Another week has gone by. This past week's headlines have been dominated by more seemingly depressing news. The most prominent story has been the plane crash outside of Buffalo, NY. What a terrible tragedy and sadness for the families involved.
There were people of all ages on the plane. This event got me thinking of life and wellness in general. Out of this tragedy, good will come. So, where in Erie is Creating Wellness this week? Procrastination.
What are YOU waiting for? Many of us are waiting for life to begin. We come up with excuses for why we aren't taking control of our lives now. "After the holidays I'll start eating healthy." "When I get my dream job, I'll be rich." "Once I get my "xyz" degree, I'll be able to get any job." "When I get married, I'll be happy." "If I had a bigger house, I'd feel better."
Living life waiting for some thing to happen or come to you is wasteful. Success or happiness, whatever that means to you, doesn't happen to you. Success is a state of consciousness. How you measure success is up to you and no one else.
Look, we all share the same fate. No one can escape it. It is my belief that in life there are no such things as failures only lessons learned. When your table is ready in the big restaurant in the sky, do you want any regrets? As Tim McGraw sings, "Live like you were dying." When it comes down to it, aren't we all?
I agree that this posting is a bit morbid and dark so far. We must stop taking life for granted and start maximizing every moment we have. The past is over and will never occur again. The future has yet to be determined. All we have is this current moment. What will you do with it? Waste it worrying about what has already happened and cannot be changed? Will you squander it worrying about what may or may not happen in the future? Or will you seize the current moment and capitalize on it? Stop living in fear; fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, fear of other's opinions of you, fear of the unknown. Remember, there is no such thing as failure, only lessons learned. Take this time to consider what you are waiting for. What is it that's holding you back? What you are fearful of? What excuses are you telling yourself? "I'm too fat" is an excuse. "I'm too old" is an excuse. "I'm not rich enough" is an excuse. "It's in my DNA" is an excuse. "I can't" is an excuse. "I don't know how" is an excuse. "It's too late" is an excuse. "It's too cold" is an excuse.
Now ask yourself, "What is it that is truly important to me right now?" "What is it that I want?" Let NOTHING stand in the way from achieving the answer to those questions. It may take you a day, a week, a month, a year, a decade or more to reach your goals. If it is truly what you want, then it won't matter how much work or how much time it will take for you to reach it.
Life is temporary. Tomorrow is guaranteed to no person. Start living today, living without fear. You can reclaim your life. In the end, life isn't about quantity, but about quality. Get out their and reclaim it!
Until next week, BE FIT. EAT RIGHT. THINK WELL.
-Dr. Steve
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Where in Erie is Creating Wellness? Week 6
Greetings and salutations, Creating Wellness Warriors!
What a wonderful weekend we had! Temperatures into the 50's was a welcomed respite from this winter. I hope you were able to get outside and breathe in some fresh air. A little sunshine, warm temps, and fresh air does a mind and body wonders!
Where in Erie is Creating Wellness this week? This week I find tremendous amounts of wellness in "perserverance."
The topic of the economy, employment, retirement funds, etc cannot be avoided. It is everywhere we turn. National and local headlines are rich with this type of news. It is difficult to find any positive news out there.
There is no doubt we are currently in and are heading towards troubling and challenging times. Rumors are swirling about large layoffs in our local workforce. When the big companies slow down and layoff employees, the trickle down effect is felt everywhere. Small businesses will feel the effects of the economic downturn even more.
If you have been recently laid off, face foreclosure on your home, or face other economic uncertainties, these times are very troubling indeed.
Many of us have enjoyed the fruits of a recent healthy and prosperous economy. Unfortunately, some of us enjoyed those fruits excessively and in an unsustainable manner. Now we are faced with uncertainty and challenges.
As King Solomon has said, "This too shall pass." We can and will survive these times. No, it won't necessarily be easy, nor will it be fun. We, as a culture, must return to a simpler time. No one is immune to these changes. Reducing the clutter in our lives will have tremendous benefits in our abilities to perservere and come out on top. Some examples of how to simplify our lives:
1. Buy only what is necessary
2. Entertain yourself/family with low cost/no cost activities
3. Recycle/Reuse
4. Consolidate where reasonable (i.e. 2 cars vs. 1 car)
5. Self Sacrifice (i.e. ride a bike to work instead of drive)
6. Eliminate habits that destroy health (i.e. smoking, excessive drinking, over eating, etc)
Cars, homes, iPods, etc come and go. During these tough times, we need our health more than anything. Creating Wellness in your life doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Creating Wellness in your life does require time, effort, and energy. To be truly well, remember, we must focus on the physical (how we use our bodies), biochemical (things we put into our body), and psychological (mind-body) dimensions at the same time. Focusing on wellness during difficult times may be the last thing on your mind. Being aware of your mental state and consciously creating a new awareness can help you perservere in the face of any adversity.
Creating Wellness in your life is no longer a choice. It is slowly becoming a necessity. Not to be too cliche, but only the strong will survive these times. Being strong physically (through adequate exercise and balanced nutrition) and strong mentally (through conscious awareness) will enable people to cope with the challenges ahead. A strong mind and body that is without interference to the nervous system can withstand many forms of stress.
Erie, now is not the time to retreat. Now is the time to buckle up, hold on tight and reclaim your life. Reclaim your life from inactivity! Reclaim your life from over-consumption! Reclaim your life from the status quo! We can and will perservere during these times.
Will you join me?
Until next week, Be Fit. Eat Right. Think Well.
-Dr. Steve
What a wonderful weekend we had! Temperatures into the 50's was a welcomed respite from this winter. I hope you were able to get outside and breathe in some fresh air. A little sunshine, warm temps, and fresh air does a mind and body wonders!
Where in Erie is Creating Wellness this week? This week I find tremendous amounts of wellness in "perserverance."
The topic of the economy, employment, retirement funds, etc cannot be avoided. It is everywhere we turn. National and local headlines are rich with this type of news. It is difficult to find any positive news out there.
There is no doubt we are currently in and are heading towards troubling and challenging times. Rumors are swirling about large layoffs in our local workforce. When the big companies slow down and layoff employees, the trickle down effect is felt everywhere. Small businesses will feel the effects of the economic downturn even more.
If you have been recently laid off, face foreclosure on your home, or face other economic uncertainties, these times are very troubling indeed.
Many of us have enjoyed the fruits of a recent healthy and prosperous economy. Unfortunately, some of us enjoyed those fruits excessively and in an unsustainable manner. Now we are faced with uncertainty and challenges.
As King Solomon has said, "This too shall pass." We can and will survive these times. No, it won't necessarily be easy, nor will it be fun. We, as a culture, must return to a simpler time. No one is immune to these changes. Reducing the clutter in our lives will have tremendous benefits in our abilities to perservere and come out on top. Some examples of how to simplify our lives:
1. Buy only what is necessary
2. Entertain yourself/family with low cost/no cost activities
3. Recycle/Reuse
4. Consolidate where reasonable (i.e. 2 cars vs. 1 car)
5. Self Sacrifice (i.e. ride a bike to work instead of drive)
6. Eliminate habits that destroy health (i.e. smoking, excessive drinking, over eating, etc)
Cars, homes, iPods, etc come and go. During these tough times, we need our health more than anything. Creating Wellness in your life doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Creating Wellness in your life does require time, effort, and energy. To be truly well, remember, we must focus on the physical (how we use our bodies), biochemical (things we put into our body), and psychological (mind-body) dimensions at the same time. Focusing on wellness during difficult times may be the last thing on your mind. Being aware of your mental state and consciously creating a new awareness can help you perservere in the face of any adversity.
Creating Wellness in your life is no longer a choice. It is slowly becoming a necessity. Not to be too cliche, but only the strong will survive these times. Being strong physically (through adequate exercise and balanced nutrition) and strong mentally (through conscious awareness) will enable people to cope with the challenges ahead. A strong mind and body that is without interference to the nervous system can withstand many forms of stress.
Erie, now is not the time to retreat. Now is the time to buckle up, hold on tight and reclaim your life. Reclaim your life from inactivity! Reclaim your life from over-consumption! Reclaim your life from the status quo! We can and will perservere during these times.
Will you join me?
Until next week, Be Fit. Eat Right. Think Well.
-Dr. Steve
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Where in Erie is Creating Wellness? Week 5
Wow! What a Super Bowl! You just have to love a good game!
It is important to remember that wellness encompasses three dimensions. To achieve true wellness, we must work to improve all three areas at the same time. Physical wellness pertains to how we use our body. Biochemical wellness refers to things that we put into our body or don't put into our body. Lastly, psychological wellness refers to the mind body connection.
So, where in Erie is Creating Wellness this week? Presque Isle Bay. Today I walked from Dobbins Landing to the water taxi dock on the peninsula. I've always wondered how far of a distance it was. I ventured off with my brother and a GPS unit. The walk took us 46 minutes, through snow drifts and soft ice in some spots. In total, it was 2.01 miles.
The obvious wellness correlation is the physical activity of walking, however I am referencing the Bay because of the psychological dimension of wellness.
The walk across the bay was very invigorating, exciting, and calming at the same time. Walking across a frozen body of water is not something you do often, nor is it something many people do. That was invigorating and exciting. Looking back towards the city, but only hearing silence was calming. With no one around for at least a mile in any direction (at the halfway point) helped bring a state of consciousness to my mental forefront. Spending quality time with my brother helped bring back memories of our childhood. By the time I stepped on land on Presque Isle, my mind was more focused on the present vs thinking of the past or worried about the future. I was relaxed and in a state of ease.
I recommend any able bodied Erie resident try this before the ice on the bay melts. Walking across the bay may be too far for some and not far enough for others. I urge you to attempt a distance that is within your physical abilities. Walk some distance off the shoreline and just feel alive! Feel the sense of freedom, feel the excitement of just being alive! It is often the simple things and the seemingly routine events that can bring about the greatest joys in life.
Improving your attitude, your outlook will have tremendous effects on your daily actions and ultimately your life experience. The mind-body connection is real. Your physical health will benefit greatly from a healthy and positive mental state.
Erie, get out there and Create Wellness in your world! Create Wellness in your life one day at a time for a lifetime! Together, we can and will improve our community.
Until Next Week, BE FIT. EAT RIGHT. THINK WELL.
Dr. Steve
It is important to remember that wellness encompasses three dimensions. To achieve true wellness, we must work to improve all three areas at the same time. Physical wellness pertains to how we use our body. Biochemical wellness refers to things that we put into our body or don't put into our body. Lastly, psychological wellness refers to the mind body connection.
So, where in Erie is Creating Wellness this week? Presque Isle Bay. Today I walked from Dobbins Landing to the water taxi dock on the peninsula. I've always wondered how far of a distance it was. I ventured off with my brother and a GPS unit. The walk took us 46 minutes, through snow drifts and soft ice in some spots. In total, it was 2.01 miles.
The obvious wellness correlation is the physical activity of walking, however I am referencing the Bay because of the psychological dimension of wellness.
The walk across the bay was very invigorating, exciting, and calming at the same time. Walking across a frozen body of water is not something you do often, nor is it something many people do. That was invigorating and exciting. Looking back towards the city, but only hearing silence was calming. With no one around for at least a mile in any direction (at the halfway point) helped bring a state of consciousness to my mental forefront. Spending quality time with my brother helped bring back memories of our childhood. By the time I stepped on land on Presque Isle, my mind was more focused on the present vs thinking of the past or worried about the future. I was relaxed and in a state of ease.
I recommend any able bodied Erie resident try this before the ice on the bay melts. Walking across the bay may be too far for some and not far enough for others. I urge you to attempt a distance that is within your physical abilities. Walk some distance off the shoreline and just feel alive! Feel the sense of freedom, feel the excitement of just being alive! It is often the simple things and the seemingly routine events that can bring about the greatest joys in life.
Improving your attitude, your outlook will have tremendous effects on your daily actions and ultimately your life experience. The mind-body connection is real. Your physical health will benefit greatly from a healthy and positive mental state.
Erie, get out there and Create Wellness in your world! Create Wellness in your life one day at a time for a lifetime! Together, we can and will improve our community.
Until Next Week, BE FIT. EAT RIGHT. THINK WELL.
Dr. Steve
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