smile.
(c) 1988 Edgar Seegers, Jr.
No links or encouragement today. I pray that each of you that reads this will find Peace and Happiness in your life that comes with the promise of eternal life. Merry Christmas.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Ramdom Ramblings
**I heard news reports of all the “door buster” sales where stores opened at 6 or 5 or even 4 a.m. the morning after Thanksgiving, so-called Black Friday. My sister works for a major retail clothing chain but it was a particular mall that was opening at 1 a.m. and staying open until 11 p.m. that had her, a District Manager, working from 5 until 1 in the afternoon. The store had to have people working from midnight to midnight. Maybe I am a too lazy or too much of a Scrooge, but I have yet to see a sale that would get me out that early. The news channel reported people camping out since 3 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning to be first in line.
Would I ever do this? What?!? And miss Thanksgiving football? That is heresy in my world.
**People that are not college football fans miss one of the true pleasures of life. Rivalry games. The build up, excitement, and energy that comes from your team playing their arch rivals. If you want to see the best rivalry, visit the state of Alabama the week before Auburn and Alabama play each other. When I lived there, there were 2 major religious influences, Southern Baptists and Auburn/Alabama football. They talk about the game 364 days a year and play the game on the 365th. Not being one to take sides… Ah, who am I kidding? WAR EAGLE! BEAT BAMA!
**Some of the most sour and depressing people I have ever met are vegetarians. I think one of the reasons they are so lacking happiness in their lives is that they miss out on the joy of an over-the-top Thanksgiving Day turkey dinner and leftover turkey sandwiches.
**Once again, we enter the Christmas shopping season, and economic experts are predicting doom and gloom. Excepting those with a political agenda, can anyone remember when a true economist had a positive outlook? We have entered the shopping season and the “end is near” forecasts are making headlines again. I wonder how much stronger the shopping season would be if we weren’t being bombarded with all of the dire outlook reports.
**Speaking of gloom and doom economic forecasts, why do store and retailers cut workers and sacrifice customer service when it looks like business might be a little slower than hoped. In my truly non-expert opinion, I believe stores lose more business during difficult times, not before of a slower economy, but because they forget to take care of their customers. Then they say, “Gee, I sure was smart to cut payroll. Business was terrible this year.”
**I heard a news report several years ago that said that the average American gains 8 pounds during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s holiday season. My goal is to lose 5 pounds during the month of December. Call me Don Quixote and continue to check back as to the status of my battle with the windmill dragon.
**NOW you can start playing the Christmas music!
Keep Smilin’!!
Have you heard the story of the monkey trap? Are you caught in one? “Caught in the Monkey Trap” is one of the programs I present to businesses and groups. If you and your company or group would like more information on this program, one of my other programs, or a specifically tailored program, contact me at lifelessonsbyeddy@yahoo.com.
As I mentioned earlier, I have a goal to lose weight at a time of the when most people are packing on the pounds. Check out my web page with some of the products that I will be using to assist me in my quest. An important part of losing weight is to maintain your overall good health. A strong immune system is vital. Read the Transfer Factor story and learn about the entire family of Transfer Factor® products. Be sure to bookmark the page for future visits. Click_Here
Would I ever do this? What?!? And miss Thanksgiving football? That is heresy in my world.
**People that are not college football fans miss one of the true pleasures of life. Rivalry games. The build up, excitement, and energy that comes from your team playing their arch rivals. If you want to see the best rivalry, visit the state of Alabama the week before Auburn and Alabama play each other. When I lived there, there were 2 major religious influences, Southern Baptists and Auburn/Alabama football. They talk about the game 364 days a year and play the game on the 365th. Not being one to take sides… Ah, who am I kidding? WAR EAGLE! BEAT BAMA!
**Some of the most sour and depressing people I have ever met are vegetarians. I think one of the reasons they are so lacking happiness in their lives is that they miss out on the joy of an over-the-top Thanksgiving Day turkey dinner and leftover turkey sandwiches.
**Once again, we enter the Christmas shopping season, and economic experts are predicting doom and gloom. Excepting those with a political agenda, can anyone remember when a true economist had a positive outlook? We have entered the shopping season and the “end is near” forecasts are making headlines again. I wonder how much stronger the shopping season would be if we weren’t being bombarded with all of the dire outlook reports.
**Speaking of gloom and doom economic forecasts, why do store and retailers cut workers and sacrifice customer service when it looks like business might be a little slower than hoped. In my truly non-expert opinion, I believe stores lose more business during difficult times, not before of a slower economy, but because they forget to take care of their customers. Then they say, “Gee, I sure was smart to cut payroll. Business was terrible this year.”
**I heard a news report several years ago that said that the average American gains 8 pounds during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s holiday season. My goal is to lose 5 pounds during the month of December. Call me Don Quixote and continue to check back as to the status of my battle with the windmill dragon.
**NOW you can start playing the Christmas music!
Keep Smilin’!!
Have you heard the story of the monkey trap? Are you caught in one? “Caught in the Monkey Trap” is one of the programs I present to businesses and groups. If you and your company or group would like more information on this program, one of my other programs, or a specifically tailored program, contact me at lifelessonsbyeddy@yahoo.com.
As I mentioned earlier, I have a goal to lose weight at a time of the when most people are packing on the pounds. Check out my web page with some of the products that I will be using to assist me in my quest. An important part of losing weight is to maintain your overall good health. A strong immune system is vital. Read the Transfer Factor story and learn about the entire family of Transfer Factor® products. Be sure to bookmark the page for future visits. Click_Here
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Reaping What is Sewn, An Important life Lesson
There is a passage in the Bible that tells us that we reap what we sew. A common cliché that gives a similar message goes something like, “you’ve made your bed, now you have to lie in it.” A message that I have been giving as part of my speaking programs, business presentations, and advice given in general is also along the same vein. “Choices that we make now will always have some kind of consequences in the future, both good and bad.” There is an excellent book on this topic called “Choices” by Shad Helmstetter. Hypnotist and motivational speaker Marshall Sylver puts it another way; in five years (or ten, twenty, etc.), we are going to have either regrets or rewards based on our actions and decisions that we make today.
This past Sunday, I was given a sad and very personal example of the truth behind the concept mentioned above. Sometime around 8:15 in the evening of November 16, 2007, at a nursing home in Florida, my grandmother passed away. Except for a hospice worker who arrived about 20 minutes before she died, my grandmother died alone. Sadly, her being alone was expected and predicted by many in the family, especially by her daughter, my mom.
To say it in a nice way, my grandmother was not a very nice person. In honor of her memory, I will not go into the specific details of why. After all, she still was my grandmother. And in her defense, from what I understand, she was very much like her own mother.
Mom Mom as we called her, spent her adult life treating others as she had been treated. She hurt many people. She lied and cheated. She was a con artist with truth and rumor eventually merging together so the reality of many of the things that she did has been blurred. That being said, I personally witnessed many of the hateful things she did. Slowly but surely, she pushed everyone away from her. Many of us cut contact for our own protection. We were protecting our sanity and well-being, if not our physical well-being. Again, some of the stories did lead a few to believe that your physical health could be threatened if you remained involved with Mom Mom for any length of time.
Sometime around the middle of the 1990’s, my grandmother’s mind began to fade. She slowly had to rely on family to take care of her. Many of these people took advantage of her. Most of her personal possessions have long since gone missing. Much of the generosity that was shown to her was because of the belief that she had hidden wealth and items of value. If it had ever been there, most if it was gone by the time she was finally placed in the nursing home where she would spend her final 11 years. Many of the relatives that remained close to her have died. Others have moved on once they realized that there was no longer any money to be taken from her. Until my mom stepped in, I honestly believe that the previous relative taking care of her affairs was stealing whatever wasn’t taken for her nursing home costs from her social security checks. Even though Mom had been estranged from her for many years, when she heard of the treatment, Mom stepped in to at least see that Mom Mom was taken care of in her final years.
It has been just over 20 years since I last spoke with my grandmother. She was trying to con, and I emphasize con, me out of a rifle given to me when my grandfather died. From the time of my birth, my grandfather had said that he wanted me to have that rifle and I still have it. But she had other ideas and knew how much it meant to me. For me, that was the final straw. It has been even long since I had seen her.
Some distanced themselves before me and some distanced themselves after me. But eventually, my grandmother spent her final years, months, days, and hours alone.
I feel bad that I don’t feel bad, but with her passing I see directly, the truth behind the message in my first paragraph. My grandmother did indeed, reap what she had sown. I thank the nursing home workers that took care of her. I thank the hospice worker that was there with her during the final 20 minutes. However, she spent her final days with the harvest of the seeds she had sown so many years before.
Mom Mom, I thank you for a valuable lesson. Taught in the wrong way, but a valuable lesson, none the less. I loved you as a child, and even though you pushed me away like every one else, I loved you to the end. May you find peace in death that you never seemed to find in life.
If you are interested in a speaker for your company or group meeting, email me at lifelessonsbyeddy@yahoo.com. I can tailor a presentation for your group or I have several existing programs that remain popular. In the Houston and southeast Texas area, pending previous commitments, I might be available on fairly short notice. Outside of the Houston area, longer notice would be appreciated.
If you want to improve the quality of your life, check out my web site for some of the best herbal, vitamin, and mineral products available. Check out Transfer Factor with the Tri-Factor Formula(r) to improve your immune system and be able to fight off all of the so called super bugs and viruses that are used to scare us. These products are not available in stores, so click on the link. While you are there, read about the products, the company, and the Transfer Factor(r) story. Click_Here
This past Sunday, I was given a sad and very personal example of the truth behind the concept mentioned above. Sometime around 8:15 in the evening of November 16, 2007, at a nursing home in Florida, my grandmother passed away. Except for a hospice worker who arrived about 20 minutes before she died, my grandmother died alone. Sadly, her being alone was expected and predicted by many in the family, especially by her daughter, my mom.
To say it in a nice way, my grandmother was not a very nice person. In honor of her memory, I will not go into the specific details of why. After all, she still was my grandmother. And in her defense, from what I understand, she was very much like her own mother.
Mom Mom as we called her, spent her adult life treating others as she had been treated. She hurt many people. She lied and cheated. She was a con artist with truth and rumor eventually merging together so the reality of many of the things that she did has been blurred. That being said, I personally witnessed many of the hateful things she did. Slowly but surely, she pushed everyone away from her. Many of us cut contact for our own protection. We were protecting our sanity and well-being, if not our physical well-being. Again, some of the stories did lead a few to believe that your physical health could be threatened if you remained involved with Mom Mom for any length of time.
Sometime around the middle of the 1990’s, my grandmother’s mind began to fade. She slowly had to rely on family to take care of her. Many of these people took advantage of her. Most of her personal possessions have long since gone missing. Much of the generosity that was shown to her was because of the belief that she had hidden wealth and items of value. If it had ever been there, most if it was gone by the time she was finally placed in the nursing home where she would spend her final 11 years. Many of the relatives that remained close to her have died. Others have moved on once they realized that there was no longer any money to be taken from her. Until my mom stepped in, I honestly believe that the previous relative taking care of her affairs was stealing whatever wasn’t taken for her nursing home costs from her social security checks. Even though Mom had been estranged from her for many years, when she heard of the treatment, Mom stepped in to at least see that Mom Mom was taken care of in her final years.
It has been just over 20 years since I last spoke with my grandmother. She was trying to con, and I emphasize con, me out of a rifle given to me when my grandfather died. From the time of my birth, my grandfather had said that he wanted me to have that rifle and I still have it. But she had other ideas and knew how much it meant to me. For me, that was the final straw. It has been even long since I had seen her.
Some distanced themselves before me and some distanced themselves after me. But eventually, my grandmother spent her final years, months, days, and hours alone.
I feel bad that I don’t feel bad, but with her passing I see directly, the truth behind the message in my first paragraph. My grandmother did indeed, reap what she had sown. I thank the nursing home workers that took care of her. I thank the hospice worker that was there with her during the final 20 minutes. However, she spent her final days with the harvest of the seeds she had sown so many years before.
Mom Mom, I thank you for a valuable lesson. Taught in the wrong way, but a valuable lesson, none the less. I loved you as a child, and even though you pushed me away like every one else, I loved you to the end. May you find peace in death that you never seemed to find in life.
If you are interested in a speaker for your company or group meeting, email me at lifelessonsbyeddy@yahoo.com. I can tailor a presentation for your group or I have several existing programs that remain popular. In the Houston and southeast Texas area, pending previous commitments, I might be available on fairly short notice. Outside of the Houston area, longer notice would be appreciated.
If you want to improve the quality of your life, check out my web site for some of the best herbal, vitamin, and mineral products available. Check out Transfer Factor with the Tri-Factor Formula(r) to improve your immune system and be able to fight off all of the so called super bugs and viruses that are used to scare us. These products are not available in stores, so click on the link. While you are there, read about the products, the company, and the Transfer Factor(r) story. Click_Here
Monday, November 5, 2007
Christmas Music at Wal-Mart
Yesterday (Sunday), I went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things I had missed on my shopping adventure the day before. Maybe I did not notice it on Saturday but I am usually fairly observant when it comes to this type of thing. It was November 4th and the Christmas music was playing over the speakers in the store. It just seemed sooooo out of place even though the store was probably 90% decorated for Christmas already anyway.
Now I do have to put a little disclaimer in right here. Yes, I am known for singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Winter Wonderland throughout the summer. I do it mostly for the silliness of it. When people as me about Santa Claus is Coming to Town, I respond that I never said when he is coming, just that he is coming. And as for Winter Wonderland, it is a great way to take my mind off of the heat and humidity of a Houston, Texas summer. Like I said, I do it for laughs and to see people's reactions to things that are out of place. I have a pastor friend that likes to preach an Easter sermon during the Christmas season and a Christmas sermon during the Easter season. It makes people sit up and think a little more.
Now back to the music at Wal-Mart. I am a Capitalist. I believe in making a profit and I do my best to never deny any man, woman, or corporation from earning a profit, as long as it is earned honestly and morally. When the unions protest Wal-Mart, I make a concerted effort to do a larger percentage of my everyday purchases there. Wal-Mart may have its faults, who doesn't, but I will support a capitalistic venture over socialistic unions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
To my dear departed grandfather, who was a devoted member of the Meat Cutter's Union, I am sorry for the last sentence of that previous paragraph. Sorry Pop Pop. However, that is what unions have become. I will save any further rants on unions for another time.
So now that I have pledged my loyalty to anyone out to make money, I finally get back to Wal-Mart playing Christmas music. The reasoning behind it is simple. Expectations are for a slow holiday shopping season so to encourage shoppers to buy more, stores are starting sales earlier and breaking out the decorations and mood music early. While I am neither an economist nor a marketing expert, I feel that their thinking is off. I think it may give them a bit of a head start on the holiday purchases but it will hurt later in the season. As heard at the store, children are pushing for anything "Christmas-y" now, it is my gut instinct and consumer-based point of view that people will be burned out on the holiday festiveness by the early part of December and people will start avoiding the stores and malls except for necessity.
Another point that I will delve into deeper at another time is that I feel that Wal-Mart, other major retailers, and malls are reacting out of fear. Fear does not lead to good, solid business decisions.
Oh, well. Like I said, I am not a marketing expert. I love Christmas music and, although my Christmas music collection will not come out until the Friday after Thanksgiving, I will enjoy listening when shopping. Even if it is almost 3 weeks too soon.
"Oh, the weather outside is frightful..."
Keep Smiling!!
Don't forget to check out the best herbal and alternative supplements I have found. Click the link! Click_Here
(c) Copyright 2007 Eddy Seegers
Now I do have to put a little disclaimer in right here. Yes, I am known for singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Winter Wonderland throughout the summer. I do it mostly for the silliness of it. When people as me about Santa Claus is Coming to Town, I respond that I never said when he is coming, just that he is coming. And as for Winter Wonderland, it is a great way to take my mind off of the heat and humidity of a Houston, Texas summer. Like I said, I do it for laughs and to see people's reactions to things that are out of place. I have a pastor friend that likes to preach an Easter sermon during the Christmas season and a Christmas sermon during the Easter season. It makes people sit up and think a little more.
Now back to the music at Wal-Mart. I am a Capitalist. I believe in making a profit and I do my best to never deny any man, woman, or corporation from earning a profit, as long as it is earned honestly and morally. When the unions protest Wal-Mart, I make a concerted effort to do a larger percentage of my everyday purchases there. Wal-Mart may have its faults, who doesn't, but I will support a capitalistic venture over socialistic unions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
To my dear departed grandfather, who was a devoted member of the Meat Cutter's Union, I am sorry for the last sentence of that previous paragraph. Sorry Pop Pop. However, that is what unions have become. I will save any further rants on unions for another time.
So now that I have pledged my loyalty to anyone out to make money, I finally get back to Wal-Mart playing Christmas music. The reasoning behind it is simple. Expectations are for a slow holiday shopping season so to encourage shoppers to buy more, stores are starting sales earlier and breaking out the decorations and mood music early. While I am neither an economist nor a marketing expert, I feel that their thinking is off. I think it may give them a bit of a head start on the holiday purchases but it will hurt later in the season. As heard at the store, children are pushing for anything "Christmas-y" now, it is my gut instinct and consumer-based point of view that people will be burned out on the holiday festiveness by the early part of December and people will start avoiding the stores and malls except for necessity.
Another point that I will delve into deeper at another time is that I feel that Wal-Mart, other major retailers, and malls are reacting out of fear. Fear does not lead to good, solid business decisions.
Oh, well. Like I said, I am not a marketing expert. I love Christmas music and, although my Christmas music collection will not come out until the Friday after Thanksgiving, I will enjoy listening when shopping. Even if it is almost 3 weeks too soon.
"Oh, the weather outside is frightful..."
Keep Smiling!!
Don't forget to check out the best herbal and alternative supplements I have found. Click the link! Click_Here
(c) Copyright 2007 Eddy Seegers
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Clear Your Mind
I briefly scanned an article listed in Yahoo News this morning that stated that psychological studies have determined that talking too much about a problem or problems causes anxiety. To me, this study falls under the category of "Duh! Ya think?"
This is one of the life lessons that I learned a long time ago. If you obsess on something bad, it was going to cause stress and anxiety.
One of the problems that I see, and from my reading it is a problem that is rampant in the United States, many people do not know how to relax. It is time for my disclaimer here. I am one of the worst at allowing myself to to obsess on problems. How am I going to be able to pay all of the bills and still have gas money for work? Inventory is happening in two weeks and we do not have the people or technology in place to do it correctly. And I could go on. Problem after problem.
I actually felt myself tensing as I typed out the previous paragraph. I had to take a brief moment to take some deep breaths, relax my shoulders, and let my mind clear.
And that is the point of this blog. We all need to find how we can relax, even if it is for just a few moments. My reading and research has shown me one of the quickest method of relaxing is deep breathing. One of the best advocates of the importance of deep breathing is Matt Furhey. Matt has many web sites. A good place to start is mattfurhey.com. Looks around and you will find links to many of his other pages. I am on his emailing list and I look forward to his emails everyday.
I find that for myself, taking long full, deep breaths get me on the fast track away from tension. I breath in through my nose, taking in as much air as my lungs can take, holding for about 3 seconds. I then exhale all the air until there is no air left. I also hold that for about 3 seconds and then relax as the air comes rushing back into my body.
I repeat this several times, depending on how much stress I am banishing. I also focus on me. I focus on my breathing, trying to clear as much out of my mind while only paying attention to the flow of air in and out of my body.
Most of the time, deep breathing does the trick and allows me to get back to going about my business without anxiety and stress weighing me down. On the rare occasion that this does not complete the task, I do something physical to kind of loosen the muscles that are wanting to hold on to the tension. If I am able, I go for a long walk. I focus only my walking and things immediately around me. The pace of my steps. Sounds of birds or crickets or frogs. Plants or trees. I do my best to focus on the very here and now, nothing outside of the moment that I am in.
If I am somewhere I can't go for a walk, I will try to clear my mind while relaxing my muscles. I will try to shake out my arms, imagining that they are like 2 ropes connected to me at the shoulders and I shake while the muscles are totally disengaged. I will also do what I have heard called the "washing machine." I rotate my upper body back and forth, letting the arms swing free but trying to keep the lower body still as possible. Sometimes I shake my legs as if I am trying to get rid of something off my shoe. I do this one leg at a time and repeat several times or until I start to get funny looks.
These are some things that I do to help me to not focus on problems. They let me clear my mind. I feel better and function better when I am not a half a step from an anxiety attack. I encourage anyone who reads this to try to find ways to help you relax. Think of ways to take brief mental vacations. Life is too short to go through it full of tension and anxiety. Does this mean we need to ignore problems? No. At the same time, we can't let the pressures of our world dominate our lives.
The best thing that I have found about my mental vacations? Often, they start me down the right path to discovering the solution. And that is the best way to get rid of anxiety, solve the problem.
Keep Smiling!!
Don't forget to check out the best herbal and alternative supplements I have found. Click the link! Click_Here
(c) Copyright 2007 Eddy Seegers
This is one of the life lessons that I learned a long time ago. If you obsess on something bad, it was going to cause stress and anxiety.
One of the problems that I see, and from my reading it is a problem that is rampant in the United States, many people do not know how to relax. It is time for my disclaimer here. I am one of the worst at allowing myself to to obsess on problems. How am I going to be able to pay all of the bills and still have gas money for work? Inventory is happening in two weeks and we do not have the people or technology in place to do it correctly. And I could go on. Problem after problem.
I actually felt myself tensing as I typed out the previous paragraph. I had to take a brief moment to take some deep breaths, relax my shoulders, and let my mind clear.
And that is the point of this blog. We all need to find how we can relax, even if it is for just a few moments. My reading and research has shown me one of the quickest method of relaxing is deep breathing. One of the best advocates of the importance of deep breathing is Matt Furhey. Matt has many web sites. A good place to start is mattfurhey.com. Looks around and you will find links to many of his other pages. I am on his emailing list and I look forward to his emails everyday.
I find that for myself, taking long full, deep breaths get me on the fast track away from tension. I breath in through my nose, taking in as much air as my lungs can take, holding for about 3 seconds. I then exhale all the air until there is no air left. I also hold that for about 3 seconds and then relax as the air comes rushing back into my body.
I repeat this several times, depending on how much stress I am banishing. I also focus on me. I focus on my breathing, trying to clear as much out of my mind while only paying attention to the flow of air in and out of my body.
Most of the time, deep breathing does the trick and allows me to get back to going about my business without anxiety and stress weighing me down. On the rare occasion that this does not complete the task, I do something physical to kind of loosen the muscles that are wanting to hold on to the tension. If I am able, I go for a long walk. I focus only my walking and things immediately around me. The pace of my steps. Sounds of birds or crickets or frogs. Plants or trees. I do my best to focus on the very here and now, nothing outside of the moment that I am in.
If I am somewhere I can't go for a walk, I will try to clear my mind while relaxing my muscles. I will try to shake out my arms, imagining that they are like 2 ropes connected to me at the shoulders and I shake while the muscles are totally disengaged. I will also do what I have heard called the "washing machine." I rotate my upper body back and forth, letting the arms swing free but trying to keep the lower body still as possible. Sometimes I shake my legs as if I am trying to get rid of something off my shoe. I do this one leg at a time and repeat several times or until I start to get funny looks.
These are some things that I do to help me to not focus on problems. They let me clear my mind. I feel better and function better when I am not a half a step from an anxiety attack. I encourage anyone who reads this to try to find ways to help you relax. Think of ways to take brief mental vacations. Life is too short to go through it full of tension and anxiety. Does this mean we need to ignore problems? No. At the same time, we can't let the pressures of our world dominate our lives.
The best thing that I have found about my mental vacations? Often, they start me down the right path to discovering the solution. And that is the best way to get rid of anxiety, solve the problem.
Keep Smiling!!
Don't forget to check out the best herbal and alternative supplements I have found. Click the link! Click_Here
(c) Copyright 2007 Eddy Seegers
Monday, July 16, 2007
If You Can't Lose, You Can't Win
I have a habit of falling asleep with the television on. I have a sleep setting on my remote which will cause the television to automatically turn off after a set period of time but sometimes I fall asleep so fast, I don't even have time to set it. Then I awaken in the middle of the night with an infomercial blaring. Now don't get me wrong here. I have absolutely nothing against infomercials themselves, but as with all things, I think we need to take the claims with a grain of salt.
The other night I awoke after falling asleep with the television on. As usual, there was an infomercial on and I really did not pay that much attention to it. I just found the remote to turn the tv off. As I was in the process of finding the remote and hitting the off button, I heard the host say, "With this offer, you can't lose." As for this specific offer, it may be was true but many life lessons have taught me that is usually not the case. However, it was at this moment that my subconscious mind took over as I fell back asleep in a matter of seconds.
Throughout the rest of the night it seemed like my mind kept repeating, "If you can't lose, you can't win." Over and over.
I heard a voice in my head all day the following day practically repeating, "If you can't lose, you can't win!" I continue to hear this repeated even to the end of the day.
I has been a week and this phrase continues to scream out to me because in most things we do, there is a chance to lose. I think back to my days in school. I was a good student and many times I was very confident going into a test. A seemingly "can't lose" situation. I knew the material, I did not panic at test time, and a good memory that often helped me in situations that the teacher had covered but I had not studied in detail. But there were times when I read a question wrong or got in too much of a hurry that I missed more than I should have on an exam.
When we start to grow up we apply for a job. If there wasn't the possibility of not getting the job (losing) there would be no need for the application process. We would just show up at a company where we want to work and say I want a job doing this, that, or the other, and we would be hired.
And of course, where many of my life lessons come from, there is the field of athletic competition. It may have been an advertising slogan or just a t-shirt slogan from a few years back, but a popular phrase was, "You can't win if you don't play." The continuation of that truism is that if you play, there is a chance you are going to lose. Probably the most basic examples of this comes from my favorite sport of baseball. On any given play, either the pitcher is going to lose or the batter is going to lose. The batter steps up to the plate and he is either going to find a way to get on base or he is going to make an out. The pitcher toes the rubber and pitches to the batter, knowing he is either going to get the batter out or the batter will get on base. Every single at bat results in one of the two players losing to the other.
But if a pitcher never takes the mound, he can never strike anyone out. If a batter never goes to bat, he will never get a hit. If a baserunner never takes a chance of getting thrown out, he will never steal a base.
It is the same thing in life. If you have ever dreamed of opening your own business, but have never done anything toward this goal, you will never know if you could have become a successful entreprenuer. If you have ever dreamed of writing the great American novel, but never put a pen to paper or tapped out a thought on the computer, you will never know if you could have been a successful writer. There are so many things that can be looked at here but I think you can understand the point I am trying to make.
Yes, there is a chance that if you try to open a business it will not succeed, but if you never tried, how will you ever know. Sure if you write a book, publishers might reject it and no one will ever read it, but again, how will you ever know? Of course, if you don't try, you never have to worry about fear or rejection. If you can't lose, you can't win.
At the end here, I am putting in of my all time favorite quotes. It comes from Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. Pay special attention to the last few lines. I have drawn strength from this at times when my fear of losing kept me from getting into the game.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. ~Theodore Roosevelt
Keep Smiling!!
Looking to find some support for your body's systems? Products from 4 Life Research are designed just for that purpose. Click the link to find out more. Be sure to read the Transfer Factor Story. Click_Here
(c) Copyright 2007 Eddy Seegers
The other night I awoke after falling asleep with the television on. As usual, there was an infomercial on and I really did not pay that much attention to it. I just found the remote to turn the tv off. As I was in the process of finding the remote and hitting the off button, I heard the host say, "With this offer, you can't lose." As for this specific offer, it may be was true but many life lessons have taught me that is usually not the case. However, it was at this moment that my subconscious mind took over as I fell back asleep in a matter of seconds.
Throughout the rest of the night it seemed like my mind kept repeating, "If you can't lose, you can't win." Over and over.
I heard a voice in my head all day the following day practically repeating, "If you can't lose, you can't win!" I continue to hear this repeated even to the end of the day.
I has been a week and this phrase continues to scream out to me because in most things we do, there is a chance to lose. I think back to my days in school. I was a good student and many times I was very confident going into a test. A seemingly "can't lose" situation. I knew the material, I did not panic at test time, and a good memory that often helped me in situations that the teacher had covered but I had not studied in detail. But there were times when I read a question wrong or got in too much of a hurry that I missed more than I should have on an exam.
When we start to grow up we apply for a job. If there wasn't the possibility of not getting the job (losing) there would be no need for the application process. We would just show up at a company where we want to work and say I want a job doing this, that, or the other, and we would be hired.
And of course, where many of my life lessons come from, there is the field of athletic competition. It may have been an advertising slogan or just a t-shirt slogan from a few years back, but a popular phrase was, "You can't win if you don't play." The continuation of that truism is that if you play, there is a chance you are going to lose. Probably the most basic examples of this comes from my favorite sport of baseball. On any given play, either the pitcher is going to lose or the batter is going to lose. The batter steps up to the plate and he is either going to find a way to get on base or he is going to make an out. The pitcher toes the rubber and pitches to the batter, knowing he is either going to get the batter out or the batter will get on base. Every single at bat results in one of the two players losing to the other.
But if a pitcher never takes the mound, he can never strike anyone out. If a batter never goes to bat, he will never get a hit. If a baserunner never takes a chance of getting thrown out, he will never steal a base.
It is the same thing in life. If you have ever dreamed of opening your own business, but have never done anything toward this goal, you will never know if you could have become a successful entreprenuer. If you have ever dreamed of writing the great American novel, but never put a pen to paper or tapped out a thought on the computer, you will never know if you could have been a successful writer. There are so many things that can be looked at here but I think you can understand the point I am trying to make.
Yes, there is a chance that if you try to open a business it will not succeed, but if you never tried, how will you ever know. Sure if you write a book, publishers might reject it and no one will ever read it, but again, how will you ever know? Of course, if you don't try, you never have to worry about fear or rejection. If you can't lose, you can't win.
At the end here, I am putting in of my all time favorite quotes. It comes from Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. Pay special attention to the last few lines. I have drawn strength from this at times when my fear of losing kept me from getting into the game.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. ~Theodore Roosevelt
Keep Smiling!!
Looking to find some support for your body's systems? Products from 4 Life Research are designed just for that purpose. Click the link to find out more. Be sure to read the Transfer Factor Story. Click_Here
(c) Copyright 2007 Eddy Seegers
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