Tag: health

Health and the Electronic Muse

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I took the summer off WordPress. Sorry. The reason I did it was because I had some health concerns.

After my good doctor and I took care of the health concerns I marveled at the miracle and majesty of modern medicine.

So much of my health depends on my parents and my genes.

Amazingly, I am happy to know there are many medicines and pills to conquer ailments which could have killed people years ago, if left untreated.
Then again, there’s a need for all of us to take care of our health.

It’s so easy to fall into a lush, luxurious life of leisure.

There are so many temptations with the Internet that vaunt the pleasures of a sedentary life!

Partly because of my ADHD I struggle with so many challenges to pull away from the electronic muse and the latest news.

So now, today I received good news regarding my health.

Things are back on the beam.

I hope to write again soon. Just wanted to state that those to whom I subscribe on WordPress are doing a wonderful job of keeping me entertained and informed. Once again, thank you! 🙂 I enjoy reading your posts as well.
Musically yours,

Amy Zents

Our minds, hearts, and homes

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Whatever happened to honor and respect? 
Some people don’t care what they say, what they look like, or even live like, much less do they care if it offends you!

You may call it freedom, but it comes with a high price.

I understand some people have real mental issues. There are people​ who have real problems dealing with their issues, and would like to let everybody know it.

On a different note, many have been enticed into believing the world owes them a living, and they whine to everybody who will listen to garner pity for their feelings, or else make major excuses to justify themselves.

No matter how you slice it, most people have lost touch with two basic human values, honor and respect.

It is evident everywhere you look.

So what’s to be done about it?

The underlying principle is always the same. It boils down to personal responsibility.

And the question to ask is always the same. 

Who or what do you want to be? 

You decide to be the person who shows honor and respect because your attitude affects everybody in one way or another, including you.

It’s time for an honor and respect wake-up call.

Start with yourself and you are guaranteed you will make your life easier, better and more valuable.
If you show honor and respect for yourself in everything you do and say, others will respond in a very good way. 

Don’t tear yourself down, and don’t beat yourself up. Be the change you want to see in the world. 

After that, show respect and honor to your family. Show respect and honor with people at work and at play.

I don’t wish to lecture anyone, but I believe the lack of honor and respect is at the core of society’s​ problems.

Things won’t get better until a sacred sense of honor and respect pervades all the spaces in our minds, hearts and homes. 

How to make head space in a cluttered mind

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So many things to think, do and worry about.

Feeling that less is best is different than living up to that belief.
My attempts at making space in my home by getting rid of clutter has been very difficult for me, but I continue the quest. 

I also want to create space in my mind. Lately I’ve been doing three different things in the morning to calm myself and center myself.

Here is my regimen:

1.

I light a sweet-smelling garden rain candle, and I set the timer for 5 minutes. In that span of time I try to let go of all thoughts that intrude in my head.  It’s amazing what I think about when I stop and listen to what I think. 

2. 

Next, for five minutes I do stream-of-consciousness writing. I write whatever thoughts come into my head. My chicken scrawl is only legible to me because I don’t want others to be able to read it or for me to incriminate myself!

3.

Last, but not least, I review what I’ve written. I look and see what my concerns, actions, accomplishments and fears are. I notice when I complain and when I congratulate myself for doing things I didn’t want to have to do. I notice the recurring themes.

Summary

I’ve only been doing this practice for a few days. So far the thing that I’ve discovered is that I really like living a low pressure, stress-free existence.

I’m raising my consciousness to appreciate my downtime. Although I think about the future, I also try and become more present. It’s not always easy when anticipating a yucky task or chore, but it’s nice to know that I’ve carved out a tiny little niche in which to meditate and reflect on what I think. 

However, I don’t think the goal of meditation is to think, but to empty your mind. 

I’m not quite there yet.

The courage to be genuine

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The real Amy Zents

What gives one the courage to be genuine? I recently attended a meeting on branding. People say that when you market something the number one key is branding.
I hate to say it, but to me it all seems fake.

What got millions of people to smoke cigarettes in order to look cool? Would you rather get a sock in the eye then give up your smokes?

Why is it so often when somebody represents themselves on their LinkedIn page they don’t look like that person in real life?

We need to empower our men, women and children to be as real as they can be.

As long as you hide who you really are you will disappoint both yourself and others.

There is nothing wrong in having a mission statement about who you are. There is nothing wrong with maximizing your strengths.

I fear that as long as people put candy coating on reality there can never be real progress.

The truth really matters.

Nobody wants a false front or a cheap fake.

There is only one you. You are special, unique and one-of-a-kind.

Alive and kicking

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I just watched a really good show on HBO about heart disease.
Amazingly, in spite of all our good luck here in the USA with an overabundance of good food, good health care, access to clean water, and digital devices, obesity is killing people and that really is the heart of the matter.

Sadly, the people who are most prone to being obese are those who are economically challenged, namely the poor. Nevertheless, there are many folks who look like, heart attacks waiting to happen, among the upper crust as well.

We see this all around us and it is epidemic. The most horrible fact is that the problem is getting worse.

The question is, with all this cardiopulmonary disease sitting like a time-bomb ready to explode in these many obese bodies, is there anything to stem the tide?

Obviously, eating less and moving more to lose excess weight off the belly is a start.

Too bad it takes a tragedy for people to wake up to reality about obesity and heart disease.

You may come from an abundant country with lots of food tempting you every which way, but don’t let that be your excuse. If you want to live without regrets, then the time to act is now before it’s too late.

Follow the following three rules in addition to weight loss:

  1. Avoid alcohol
  2. Don’t smoke
  3. Don’t sit for longer than 50 minutes at a time.

Much of the heart disease today is preventable in America.

If you want to be successful and live a long life you have to take personal responsibility. You might be a lone voice in the wilderness of obesity, but after they’re gone you’ll still be here alive and kicking!

Universal Sport

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People often complain that they can’t make room for exercise. That is nonsense.
All you have to do is step outside and see your gym. There are hills to climb, there are places to walk or run to, and of course there are all the other opportunities for motion with a bicycle, homemade gym, or even housework.

Since I am a prognosticator of future events, I believe that in this 21st century, it is even more vital that we work on being thin and fit.

New inventions are making life more exciting for those who can engage with their environment on a physical level.

I don’t say hand-gliding, or bodysuit-flying is for me, but one would feel much better going down a zipline or going down a waterslide or riding on a brand new amusement ride if one is thin and fit.

Sadly, that is not in the range of many people today.

So the question has been raised, who rules your body? Take charge and don’t let your lack of self-control ruin your life. You deserve the best, and that means taking care of your body.

I thought I saw my future self walk by the window of my radio station the other day. I told my sister my destiny could be one of two things. Either a women of 82 who is trim, with great posture, and a sprint in her step, or else one of those morbidly obese in the Tom Kruse Hoveround, going through the till at the grocery store, clutching a bag of chips and soda pop, unable to walk.

Since I do not want the latter, and I pray and hope and daily work towards the former, I think about tomorrow, but I focus on this moment. I chronicle everything I eat, and I wear my fitness watch that tracks my heart rate, my steps and my sleeping.

We all have dreams, but the time is now to wake up and act, to make our dreams come true!

Surrounded by winners

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You’ve heard it said that you become the equivalent of those you hang around with. I am surrounded by winners. I cannot say how it all happened but I can say part of it has to do with my close association with my husband who is an MD, his relations and my relations including my fabulously beautiful, extremely talented sister who sings better opera than Sarah Brightman, in my humble opinion, and my super talented brother who works for a Fortune 500 company and is very active and athletic. Also, not to boast, being a radio announcer where I live in the heartland, I encounter many Superstar people.

I called them Superstars because they have their heads on straight. They are Straight Shooters. They tell it like it is. They are real people and not posers.

Being surrounded by winners helps me to be happy because when I get all nervous and flustered, with my ADHD, I get the advice I need to calm down and move ahead with maturity and soundness of mind.

Stay happy and be good

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First of all, let me write I have been pretty amazed at the news stories I’ve read tonight.
The resolution of a smartphone or an HDTV can send you photos, videos, and stories that are all too real, and too close for comfort.

The world is a crazy quilt. There is good and there is bad. Yesterday the news was rotten. However today, the news is so bad that it makes you want to hang your head and cry.

Child rape at a daycare in Ohio, bombings in Baghdad, those are just a couple of stories to grab the headlines.

Wickedness, and evil do not sleep. And the news services?  They don’t sleep either. They keep churning out pictures and words, sharing the world’s sorrows to keep you informed.

I suppose we need to know the truth of what is going on, but one has to be aware of the consequences of knowing. It can be heart-wrenching to know the news.

Tomorrow I’m taking a news detox! 

The news won’t make me crazy! 

I won’t allow it! 

No being a News Junkie tomorrow! 

I go back to work Wednesday, there part of my job as a radio broadcaster involves reading and hearing the news. So it’s back to the world of news on Wednesday.

People are frightened about different things. I think they’re smart to be frightened, but they also should practice being good. Don’t let the news hustlers get you down, and don’t be trapped by evil and wickedness. 

Stay happy and be good!

Musically yours,

Amy Zents 

American Flab

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Land of the free and the fat!

Oh say can you see all the American Flab?

Many people pledge allegiance to the American flab.

When I was very skinny and went to Holland I told the guys that I was Canadian while l rode on the backs of their bikes.

They warned me that if I stayed in the United States for a long time I would become obese.

Most Americans are fat, they said. They don’t live a very healthy lifestyle like the Dutch do.

I scoffed and I looked down my nose. Thank you, I said. That’s not true about me. It could never happen to me.

Well now that I tip the scales at 195 pounds, when I used to be a hundred and eighteen pounds, I think their prediction came true. I’m doing everything I can to try to lose weight but the temptation of food is much too great.

I guess it must be the American way!

Musically yours,

Amy Zents

The Malady goes with the Man or Woman

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image

We often struggle with change. Indeed, change is hard. Often we really wish to change for the better. A temporary change can sometimes fix things, for awhile. But, human nature being what it is, we revert to our real selves.
It may make us angry, or sad that we can’t seem to effect lasting change. Obstacles and excuses stand in the way of our success.
For a time we may choose to accept our weakness as just the way we are. But, sooner or later we feel sorry for ourselves and forget about why we should be self-accepting.
We want the gold, we want the best, we want healthy minds and bodies free of disease.
We want a beautiful home, beautiful skin, a beautiful life.
Up and down we go, enslaved and at war with ourselves.
We are looking for help. We are always judging and always aware of our lack.
Perhaps now is the time to view our imperfect selves as a work in progress. Breathe deeply. Breathe easier. Be patient and in good time you will see it through!

Musically yours,

Amy Zents