Our next scheduled guest on Chi For Yourself has lived with chronic pain since 2007.
Sarah Anne Schockley offers fellow pain sufferers a compassionate and supportive guide for living with pain that can be used alongside their ongoing medical or therapeutic healing programs.
Sarah Anne Shockley is the author of The Pain Companion: Everyday Wisdom for Living With and Moving Beyond Chronic Pain.
Be with us for Chi For Yourself on Thursday, July 26th at 4 pm Eastern, 1 pm Pacific time at chiforyourself.com
As you age you may see that your memory is not as good as it used to be. This could affect your ability to learn and remember new things.
Some of these changes in memory can be due to lack of attention. For example, if you’re a working parent you may be on overwhelm.
You’re trying to remember who needs to go where and when. This is considered a normal memory problem.
There are biological reasons for memory loss, too. Over the years the brain changes.
The ability to process information and to react to it slows, as does the ability to multi-task. You can curb the process with a little more effort to learn and remember new things.
There are differences in normal and abnormal cognitive and biological changes. Abnormal changes can be the effects of dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Here are some ways to tell normal forgetfulness from abnormal forgetfulness:
1. The passage of time –
The passing of time is often to blame for decreased memory in normal aging. If you don’t think about particular memories often, you might forget them.
A less important event might mean more chance of forgetting the details. This isn’t unusual.
The memories that you call upon more often tend to stay front of mind. Bottom line: if you don’t use those memories, you lose them.
Abnormal forgetfulness is the inability to recall recent events. Things like what you ate for breakfast or who visited you that day.
2. Stressful events –
If you’re trying to remember events from a time of stress in your life, it’s likely due to normal memory lapses. During times of stress, your brain has a harder time storing information.
3. Repetition –
If you tell your kids the same story over a couple of weeks it’s called simple forgetfulness. But if you tell them the same story during a short visit it may be more serious.
4. Date –
You might forget exact dates, but you have a general idea of the time of the month. This is common.
You would likely have the presence of mind to, say, check a newspaper for your answer. It’s a different story if you don’t even know what year it is.
5. Self-care abilities –
You may experience some forgetfulness now and then. But you still remember to wash and dress yourself.
You eat at your usual times. You go to the grocery store.
And you take your medications. You may need to use a pill box as a personal reminder but your memory is likely still within range for your age.
It’s a different story if you don’t remember how to do these tasks or even that they need to get done.
6. Familiarity –
Sometimes you get lost in unfamiliar locations, such as when you’re visiting a new area of your city. Usually not a big deal.
It’s another matter when you get lost in your neighborhood. Or if you don’t remember your own family members.
7. Frustration levels –
Talking about forgetfulness is not likely a trigger for anger. But a memory problem can cause angry outbursts to someone faced with questions.
They don’t want to be tested about dates, places, and more. They may even accuse you of stealing something that they lost and cannot locate.
The next scheduled Chi For Yourself is set for a couple of weeks from today. I won’t go into details. But, if you’re someone who suffers from constant pain you’ll want to listen in.
You’ll get the details in an upcoming GenuLines blog post. You can get those sent to you if you subscribe.
Put your email address in the box at the top of the page and get the updates.
Today we’ll look at motivation. If you’re not doing well in this department you might benefit from a shot of mindfulness.
Read on to learn more:
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Do you struggle with low motivation? The stress and strain of a busy life can overwhelm you.
The most basic tasks seem difficult.
The downward spiral of low motivation can seem like an impossible cycle to break. Productivity and accomplishment look like unattainable goals when you lose your spark.
There’s a simple tool you may not have considered before that can get you back on track, and that’s meditation. You can gain a lot of good things through your practice.
Let’s look at some of the benefits of meditation for motivation.
Strengthened Focus and Concentration
Focus and concentration are essential elements of motivation. If you can’t get your mind to center on the things you need to do, your motivation will also go out the window.
Meditation involves focus and concentration. You’ll be engaging in focusing your attention in some way.
Increased Happiness
We all get down now and again. But staying in the “happy zone” pays dividends.
Happy people tend to have more energy and higher self-confidence. Motivation increases happiness by stimulating the release of the brain’s “happiness hormones.”
When you’re feeling more positive, you’re likely to have more internal desire to get things done.
Less Stress
Meditation allows the brain to slow down as it receives sensory input. This leads to a more relaxed feeling
This relaxation and improved processing leads to reduced feelings of stress and overwhelm. With less stress comes a feeling of more control, which then fuels your motivation.
Positive Thinking
One of the biggest killers of motivation is negative thinking.
Pessimism can come from many sources. These include depression, poor habits or general life difficulties.
Meditation “rewires” brain patterns to naturally trigger more positive ones. The result is the “reset” you need to be more motivated.
Clarified Goals and Purpose
Taking time each day for meditation gives you loads of personal insight. This self-reflection can be the fuel for reassessing what’s really important in your life.
When you have a better picture of your priorities, your goals and life’s purpose become clearer. Knowing where you want to go kicks your motivation into high-gear.
You feel a greater urgency to take the steps necessary on the path to your dreams.
The benefits of meditation for increased motivation are many. And there are many different types of meditation.
You can begin to research on your own or find a skilled teacher who can help you develop a practice that works for you. What’s most important is that you get started.
And be consistent in your meditation practice. You’ll see more effective results.
The energy uptick will help you tackle your to-do list and go after the life goals that matter.
We’ve all come across people with strong personalities.
But what exactly does this mean?
It’s difficult to find one definition of a “strong personality.” Urban Dictionary online defines it as “an aggressive person; a difficult person.”
Others use the following descriptive terms: intimidating, overbearing, impatient, intolerant, controlling, bullying behavior.
You want to deal with these strong personalities without punishing your confidence level.
Fortunately, there are ways to do this. Here’s what you need to keep in mind.
1. Get to know the person underneath –
You can’t over-emphasize this point. Getting beneath a person’s tough exterior can help you understand why that person is the way he/she is.
Family of origin for example.
You may be dealing with an oldest child. One who came from alcoholic parents, and had to raise three brothers and sisters.
Ways to get to know the person include engaging him/her in conversation. At the start, it may be a sincere compliment about a new hairstyle or a new coat, or asking how his/her weekend was.
You want to stay on that person’s good side, and you can do this by being likable and friendly. In turn, you’re also likely to pick up on traits about the person that you like.
2. Don’t take it personally –
Strong personalities tend to be direct and they don’t mince words. If you learn to shrug off the way something is said to you, you’ll do well.
3. Stay calm –
People with strong personalities are up to the challenge of arguing their point. So it’s better not to go there.
Stand your ground, but don’t let it get to the point of an argument.
4. Use humor –
Let’s say someone is barking orders at you even though you have a good relationship with them. (as explained in tip #1 above). Consider using humor.
You could say, “Sure, I can do that, but I expect you to buy me a coffee when we go for break.” In this way, you’re acknowledging a request, but you’re showing that you’re not taking it to heart.
5. You have valuable ideas too –
Often people with strong personalities are testing you. They don’t like to see weakness in others as much as they don’t like it in themselves.
Keep your confidence up by speaking clearly and with conviction, but do it kindly. Don’t be a wishy-washy type of person who can’t make a decision.
If you can’t come to an agreement on something, don’t walk away exasperated. Instead, leave room for discussion later.
It may go nowhere later too. But at least you keep your self-respect and the knowledge that you can deal with all kinds of people.
Creativity is a word that’s familiar to you. You probably use it from time to time. But do you understand it?
Creativity is about imagination, newness, freshness, and ingenuity. Yet it’s tempting to copy creativity from others. Below you’ll find some ways to fuel your creativity ‘engine.’
Creative genius. It’s all around you. In the phones and other tech devices you use. In the music you listen to and the movies that keep you riveted to the screen.
And maybe you have the mistaken opinion that only a select few are able to unleash a steady flow of creative genius. It probably comes from the idea of ‘personality type.’
This makes you think personality and style of working are set in stone.
That’s not true at all. Your so-called personality type is only a set of behavior patterns. You took these on to help you meet the different challenges of your early life.
You can change those patterns.
The fact is, creativity is very much like a muscle that needs exercise to give you great results.
If you don’t practice harnessing creative thinking, this skill will atrophy. And the ‘muscle’ will become weak.
But keep it working and it will come to you whenever you call.
So how do you unleash your creative thinking? Well, the first thing to do is to become a human leech.
No, we’re not talking about sucking the blood out of every living being in sight. We’re saying that you should take in as much knowledge and learning as you can find.
Read everything available — good and bad. And keep your mind open to the infinite possibilities of the universe.
The more you know, the more you’ll want to know. And the more your faculty of wonder will kick in.
Prepare to be amazed at little facts that add a bit of color to your life.
Focus on a creative activity every day. Yes, it’s an effort. But even doodling is a creative activity.
Don’t let anything hinder you.
Sometimes daydreaming is a creative activity. But if you’re new to creative thinking you might need concrete evidence.
When you see it you’ll be able to say “hey, what I’m doing is getting somewhere.”
Going vegan, or vegetarian is a great way to eat smarter, lose weight, burn fat and feel energetic. Choosing to live a healthier lifestyle starts with your diet.
Estimates show that up to 70% of your physical fitness level is a direct result of your diet. So, “Good for you!” for deciding to go vegan or vegetarian.
By the way, what is the difference?
A vegan is definitely a vegetarian, but not all vegetarians are vegans. And what is this pescatarian thing anyway?
Defining the Difference Between Vegan and Vegetarian
Before you join a club or organization, you first find out what they are all about, right? What do they believe?
What are the basic tenets, rules and unwritten laws which govern that organization? Choosing between a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle? Ask yourself the same questions.
– Vegan – A person who excludes the use of animals for clothing, food or any other purpose. They do not consume or use any products made from animals.
This means they do not eat eggs, meat, milk or any other animal-based food.
– Vegetarian – This is someone who does not eat meat or fish. Unlike a vegan, some types of vegetarians eat dairy products, eggs, and cheese.
Vegetarians don’t usually concern themselves with excluding animal-based non-food products. These include things like clothing.
The Different Types of Vegetarians
Now you’re beginning to see the differences. Vegans look at food and nonfood production in a different light. They can be more passionate about the exclusion of animals from the process.
Vegetarians pretty much stick to a plant-based diet. But you may find them wearing leather shoes and clothing. Or they may eat eggs and cheese and drink milk.
Check out these different types of vegetarians …
Pescatarian – This person is pretty much a vegetarian. But, they also eat fish and other seafood products, dairy, and eggs.
Flexitarian – If you would like to be an “almost vegetarian”, the flexitarian diet might be right for you. This is a vegetarian who sometimes eats eggs, cheese, and dairy products.
They also eat less meat.
Lacto vegetarian – As a “lacto” you can exclude poultry, meat, fish and any egg products from your diet. But you can still eat dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, and milk,
Lacto ovo vegetarian – Do you love cheese, eggs, egg-based food items. Do you have to have yogurt, milk and other dairy products?
When you add these foods to an almost completely plant-based diet you are a lacto ovo vegetarian.
It doesn’t take much looking around anymore to find a real need for forgiveness. Society keeps a laundry list of “somebody-done-somebody-wrong-what-should-be-done-about-it” items.
Look at your own life. What are you carrying around? More importantly, can you “put it down?”
Chi For Yourself answers in the affirmative. Read on to find out how you can lighten the load through forgiveness–
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Does it seem that your days are a constant stream of anger and resentment? Is it tough remembering when you were happy?
You know, those times when you greeted your days with more enthusiasm?
Ah, but that was before my partner (and love in general) let me down!
You may think that holding on to anger and grief grants you a certain power. One that you wouldn’t have if you forgave and let go of the anger and confusion.
It doesn’t seem logical that forgiveness can give you a new outlook. An outlook free of constant thinking about how and why you were “wronged.”
Forgiveness is not excusing or condoning the act. Nor is it letting someone back into your life.
Forgiveness is actually a gift you can give yourself. Doing this will restore your life to a sort of normalcy. You’ll enjoy the good things about life. And, you won’t let the bad stuff get you down.
I like to say that we make choices. And forgiveness is a process you must choose. It’s not a sudden awakening that pushes you to let someone “off the hook.’
Forgiveness is a powerful ally in your life. It’s critical to restoring relationships and/or carrying on with life. No more wallowing in self-pity.
When you forgive, you take a load off of yourself. You rid your mind of thoughts of revenge. You can move forward with a happy here-and-now. And you de-clutter your path toward manifesting in the future.
You’ll be surprised how forgiveness can soothe aches and pains. Plus you’ll be able to open yourself up to better relationships.
You may not feel able to trust someone immediately. But gradually you’ll experience honesty and respect. You’ll have a newfound trust and openness.
You may not be ready to forgive – and, that’s okay. But, you can begin working toward forgiveness and enjoy the journey.
Justdeciding to forgive starts freeing you from corrosive feelings that bother you.
It feels nothing short of traumatic when your life has been rocked by someone you trusted and loved. Forgiveness is a path to restoring your life so that you’re open and your spirit is ready.
Happy was the order of the day when Andrew Matthews visited Chi For Yourself. Andrew reminded us that to be happy we have to emulate happy and successful people. And he says that it’s what you feel that attracts the sort of life you have.
Andrew Matthews is the author of How Life Works: Why Happy People Are More Successful. How You Can Be Like Them!
Listen to last week’s show by clicking on below–
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Recently I had the chance to respond to a blog post and I just couldn’t resist. I rarely do this. The writer read The Secret, did affirmations, and felt this “belief” was all fueled by ego wants. The following is an excerpt of my response. As the saying goes, “Ignorance of the Law is no excuse.”
O.K. kids, time to clear this up once and for all… Law of Attraction does not manipulate anything. And, ego is not the driver of LOA.
Let’s put away our copies of The Secret and get this thing right. Law of Attraction is more accurately known as Law of Vibration.
This vibration occurs in everything in the universe, including YOU. Work on honing your energy or vibration- think gratitude, love, and so on.
You’ll ACTIVATE and work with The Law of Vibration to deliberately manifest. You do this by seeking out ways to optimize your energy and clear the way for the alignment process to work.
Universal Law is not about “believing.” It’s not a faith, a cult, a fad, a superstition, or a parlor trick.
It’s not the fast track to a new Lexus or a winning lottery ticket. It’s been around forever and it ain’t goin’ anywhere.
Honing this magnetic energy as mentioned earlier can have extraordinary effect. It’s constantly affecting individuals, communities, and even countries.
Studies have shown that attractor energies can impact something as basic as water. And, water makes up more than half of an adult male’s body. See Dr. Masaru Emoto’s study
Still having a problem believing this Universal Law business? Step off of a tall building and see if you believe in another Universal Law- the Law of Gravity.
Whew! Law of Attraction is not a threat to you or your religion for that matter. You don’t have to convert to a dogmatic creed, do penance, or sacrifice any virgins.
Are excuses getting in your way? Another week is passing by and you’re no closer to reaching your goal. Or wish. Or dream!
Here’s a gentle reminder from CHI FOR YOURSELF about excuses and what you can do about them.
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ARTICLE:
Excuses. They’re some of the biggest momentum destroyers. But you can overcome the need to create excuses by keeping moving in the right direction.
The smallest actions toward achieving your goal can keep your momentum moving along.
You want your action to be consistent. This will keep momentum moving and your goals on track.
In time, your progress will become easier and your actions will be done without even thinking. You’ll enjoy the actions much more too. And you’ll become more enthused as you realize one success after another.
Here are some common excuses. They’re often used to keep you from beginning or following through with a commitment:
Time constraints –
“I just have too much to do and can’t exercise (or whatever else you need to do). Everyone has the same amount of time, but they don’t set the proper priorities.
Decide what’s most important to you. Then take action after weeding out some of the less important tasks in your life.
It’s too difficult –
You may need to break down the goal into small steps so that you better understand and can complete it. Make it a point to study and analyze what you want and how to get it.
That may mean going back to school, but if you want it badly enough, it’s worthwhile.
Too old (or too young) –
Look at older folks. Some have accomplished what seemed like impossible feats in their later years.
And look at those who’ve reached phenomenal success at very young ages. If you have the will and commitment to gather the momentum you need – you’ll succeed.
The time isn’t right –
You might think you’ll do it when the kids are out of school, when you retire, or when your finances are in better shape.
Chances are, the time will never be quite right to begin the motions to reach your most lofty goals. Begin now – even in small increments – to create the momentum necessary to move you along.
What are some of the excuses you’ve used in the past? Did they keep you from completing a project or beginning the process to reach a goal?
Decide whether your excuse is valid or a momentum killer that’s holding you back.
Our next scheduled guest on Chi For Yourself has lived with chronic pain since 2007.
As you age you may see that your memory is not as good as it used to be. This could affect your ability to learn and remember new things.
The ability to process information and to react to it slows, as does the ability to multi-task. You can curb the process with a little more effort to learn and remember new things.
Overheard: “As you get older three things happen. The first is your memory goes, and I can’t remember the other two.” 
Overheard: “I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse.”
Recently I had the chance to respond to a blog post and I just couldn’t resist. I rarely do this. The writer read The Secret, did affirmations, and felt this “belief” was all fueled by ego wants. The following is an excerpt of my response. As the saying goes, “Ignorance of the Law is no excuse.”
Our scheduled guest is Andrew Matthews, author of How Life Works: Why Happy People are More Successful. How You Can Be Like Them!
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