self esteem

Tag Archive for self esteem

Show Others How to Appreciate the Small Things

May 7, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

Life gives us lots to appreciate. People who forget that can become bitter over time.

But you can set an example for them. Today GenuLines looks at some ways to do it.

Show Others How to Appreciate the Small Things

Your gratitude for life’s gifts can help you show others how to do the same. You don’t have to go overboard.

You can make occasional references to how you enjoy your life and give reasons why. Relate experiences about your weekend to your colleagues.

Then tell why you appreciate them.

Stay as positive as you can, even if the bitter people are negative. That’s not easy since negative people can sour the moods of the people around them.

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But, your positive outlook can cancel out that negative behavior.

People appreciate listeners

They haven’t been able to get their problems off their chest. These problems often build, which stokes their bitterness.

They feel as though no one is listening and no one cares about them. But playing the role of advisor can be the wrong tactic to use.

Be a listener. It’ll make a world of difference.

Invite them to events after work. Understand that it may take some time before they say yes to your invitations.

Bitter people often become reclusive. Keep inviting them, and over time you may break down their barriers.

Don’t pressure them. That will make them more reclusive.

Talk activities

Get them talking about their hobbies or their favorite sports. Even if they aren’t active in these events, ask about past experiences.

When they start talking it may re-ignite a spark. That can be a great starting point in helping them get through their issues.

Some people will never let down their guard, and that’s unfortunate. They’ve stopped living life, and they don’t appreciate any aspect of it.

But there’s hope for some. Even changing one life is a force for good.

They’ll become more pleasant to be around. And they may get to the point where they’ll help others who’ve lost their way.

JohnK 5-7-2019

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Overheard: When the crowd appreciates you, it encourages you to be a little more daring, I think.
~ Julius Erving

***Photo by MARK ADRIANE on Unsplash

New Year Greetings and Gratitude From GenuLines and Chi For Yourself

January 1, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

The new year of 2019 is here!

A good time to thank you for choosing GenuLines and Chi For Yourself.

Also a good time to send you “good chi” toward living your Genuine Life.

All the best!

JohnK 1-1-2019

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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!

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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

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

~ George Bernard Shaw

Feeling Hungry? Get A Plan!

May 2, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Picture this. You come home from work stressed, exhausted, and hungry. You decide that tonight might be a great night to order in.

Do you find yourself doing this two or three times a week because your life is so busy? The scenario isn’t meant to shame, Most of us have been there.

Life doesn’t stop because your day has been crazy busy.

The kids still need to eat. The laundry still needs to get done. And you still have a night of balancing your checkbook ahead of you.

Let’s be honest, who would have time to even think about cooking with a schedule like that? This is where the importance of planning comes in.

When you’re able to plan your meals ahead of time you won’t need to hit that drive-thru window. You’ll already have your dinner ready, all you need to do is heat it. With everything already in place, you can focus on other things while your food is cooking.

Taking one or two hours a week to plan your meals might seem like a hassle. But this can save you hours in the future.

Doing something once a week is a lot easier than doing it several times a week. One trip to the grocery store and one afternoon in the kitchen. This can produce an entire week of meals for your family.

But planning your meals is only the beginning. You can also plan your trip to the grocery store.

What was once a headache can be a breeze when you have a categorized list in front of you. Make an Excel spreadsheet and list your grocery categories in bold, (frozen, produce, meats, etc.).

Then put each item under the appropriate category and print it out. Now you have an easy-to-use, focused list that will keep you on track.

And, your printout can be a template for your future grocery lists.

JohnK 5-2-2018

chiforyourself.com home

Overheard: “True healthcare reform starts in your kitchen, not in Washington”

~Anonymous

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Bringing Change To Your Life: Ya Gotta Want It!

April 25, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Bringing change to our lives is great conversation fodder. But, are we really doing what it takes to bring about change?

Today’s article will give you some ideas to kick-start the process of changing your life.

While we’re on the subject of change, I hope you had a chance to hear the CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Julie Simon. Our topic was emotional eating. Getting an upper hand on that tendency can bring major change to your life.

You can listen to the show by clicking on below:

Some of the talking points from the interview:

Emotional eating defined
Julie Simon’s experience as an emotional eater
Re-wiring the brain for better eating
Weight loss as a New Year resolution
Emotional eating: women and men

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ARTICLE

People often say that they have at least one wish or desire to change something about their lives. Unfortunately, they often don’t move to change this.

They’ll say that their reason for not attaining their goal is lack of motivation. Then there are those who would say this is a lack of effort rather than a lack of motivation.

Let’s take a look at some reasons why people don’t put the effort into making a lifestyle change.

1. Lack of a reason

To make any type of change in your life you need to have a good reason to do so. Having a goal is wonderful but the reason you have to reach that goal fuels your decision.

Those reasons could include attracting more money for a move to a new location. or for funding more opportunities.

2. Setting too large a goal

Weight loss is a perfect example. If you want to lose 70 pounds don’t focus on this amount.

Instead, you can set smaller goals, say 7 pounds a month. That can help you stay on task.

If you meet this goal in less time that’s great. If you’re struggling, don’t give up. Refocus and set your next monthly goal at 5 pounds.

3. No vision

Having a vision of what you want is a great way to stay motivated. This is why it’s smart to keep track of your goals.

You can do this in various ways, depending on your goal. If that goal is to lose weight then keep photos and images of your progress.

If it’s another type of goal you might want to keep a journal or blog about your journey.

This way you can see what you are struggling with and what you’re accomplishing.

4. Lack of Support

Not having a support network can hurt your efforts to bring change to your life. Getting support from family and friends can be a big boost toward realizing your goals.

Put these four factors into practice. You’ll find that you have both more drive and more commitment.

And, you’ll finally start making those lifestyle changes you’ve dreamed about.

JohnK 4-25-2018
chiforyourself home page

Overheard: “There is no man living that can not do more than he thinks he can.”
~ Henry Ford

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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

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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

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