happiness

Tag Archive for happiness

Successful People And Their Lessons In Adversity

February 19, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

Successful people deal with adversity. It’s true.

Read the stories or profiles of most successful people. You’ll be surprised at just how adverse many of their situations were.

They often tell the stories for others to learn and to use to overcome adversity. I read those types of stories to help me with GenuLines posts.

Here are some suggestions for you to do the same.

Subscribe to GenuLines- get CHI FOR YOURSELF guest information and more!

Profiles of successful people

These contain gems of information and can act as a resource for everyone else. The story is one aspect of reading about them.

But how they dealt with their situations is often a source of inspiration. When you become inspired, you increase your chances of effective problem-solving.

Inspiration doesn’t last forever, unfortunately. You need to reinforce the message.

If you can, try to set aside time to read one story of a successful person every month. This will help you feel inspired.

And it will give you ideas on how to use the stories to make your life better.

Some people’s stories are dated
But their techniques may be timeless. A perfect example of this is Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People.

The stories themselves describe people and occupations of days long gone. But, his techniques are as valid today as they were back then.

You can read all about the stories of successful people and get inspired. But, if you don’t take action, it will be of little help to you.

At that point, you become nothing more than a dreamer. Having dreams is good, but you need to make sure you take action on those dreams.

Common ground
Reading the stories of successful people often shows that they’re just like the rest of us. There isn’t anything superhuman about them that led them to their successes.

You’ll find a common theme among those facing adversity. They had persistence and kept a positive attitude.

Those two attributes will take you far when facing any situation.

Finding successful
You can choose to read stories online or find material in your local library. You can also choose to find stories on the internet.

Be careful of the resources you find online. Anyone can publish whatever they like while sounding convincing and authoritative.

Check the resources. And keep a critical eye out for people who don’t present qualified information.

Get into the habit of reading about successful people. You’ll shift to a successful mindset yourself.

And you’ll have a memory bank of stories to draw inspiration.

JohnK 2-18-2019
chiforyourself.com home

Overheard: “A minute’s success pays the failure of years”
~Robert Browning

How Much Exercise Do You Need Every Day To Lose Weight?

May 16, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Warmer weather seems to be more conducive to exercise. Maybe you’re looking to break a sweat and lose a few pounds in the process.

GenuLines always supports good health, and managing your weight is a big part of that.

Below are some things to keep in mind during your program. All the best!

Subscribe to GenuLines- get CHI FOR YOURSELF guest information and more!

____________________

How Much Exercise Do You Need Every Day To Lose Weight?

Weight loss requires both a disciplined dietary approach and exercise. Other factors are important too. But, how much exercise do you need to do?

There’s no magic number of minutes, reps or hours needed to produce weight loss. Rather there are variables that you have to consider to reach the right numbers.

Here are some options to help you come up with an exercise time frame that works best for you.

Variable 1: Calories Consumed and Calorie Quality

The first principle of weight loss is that to lose weight you must reach a caloric deficit. This means burning more calories than you’re consuming.

So, to know the amount of exercise needed to lose weight, you need to know your daily caloric intake. Just as important are the sources of those calories.

For example, vegetables versus potato chips. If you function on a low-calorie diet you’ll need less exercise to lose weight.

You may be fine with a moderate 3-4 day a week training plan. If you eat large amounts of food you’ll need to up your exercise plan.

Variable 2: Exercise Type and Intensity

The second key variable is the type and intensity of exercise. 20 minutes on the elliptical has a far different energy output than 20 minutes of all-out sprinting.

This variable can also dovetail with our first variable. The greater the calorie consumption, the more energy for high-intensity exercise. Otherwise, you may not need to exercise for an especially long time or at a high intensity.

In general, aerobic-intensive exercise is different. It requires a longer time to see any sort of effective impact on weight loss.

Jogging, biking, the elliptical or other options eat up more time. This could consume hours over the course of a week before you see a meaningful impact.

Anaerobic activities will be more effective in a shorter amount of time. These include sprinting, resistance training or interval training methods.

But, their intensity level is much higher. So, you’ll need a certain level of fitness to get the full potential and results.

Variable 3: What is the Weight Loss Goal? How much time do we have to achieve it?

The third variable is arguably the most important. Think of your car ride or travel plans.

They’re determined by your destination. Your exercise plan and weight loss journey will be dictated by the goal we have set. If the goal is to lose 5 pounds in two months, that is a fairly modest and achievable goal for most.

If you’re a sedentary person you would only need to exercise 20-30 minutes a day for 3-4 days a week to achieve this goal.

Conversely, if your goal is to lose 30 pounds in two months, the equation is quite different. This would involve more hours every day at high intensity to achieve that same goal.

Putting it All Together: Finding the Right Number

We’ve examined the variables. Now we can consider how much exercise we need per day to lose weight.

Let’s say you have a low caloric intake, low-intensity aerobic exercise, and a modest goal.

You might be O.K. with 30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise a day. Not so if you love to eat, love to lift weights and also have an ambitious goal for weight loss.

You’re going to have to spend considerable time every day working out to reach those goals. Your best bet would be to assess your starting point as compared to your goal.

Look at how much time you have to reach that goal. Then make your plan to reach it.

This is a better bet than relying on a standard number or cookie-cutter approach.

JohnK 5-16-2018

chiforyourself.com home

Overheard: ”Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

~ George Bernard Shaw

Ira Israel on CHI FOR YOURSELF And A New “Freebie”

February 13, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Last week’s CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Ira Israel ran into some “technical difficulty” as they say. So it was not available to you live. But my conversation with Ira was recorded.

Ira Israel is the author of How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening.

First, a look at some of the show’s talking points:

The central theme of the book
The meaning of “negativity bias”
A definition of authenticity
The part resentment plays in our lives
Is there such a thing as the “mid-life crisis?”
The myth of romance
Beginning the process of forgiveness

…and, the show itself. Listen by clicking on below–

A new CHI FOR YOURSELF “freebie” is up and available. Get this free report on dealing with stress when you click here–

FREE Stuff

JohnK 2-13-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

Ira Israel on CHI FOR YOURSELF And A New “Freebie”

February 13, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Last week’s CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Ira Israel ran into some “technical difficulty” as they say. So it was not available to you live. But my conversation with Ira was recorded.

Ira Israel is the author of How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening.

First, a look at some of the show’s talking points:

The central theme of the book
The meaning of “negativity bias”
A definition of authenticity
The part resentment plays in our lives
Is there such a thing as the “mid-life crisis?”
The myth of romance
Beginning the process of forgiveness

…and, the show itself. Listen by clicking on below–

A new CHI FOR YOURSELF “freebie” is up and available. Get this free report on dealing with stress when you click here–

FREE Stuff

JohnK 2-13-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

A Grown-up Look At Childhood: Ira Israel on CHI FOR YOURSELF

February 8, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

It’s our first (first run) CHI FOR YOURSELF episode of 2018!

Our guest will be psychotherapist and counselor Ira Israel, author of How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening.

Ira offers a step-by-step path to recognizing the ways of being that we created as children and transcending them with compassion and acceptance.

Hear the CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Ira Israel on Friday, February 9th at 4 pm Eastern, 1 pm Pacific time at chiforyourself.com

JohnK 2-8-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

Adventures In Solitude With Robert Kull

February 2, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Although many cultures have long recognized solitude as an opportunity to look inward, in our culture we sometimes think that spending time alone is unhealthy.

In the 2009 CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Robert Kull, we learned that spending time alone can actually soften our sense of alienation from others. Kull used his journey to deep wilderness solitude to drive that point home.

Robert Kull is the author of SOLITUDE: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes- A Year Alone in the Patagonia Wilderness.

Listen to the interview by clicking on below-

JohnK 2-2-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

Subscribe to GenuLines- get CHI FOR YOURSELF guest information and more!

Eating To Live And The Signs That You Eat Too Much

January 31, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Eating is a fundamental pillar of life. Most of us enjoy it, especially when we’re savoring some great tasting food!

Unfortunately, we also don’t always have the best sense of when to stop eating. Especially when we have access to good-tasting foods in immense quantities.

We poke fun at humorous situations such as Homer Simpson eating until he can’t move. But, there are consequences to this. They range from a mild stomach ache to cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

Plus, overeating is not as dramatic as eating until our pants are about to burst. It’s subtle. It’s more like eating more than we need in one sitting. Or eating until we’re full rather than eating until we’ve gotten the nutrients we need.

We don’t have the natural constraints our ancestors did to prevent us from overeating. In evolutionary terms, most humans couldn’t overeat. Large-scale agriculture and food processing are fairly recent developments.

Most humans (especially Americans) have access to more food and convenience than ever.

So, what drives us to eat more than we need?

One key insight is the emotional connection to food many people have. Research has shown that they tend to eat more or overeat when they’re feeling sad. Or depressed. Or if they’re struggling with an issue.

A study in the Journal of Adolescent Health looked at eating disorders like binge eating. It found that “it’s important to consider depressive symptoms in overeating.”

Are we eating because we’re hungry, or because of an emotional issue we’re dealing with?

Another consideration is symptoms of Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. The Medical University of Warsaw found that these symptoms can lead people to eat more. Why? To satisfy urges to increase insulin. So, it’s important to practice moderation when eating sweets. They cause us to eat far more than we actually need.

Finally, your body is your best warning system. Warnings come when you experience constipation, blockage, vomiting or stomach aches. Your body is telling you it’s had enough.

If you feel a constant need for laxatives or antacids it’s most likely your body’s alarm system at work. It’s telling you that you’ve taken in far more food than you need.

Your body’s energy level and mental alertness also are signs of eating too much.

We all enjoy a well-prepared meal or delicious healthy snacks. Yet as far as biology is concerned food is no more than fuel for our body to consume and turn into energy.

But when you bog your system down with excess or poor quality food (A.K.A. junk food) your energy will decrease. You’ll feel sluggish and less alert. Rather than boost energy, it will make your digestive system feel overloaded.

Your brain and your emotions work together to send you the warnings. These can come in the form of depression or stress.

Be mindful with this. Be aware of your current state. Your body tells you through your energy levels and digestion system when you’ve had too much.

The signals are there. Are you listening?

JohnK 1-31-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

Overheard: “It’s not that some people have the willpower and some don’t. It’s that some people are ready to change and others are not.”

~Carl Sandburg

Subscribe to GenuLines- get CHI FOR YOURSELF guest information and more!

Build Self-Esteem: The First Step Toward Self-Development

January 24, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

If you’re interested in self-development but have low self-esteem, the first thing you need to do is change that. Until you do, it’s much harder to assess what you need to learn and change to achieve your goals. In fact, if you have low self-esteem it can be difficult to even see what your goals are.

Imagine yourself as a dart board. At times anything and anyone can become a damaging dart pin at one point or another.

These dart pins will destroy your self-esteem and pull you down in ways you may not even be conscious of. It’s important not to let them destroy you, or get the best of you.

So what are the dart pins to avoid, and how can you keep them from hurting you?

Dart Pin #1 Negative Work Environment

Beware of “dog eat dog” theory where everyone else is fighting to get ahead. This is where non-appreciative people usually thrive.

No one will appreciate your contributions even if you miss lunch and dinner, and stay up late. You may find you are working harder and harder for less and less return.

Stay away from this since it can ruin your self-esteem. Find ways to manage your work within the normal working day at least 90% of the time.

If you have to compete with others, compete on your own terms. Don’t fall into power games or negative behavior that could hurt your self-image.

Dart Pin #2: Other People’s Behavior

Bulldozers, brown nosers, gossipmongers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, the walking wounded, controllers, naggers, complainers, exploders, patronizers, sluffers … all these negative behaviors in others can damage your self-esteem.

And, they’ll push back your self-development program. But remember, it’s not the person who is the problem: it’s their behavior.

Dart Pin #3: Changing Environment

Changes challenge our paradigms. They test our flexibility, adaptability, and they alter our thought process.

Changes will make life difficult for a while and often cause stress. But when we look back we’ll see that change is often the catalyst or cause of self-development. Decide not to resist it.

Dart Pin #4: Past Experience

It’s okay to cry and say “ouch!” when you experience pain. But don’t let past hurts turn pain into fear.

Dragging the issues of your past relationship into your new one is a road to failure. Don’t expect your partner to be a mirror image of your last partner.

Treat each failure and mistake as a lesson, and move on.

Dart Pin #5: Negative World View

Look at what you’re looking at. Don’t wrap yourself up with all the negativities of the world. In building self-esteem, we must learn how to make the best out of worst situations.

Dart Pin #6: Determination Theory

Your behavior is said to be the result of a mixture. The ingredients include your inherited traits and your upbringing.

Other factors include your environment, such as friends, work situation, and the economy. You can even throw in the climate in your country.

Know that your genetics or upbringing don’t determine your life path. Failures among your family members don’t rub off.

Learn from other people’s experience, so you’ll never have to encounter the same mistakes.

In life, it can be hard to stay true to your code. Especially when things and people around you seem to keep pulling you down.

Yet, building self-esteem will lead to self-development if you become responsible. Be responsible for who you are, what you have, and what you do.

When we develop self-esteem, we take control of our mission, values, and discipline. Self- esteem brings about self-improvement, true assessment, and determination.

So how do you start putting up the building blocks of self-esteem? Be positive. Be contented and happy. Be appreciative. Never miss an opportunity to compliment.

A positive way of living will help you build self-esteem and set you on the path to positive self-development.

JohnK 1/24/2018

chiforyourself.com home

Overheard: “Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your handbrake on.”

~ Maxwell Maltz

Subscribe to GenuLines- get CHI FOR YOURSELF guest information and more!

3 Steps to Creating New Habits

January 17, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Let’s talk about forming new habits. There are times in our lives when we want to create new and better habits for ourselves.

This could include getting into the habit of eating healthier. It might be drinking more water. Or it could be moving more and taking the dog for a daily walk. Or it could be work-related, or spiritual, or…

There are so many areas in our lives we can improve and make easier if we create new habits.

Getting into the habit of doing something is often easier said than done. We seem to form bad habits without any effort, but getting into a “good” habit can be a little more challenging.

We’ll break it down into a three-step process. This will make it easy to follow until you’ve internalized the new behavior and made it a true habit. You’ll do it without having to think about it. Like brushing your teeth.

Decide What You Want To Do

The first step is to decide what the new habit is. Be as specific as possible. Be bold. Don’t tell yourself you want to exercise more. Say something like “I will go for a 30-minute walk every single day.” Deciding what your new habit will be and committing to when and how you’re going to do it, is half the battle.

Remind Yourself To Get It Done

The next few days should be smooth sailing. You’re motivated and excited to get this done. Sticking to your new habit isn’t an issue. But a few days in you’ll notice that it’s easy to slip back into old habits.

Say it’s raining and you’re not feeling like going out and walking. Or the hours in your day seem to be getting away from you. This is when it’s important to have a daily reminder. Set an alert on your phone or add the new habit to your daily to-do list for a while.

Make It Part Of Your Routine Until It Becomes A Habit

It takes some time before a new behavior becomes a true habit. Until then, a routine will work to your best advantage.

A routine will help you solidify the habit. This way you won’t have to spend a lot of willpower or rely on daily reminders.

Make that daily walk part of your after-dinner routine. Or switch from grabbing a snack at the vending machine at work at 10:00 in the morning to packing a healthy snack.

You can do this! Decide to create the new habit. Practice the routine until it’s second nature and you’ll be well on your way to forming a new good habit.

JohnK 1-17-2018

chiforyourself.com home page